This is a film still from ANYBODY'S WOMAN dir Bette Gordon, 1981, showing at ICA.

SCREEN GUIDE: What’s on in London this week [20 to 26 MAY 2022]

Our RADIANT CIRCUS guide to what’s on in London this week across DIY, indie & alternative cinema, including one-off screen events, film seasons, film festivals & new releases.

By RADIANT CIRCUS // Twitter @radiantcircus / Instagram @radiantcircus

#QueerHorrorNights continue with David Cronenberg’s THE FLY (1986) at The Castle Cinema (Friday 24 JUNE 19:00): booking now!

Welcome to another screen week!

The Garden Cinema launches a new format – stand up comedians from the circuit introduce their favourite funny films – with YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN on Friday, but you might also want to start your screen week with the new documentary about the socially distanced popsters A-HA (single date screenings at Catford Mews, Chiswick Cinema, and various Picturehouses as well as an extended engagement at ICA). On Saturday, World Wide Weird wishes the late Christopher Lee a Happy 100th Birthday by showing two of his schlockers (and holding a fundraising raffle for Macmillan Cancer Support!), whilst Women & Cocaine celebrates Mae West with SHE DONE HIM WRONG at The Cinema Museum (both 21 MAY).

Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club projects a sure-to-be sold out BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S over three nights from Umit’s whirring beast at the back of The Castle Cinema (22, 25 & 29 MAY), and Kino Quickies concludes their series of podcast recordings at Kino Bermondsey with, suitably enough, BRIEF ECSTASY. On the same day, Sappho’s Cinema and Lesflicks create space to mingle at their monthly celebration of “the best of Lesbian Cinema!” with a film close to my heart, Kimberley Peirce’s BOYS DON’T CRY, and The Garden Cinema shows the first of two screenings this week of HANDS ON A HARDBODY (all 22 MAY).

On Monday, there’s a reasonably rare chance to see Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD at The Prince Charles (as part of their LONG-ASS MOVIES strand, it will also only cost you £1 if you’re a member!), and King’s College London continues their series of fundraisers for Ukraine with MY UNKNOWN SOLDIER (both 23 MAY). Tuesday heats up with Pinc x Black Ink Cinema presenting B*A*P*S at The Castle, Tufnell Park Film Club showing CHARLEY VARRICK at The Lord Palmerston, and Sands Films Cinema Club projecting Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack’s GRASS in-venue and online. I’ve also spotted a film club that’s new to me, Film Whitton presents THE INTOUCHABLES aka Untouchable at Whitton Library (all 24 MAY).

Wednesday continues the same pace with ANYBODY’S WOMAN x2 at ICA, Alison Kuhn’s THE CASE YOU at Goethe-Institut, Black History Studies‘ presentation of I SEE YOU at The Lexi, and the continuation of the Pink Palace projections in the basement bar at Rio Cinema with TAXI ZUM KLO (all 25 MAY). If you’ve already seen the re-release of Carl Theodor Dreyer’s VAMPYR, then the fine folk at Kennington Bioscope are projecting another of his works, PRÄSTÄNKAN aka The Parson’s Widow, at The Cinema Museum (also 25 MAY).

Thursday gets a little quieter for stand-alone presentations, so why not drop into Sydenham Film Club for their screening of HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (26 MAY), the day after Towel Day (25 MAY)? Or, if you like your sci-fi a little harder, maybe this is your chance to see the 4K restoration of ROBOCOP at the Picturehouse chain? Nick Walker aka Cult Classic Collective will also be hosting an intro and post-screening salon for IRREVERSIBLE, part of the GASPAR NOÉ season at Genesis (26 MAY 18:25).

The month’s ongoing rep seasons are joined by a brief sojourn to the CÔTE D’AZUR at Ciné Lumière, and a repeat run of ROBERT EGGERS‘ first two films at The Prince Charles. ANIME is back at the BFI IMAX, and The Garden Cinema continues their excellent deep dive into the life and career of SIDNEY POITIER with repeat screenings of many of his major screen works. If you’re a fan of Mike Hodges, there’s a Work In Progress screening of his new self-directed documentary about his life and work screening for FREE at BFI Southbank as part of their RETURN OF THE OUTSIDER season: ALL AT SEA (26 MAY).

In the week that TOP GUN 2 previews and then shatters the box office sound barrier (hopefully, for all the still-struggling indie venues…), there’s a rich array of other delights, some significantly older than the lag on Mr Cruise’s latest… Of the new indie crop, I like the look of Terence Davies’ BENEDICTION, Eskil Vogt’s THE INNOCENTS, and the 90th Anniversary 2K restoration and re-release of Carl Theodor Dreyer’s sensational VAMPYR (which also gets a few single date screenings). If you’ve been dialling into the CRUEL FLESH season at BFI, then the weeklong run of Gaspar Noé’s LUX ÆTERNA at ICA is also worthy of serious note.

