THE BALLY #174: What to see in London this week [07 to 13 OCT 2022]

Welcome to THE BALLY where we help you find what to see in London this week across DIY, indie & alternative cinema events, online, outdoors & in venues.

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

Welcome to another screen week!

Sensational one-off events start this weekend with Wonder Reels’s evening of live performance by Yama Warashi followed by Kaneto Shindõ’s ONIBABA from 35mm at The Cinema Museum (07 OCT). Then, CinemaItaliaUK collaborates with FILL (the Festival of Italian Literature in London) to screen and discuss Pier Paolo Pasolini’s THE CANTERBURY TALES (08 OCT) at The Garden Cinema. Oliver Hermanus’ new adaptation of Kurosawa’s IKIRU, LIVING, is previewed across town as part of BFI London Film Festival (09 OCT – see daily listings for venues).

On Monday, Cinema Rising continues their screening programme with Paul Schrader’s HARDCORE at The Garden Cinema (10 OCT). The fascinating theatrical programme continues at Sands Films Studios with Grigory Kozintsev’s adaptation of KING LEAR which can be seen in-venue and on-line on Tuesday for a donation (11 OCT). “Gender bending, punk-horror, theatre making cabaret clown” Baby Lame and company return to create chaos with SHOWGIRLS LIVE! at the Rio Cinema on Wednesday (12 OCT), and you can wrap your week with something (a little…) calmer with Rebel Reel Cine Club’s presentation of BRONCO BULLFROG at Archway Tavern (13 OCT).

As the month’s new rep seasons make progress – everywhere but the BFI, but more about them in a bit! – this week’s highlights include a weekend of ALI CHERRI at Tate Modern, and the ongoing celebration of Angela Allen’s career as a script supervisor, A LIFE ON THE FILM SET, at The Garden Cinema. LAST SUNRISE continues FRAMEBURN at Hackney Brewery, and Programme 2: (1976-78) is the next stage in the epic JOHN SMITH INTROSPECTIVE at Close-Up (both 13 OCT). HORROCTOBER continues to shine its eery light over the season at The Prince Charles. 

The BFI London Film Festival continues across town this week (05 to 16 OCT), and I start my encounters there with BONES AND ALL at the weekend. One of the many innovations driven through by outgoing festival director Tricia Tuttle is the number of parallel preview screenings in venues across London and the UK (cf LIVING – see daily listings). If BFI LFF is too big for your appetites, Little Wing Film Festival continues at Everyman Cinemas across town (05 to 09 OCT), Wimbledon International Short Film Festival shines at the Polka Theatre (08 OCT), and Kick Like A Girl gets physical at Genesis (08 to 09 OCT).

In this week’s new releases, I’m really looking forward to seeing Bertrand Mandico’s next feature, AFTER BLUE (DIRTY PARADISE), following the super-saturated 16mm weirdness of THE WILD BOYS. I’ve also highlighted David O. Russell’s AMSTERDAM and Stephen Frears’ THE LOST KING as two fact-based dramas, one a whodunnit, the other more of a ‘wheredunnit’. Check this week’s GRIND SHOW listings for these details and more. 

It’s that time of year when those of us with horror heads come out to play, so expect me to celebrate more genre-related screenings in my Featured Attraction of the Week slot. This week I’ve chosen the wonderful two-pronged assault on our senses from the Evolution of Horror podcast people at Genesis Cinema… Campfire Stories is an open mic story-telling event outdoors in the Yard (with free hot chocolate and marshmallows!), which is then followed by Jamie Blanks’ URBAN LEGEND in the cosy warmth of the cinema.

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

PS – I missed it last week, but after a long absence the Bernie Grant Arts Centre has resumed regular film screenings with a monthly slot entitled, appropriately enough, Cinema At The Centre.

Evolution of Horror Presents… Campfire Stories in the Yard (12 OCT 19:00) + URBAN LEGEND d. Jamie Blanks, 1998 (12 OCT 21:00) / Part of HALLOWEEN season at Genesis Cinema.

“Complete with a roaring campfire, cosy blankets and hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, join us for an evening of spooky stories in The Yard! As with our open mic nights, anyone can sign up to tell their tale but if you’d rather get spooked, just join the circle and listen!”

“Once we’re all substantially creeped out, we’ll head inside for a special screening of the solid 90s slasher URBAN LEGEND and maybe grab a themed cocktail from the bar to calm the nerves. Tickets are available to both events separately but enjoy a discounted rate when booked together. Hot chocolate, tea and marshmallows are on us!” (Genesis Cinema)

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Full daily listings in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

A LIFE ON THE FILM SET at The Garden Cinema

• Includes (check venue for full listings): PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN d. Albert Lewin, 1951 + Q&A with Angela Allen (07 OCT 18:00); THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING d. John Huston, 1975 + Q&A with Angela Allen (09 OCT 19:00).

More rep seasons listed in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

• BFI London Film Festival (05 to 16 OCT).
• Fête du Cinéma d’Animation (02 to 28 OCT).
• Kick Like A Girl (08 to 09 OCT).
• Little Wing Film Festival (05 to 09 OCT).
• Wimbledon International Short Film Festival (08 OCT).

More new releases in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

• 
  Sine Screen presents Vulnerable Histories at Close-Up & The Garden Cinema (19 to 26 AUG 2023)
• 
  Lost Reels presents 16mm & 35mm screenings at The Cinema Museum & ICA (19 & 31 AUG 2023)
• 
  The Duke Mitchell Film Club presents DukeFest 2023: A Brave New World (13 to 16 AUG 2023)
• 
  Cinema Mentiré launches with OLHAR PERIFERICO season (AUG 2023)

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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. //.