When a film’s credits say it was co-written and co-directed by lions and tigers, it’s obviously not to be missed. And when a film is as utterly insane and unbelievably dangerous as Roar, it’s best watched at midnight with a raucous crowd and a surplus of booze.

Thus, heading to Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema this weekend after-hours would be a smart move. That’s where you’ll be able to witness the madness that is Roar, a movie that defies any general understanding of what movies are supposed to be. Lost in cinema’s deep abyss of impossible-to-find curiosities for over 30 years, director/psycho Noel Marshall’s Roar was rescued from obscurity by Drafthouse Films earlier this year, and the Drafthouse team deserves all the love in the world for that.

The plot is meaningless here, especially since there isn’t an actual plot. Roar boils down to Marshall and wife Tippi Hedren (star of Alred Hitchcock’s The Birds) endangering themselves and their children, including a young Melanie Griffith, by living with a hundred-plus tigers, lions and jaguars. (Roar's production is where this amazing photo came from.) There aren’t any stuntmen or special effects: the animals really maul Marshall’s family members, and the blood is real. But get this: Roar is presented as a family film, a Disney-like adventure romp.

Imagine being forced to watch Swiss Family Robinson while The Lion King’s Mufasa points a gun at your head. That’s the Roar experience in a nutshell. Don’t miss it.

Where to see it: Nitehawk Cinema, Friday and Saturday at 12:20 a.m.

NOTE: Roar will screen at Nitehawk next weekend, too, at the same nights and times. Buy tickets here for either weekend.