I’ve chosen The Machine That Kills Bad People’s presentation of ANYBODY’S WOMAN x2 at ICA as my Featured Attraction of the Week (25 MAY) because it sounds like a fascinating juxtaposition of two very different works directed by women (and I’m always in the mood for a double bill).

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

ANYBODY’S WOMAN x2 d. Dorothy Arzner, 1930 35mm + Bette Gordon, 1981 digital presented by The Machine That Kills Bad People at ICA (25 MAY 18:45).

“ANYBODY’S WOMAN (1930) is a rarely seen pre-Code feature by Dorothy Arzner, the most prolific woman director of the classic Hollywood studio era. It charts the marriage of a chorus girl and a lawyer who find themselves coupled after a drunken night and proceed to make the unconventional marriage work.”

“Bette Gordon’s recently restored Super 8 film ANYBODY’S WOMAN (1981) is named after Arzner’s film. The precursor to her 1983 feature VARIETY, it features Wooster Group members Spalding Gray and Nancy Reilly recounting their experiences with pornography against the backdrop of images of New York’s Times Square and the surroundings of the Variety porn theatre.” (TMTKBP)

The Machine That Kills Bad People is held bi-monthly in the ICA Cinema and is programmed by Erika Balsom, Beatrice Gibson, Maria Palacios Cruz and Ben Rivers.

FRIDAY 20 MAY

  • A-HA: THE MOVIE d. Thomas Robsahm, 2021 at: Catford Mews (20 MAY 18:15); Chiswick Cinema (20 MAY 19:00); Picturehouse Cinemas (20 MAY various).
  • MAMMA MIA! d. Phyllida Lloyd, 2008 presented by West London Queer Project at Chiswick Cinema (20 MAY 21:00).
  • ON THE TOWN d. Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen, 1949 at The Garden Cinema (20 MAY 20:45).
  • YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN d. Mel Brooks, 1974 + Intro by Tim Renkow at The Garden Cinema (20 MAY 20:00) / Part of FUNNY ON FILM.

ONLINE

SATURDAY 21 MAY

ONLINE

SUNDAY 22 MAY

  • ALL THAT JAZZ d. Bob Fosse, 1979 at The Garden Cinema (22 MAY 20:15 / 23 MAY 16:00).
  • BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S 16mm d. Blake Edwards, 1961 presented by Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club at The Castle Cinema (22 MAY 14:00 / 25 MAY 19:30 / 29 MAY 14:00).
  • BRIEF ECSTASY d. Edmond T. Gréville, 1937 + Podcast recording with Charles Barr presented by Kino Quickies at Kino Bermondsey (22 MAY 13:30).
  • BOYS DON’T CRY d. Kimberley Peirce, 1999 + Intro + Pre/Post film social presented by Sappho’s Cinema & Lesflicks at The Cinema Museum (22 MAY 15:30).
  • CROUPIER d. Mike Hodges, 1998 at Riverside Studios (22 MAY 14:00 / 25 MAY 12:10).
  • VAMPYR d. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932 at Curzon Bloomsbury (22 MAY 15:15).
  • DELICATESSEN d. Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro, 1991 at The Prince Charles (22 MAY 15:45 / 24 MAY 13:00).
  • THE FRENCH DISPATCH d. Wes Anderson, 2021 at Whirled Cinema (22 MAY 17:00).
  • HANDS ON A HARDBODY d. S.R. Bindler, 1997 at The Garden Cinema (22 MAY 19:15 / 24 MAY 15:20).
  • ROBOCOP [Director’s Cut] d. Paul Verhoeven, 1987 at Picturehouse Cinemas (22 MAY various / 25 MAY various / 26 MAY various).
  • SORCERER d. William Friedkin, 1977 at The Prince Charles (22 MAY 21:00 / 25 MAY 13:05).
  • TAMPOPO d. Jûzô Itami, 1985 at The Prince Charles (22 MAY 18:10 / 24 MAY 15:30).
  • THUNDERBALL d. Terence Young, 1965 at Olympic Studios (22 MAY 13:40).

MONDAY 23 MAY

  • ALL THAT JAZZ d. Bob Fosse, 1979 at The Garden Cinema (23 MAY 16:00).
  • BOYHOOD d. Richard Linklater, 2014 at The Prince Charles (23 MAY 20:15 – £1 Members Screening).
  • THE GREAT MOVEMENT d. Kiro Russo, 2021 + Recorded Q&A with the director at Genesis Cinema (23 MAY 18:20).
  • JACKASS FOREVER d. Jeff Tremaine, 2022 presented by Deeper Into Movies at Farr’s Dalston (23 MAY 19:30).
  • Ukraine Fundraiser: MY UNKNOWN SOLDIER d. Anna Kryvenko, 2018 presented by KCL Depts of Film Studies & Digital Humanities at Lucas Lecture Theatre, King’s College London WC2R 2LS (23 MAY 19:00 – Donation suggested).
  • RŪRANGI d. Max Currie, 2020 at Whirled Cinema (23 MAY 20:00 / 24 MAY 20:00 / 25 MAY 20:00 / 29 MAY 17:00).
  • Gaspar Noé presents: UMBERTO D. d. Vittorio De Sica, 1952 at Picturehouse Cinemas (23 MAY various).

