THE BALLY #186: What to see in London this week [27 JAN to 02 FEB 2023]

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!

London’s DIY, indie and alternative screenings have definitely picked up pace this week, giving you a great deal of choice… 

Friday 27 JAN is Holocaust Memorial Day and there are some important screenings across London including: INJUSTICE AND RESISTANCE: ROMANI ROSE AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT at Goethe-Institut, WHERE IS ANNE FRANK at Stratford East Picturehouse (both 27 JAN), and DISTANT JOURNEY at Picturehouse Cinemas in collaboration with the Czech Centre London (29 JAN). Apologies if I’ve missed others. 

In a land where the double-bill is supposed to be dead, it’s great to see one of my favourite screening formats well represented across the week. Choices include: The Gothique Film Society‘s presentation of a pair of killer apes at The Cinema Museum, GO AND GET IT + THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (27 JAN); filmmaker JoJo Bossman introducing TONGUES UNTIED + MOONLIGHT for Transmissions at Dalston Superstore (30 JAN); and The Picture Palace Archive starting a new 16mm film night at Rivoli Ballroom with a ‘Blonde Bombshell Double-bill’, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH 16mm + PIN UP GIRL 16mm (02 FEB).

For fans of world horror cinema, World Wide Weird stages their fifth ‘all-dayer’ at The King & Queen Pub on Saturday (28 JAN). Their global film choices include THE BOXER’S OMEN (1983), THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER (1973), BALLAD IN BLOOD (2016) and some rare 8mm/16mm shorts. As usual it’s a free event, but the organisers will be inviting donations to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. If your Saturday is already taken, the wonderful people at Evolution of Horror return to Genesis Cinema with the next of their big screen projections: EVENT HORIZON (31 JAN).

The week also features some excellent silent cinema including THE MARK OF ZORRO with Donald MacKenzie playing a live Wurlitzer score at The Musical Museum (29 JAN), and THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI with live score provided by Jon Sweeney at Ciné Lumière in partnership with Austrian Cultural Forum as part of their CARL MAYER MINI SEASON. 

I’ve chosen the London International Mime Festival’s presentation of Todd Browning’s  THE UNKNOWN with live score by Stephen Horne and Martin Pyne at Barbican (29 JAN) as my Featured Attraction of the Week because as their event blurb says: “this circus-set melodrama is one of the great silent films.”

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

PS – If you fancy joining me for Sunday Brunch with a side-serving of cult cinema, I’m launching my new ‘BAR TRASH does brunch’ programme at Rule Zero with Tobe Hooper’s LIFEFORCE this weekend (29 JAN 11:00am). Normal BAR TRASH service continues at Genesis Cinema on Wednesday 01 FEB with the little-remembered STAR WARS stablemate, DAMNATION ALLEY. See you there…?

THE UNKNOWN d. Tod Browning, 1927 + Live musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne & Martin Pyne, presented by LIMF at Barbican (29 JAN 15:00).

“The famously versatile Lon Chaney (“The Man of a Thousand Faces”) is Alonzo the Armless Wonder, who uses his feet to perform a circus knife-throwing act. But Alonzo keeps dark secrets: he is not the amputee he pretends to be, and is in fact a killer on the run from the police. With enormous cunning, he keeps his true identity, and his arms, hidden from the world. To act on his infatuation with the circus’ beautiful bare-back rider Nanon (Joan Crawford) would be to give himself away: so, what to do?”

“THE UNKNOWN builds to a Grand Guignol finale that is truly breath-taking in its intensity.” (LIMF)

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Full daily listings in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

BAR TRASH: TRASH OR TREASURE? at Rule Zero & Genesis Cinema 

• Includes (check venue for listings): LIFEFORCE d. Tobe Hooper, 1985 + Intro, intermission, brunch & prize giveaways at Rule Zero’s Sub Zero (29 JAN 11:00+); DAMNATION ALLEY d. Jack Smight, 1977 + Intro, intermission, themed drinks & prize giveaways at Genesis Cinema’s Bar Paragon (01 FEB 20:30).
• Presented by Token Homo.

CARL MAYER MINI SEASON at Ciné Lumière & Austrian Cultural Forum

• Includes (check venue for full listings): THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI aka Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari d. Robert Wiene, 1920 + Intro by Brigitte Mayr & Michael Omasta + Live piano accompaniment by Jon Sweeney, presented in partnership with Austrian Cultural Forum at Ciné Lumière (28 JAN 18:30); SUNRISE – A SONG OF TWO HUMANS d. F.W. Murnau, 1927 + Intro by Brigitte Mayr & Michael Omasta at Austrian Cultural Forum (31 JAN 19:00 – FREE!).

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

• London Short Film Festival (20 to 29 JAN).

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. //.