TUESDAY 24 MAY

  • B*A*P*S d. Robert Townsend, 1997 presented by Pinc x Black Ink Cinema at The Castle Cinema (24 MAY 18:45).
  • CHARLEY VARRICK d. Don Siegel, 1973 presented by Tufnell Park Film Club at The Lord Palmerston (24 MAY 20:00).
  • COMPARTMENT NO 6 d. Juho Kuosmanen, 2021 at The David Lean (24 MAY 19:30).
  • DELICATESSEN d. Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro, 1991 at The Prince Charles (24 MAY 13:00).
  • GRASS d. Merian C. Cooper & Ernest Schoedsack, 1925 presented in-venue & online by Sands Films Cinema Club at Sands Films Studios (24 MAY 20:00).
  • HANDS ON A HARDBODY d. S.R. Bindler, 1997 at The Garden Cinema (24 MAY 15:20).
  • THE INTOUCHABLES aka Untouchable d. Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano, 2011 presented by Film Whitton at Whitton Library (24 MAY 19:30).
  • MINUTE SHORTS X BIFA: BRITISH TALENT TELLING GLOBAL STORIES short film programme + Live performance & Panel discussion at Genesis Cinema (24 MAY 18:30).
  • RŪRANGI d. Max Currie, 2020 at Whirled Cinema (24 MAY 20:00 / 25 MAY 20:00 / 29 MAY 17:00).
  • TAMPOPO d. Jûzô Itami, 1985 at The Prince Charles (24 MAY 15:30).

WEDNESDAY 25 MAY

  • ANYBODY’S WOMAN x2 d. Dorothy Arzner, 1930 35mm + Bette Gordon, 1981 digital presented by The Machine That Kills Bad People at ICA (25 MAY 18:45).
  • BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S 16mm d. Blake Edwards, 1961 presented by Ciné-Real 16mm Film Club at The Castle Cinema (25 MAY 19:30 / 29 MAY 14:00).
  • THE CASE YOU d. Alison Kuhn, 2020 at Goethe-Institut London (25 MAY 19:00).
  • CROUPIER d. Mike Hodges, 1998 at Riverside Studios (25 MAY 12:10).
  • I SEE YOU d. Dez Mighty & Samuel Awosoga + Discussion with Charmaine Simpson presented by Black History Studies at The Lexi Cinema (25 MAY 18:30).
  • ROBOCOP [Director’s Cut] d. Paul Verhoeven, 1987 at Picturehouse Cinemas (25 MAY various / 26 MAY various).
  • RŪRANGI d. Max Currie, 2020 at Whirled Cinema (25 MAY 20:00 / 29 MAY 17:00).
  • SORCERER d. William Friedkin, 1977 at The Prince Charles (25 MAY 13:05).
  • PRÄSTÄNKAN aka The Parson’s Widow d. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1920 + Supporting programme + Live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney & Colin Sell presented by Kennington Bioscope at The Cinema Museum (25 MAY 19:30).
  • Pink Palace: TAXI ZUM KLO d. Frank Ripploh, 1981 + Talk by Andrew Woodyatt and Adam Zmith “Where have all the cottages gone?” at Rio Cinema Basement Bar (25 MAY 19:30).
  • WHEN I’M WITH YOU d. Katharine Fry, 2022 + Q&A with the director hosted by Helen De Witt at Barbican (25 MAY 18:30).

TALKS etc.

THURSDAY 26 MAY

#QueerHorrorNights continue with a double bill of PSYCHO II & PSYCHO III at The Cinema Museum (Sunday 24 JULY 18:30): booking now!

35MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

70MM PRESENTATIONS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): INTERSTELLAR 70mm d. Christopher Nolan, 2014 (24 MAY 20:00).

007 SEASON at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS d. John Glen, 1987 (21 MAY 15:00 – 4K / 26 MAY 15:00 – 4K).

ANIME at BFI Southbank

ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS (not listed elsewhere!) at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): EVITA d. Alan Parker, 1997 (21 MAY 20:45); SORCERER d. William Friedkin, 1977 (22 MAY 21:00 / 25 MAY 13:05).

BARBRA STREISAND STRAND [A STREIS-STRAND, IF YOU WILL] at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): WHAT’S UP DOC? d. Peter Bogdanovich, 1972 (24 MAY 18:25).

BEST OF CÉSAR at Ciné Lumière

BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: A QUESTION OF FAITH at BFI Southbank

BLACK & WHITE MOVIES at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): VAMPYR d. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932 (20 MAY 16:00 / 24 MAY 18:00 / 26 MAY 13:00); PAPER MOON 35mm d. Peter Bogdanovich, 1973 (21 MAY 12:30).

CELEBRATING MARLON BRANDO at The Garden Cinema

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): THE GODFATHER d. Francis Ford Coppola, 1972 (26 MAY 19:15).

CELEBRATING SIDNEY POITIER at The Garden Cinema 

CRUEL FLESH: FILMS OF THE NEW FRENCH EXTREMITY at BFI Southbank

CULTITUDE at Catford Mews

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): HEATHERS dir Michael Lehmann, 1989 (20 MAY 21:00 / 25 MAY 21:00).

ESSENTIAL CINEMA at Close-Up

#EXPLOREFRANCE – CÔTE D’AZUR at Ciné Lumière

THE FILMS OF TERRENCE MALICK at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): BADLANDS 35mm d. Terrence Malick, 1973 (23 MAY 15:45 / 25 MAY 18:15).

GASPAR NOÉ at Genesis Cinema

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): VORTEX d. Gaspar Noé, 2021 (21 MAY 20:00 / 22 MAY 19:50 / 23 MAY 17:40 / 24 MAY 15:55 & 20:30); CLIMAX d. Gaspar Noé, 2018 (23 MAY 21:00); IRREVERSIBLE d. Gaspar Noé, 2002 + Intro/Salon with Nick Walker presented by The Cult Classic Collective (26 MAY 18:25).

THE GOLDEN AGE OF FRENCH CINEMA at The Garden Cinema

JOHN CARPENTER IN 4K at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK d. John Carpenter, 1981 (20 MAY 13:15 – 4K / 21 MAY 18:00 – 4K / 25 MAY 15:45 – 4K).

NICHOLAS CAGE 35MM at Everyman Screen On The Green

  • Includes (check venue for listings): VAMPIRE’S KISS 35mm d. Robert Bierman, 1988 (21 MAY 23:00 / 25 MAY 10:30).

RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): KATZELMACHER d. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1969 (20 MAY 15:45 / 23 MAY 18:10).

RETURN OF THE OUTSIDER: THE FILMS OF MIKE HODGES at BFI Southbank

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): DANDELION DEAD d. Mike Hodges, 1994 (21 MAY 13:10); BLACK RAINBOW d. Mike Hodges, 1989 (22 MAY 18:10).
  • Work In Progress Preview: ALL AT SEA d. Mike Hodges, 2022 (26 MAY 18:10 – FREE!).

ROBERT EGGERS at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): THE NORTHMAN d. Robert Eggers, 2022 (20 MAY 18:00 / 23 MAY 12:45 / 26 MAY 20:45); THE VVITCH d. Robert Eggers, 2015 (23 MAY 21:00); THE LIGHTHOUSE d. Robert Eggers, 2019 (26 MAY 18:00).

SCI-FI MOVIES at The Prince Charles

  • Includes (check venue for full listings): ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK d. John Carpenter, 1981 (20 MAY 13:15 – 4K / 21 MAY 18:00 – 4K / 25 MAY 15:45 – 4K); INTERSTELLAR 70mm d. Christopher Nolan, 2014 (24 MAY 20:00); WATERWORLD 35mm d. Kevin Reynolds, 1995 (25 MAY 20:45).

STANLEY KUBRICK ON FILM at The Prince Charles

ROOFTOP FILM CLUB at Bussey Building, Peckham

ROOFTOP FILM CLUB at Roof East, Stratford

BENEDICTION dir. Terence Davies, 2021:

THE INNOCENTS aka De uskyldige dir. Eskil Vogt, 2021:

VAMPYR dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932:

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*THE SMALL PRINT: Opinions author’s own. // As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any errors. Updates & corrections will be made to the online version only. // Event dates/times/formats are subject to change by the venue/organiser. Events may already be sold out at the time of posting, so please click quickly. // We try to list as many original format screenings as we can (8 to 70MM), but sometimes formats change due to age of the print, availability, logistics etc, so please check ahead with your venue if the format is your thing. // All images are used in the spirit of fair use for reporting & review – no ownership is implied or intended / unless otherwise credited to RADIANT CIRCUS as the original rights holder. We will remove any images immediately upon request – just get in touch. // We don’t filter our listings by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should therefore be 18+. // Finally, we always try to follow The Carny Code by “not screwing up anyone else’s game”, but everyone can make mistakes… If something does go wrong, we will always do our best to put it right. //.