THE BALLY #190: What to see in London this week [24 FEB to 02 MAR 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!

In this week’s special event screenings, start the week by putting a smile on your face with West London Queer Project’s GREASE Sing-along at Chiswick Cinema, or sample a classic piece of sci-fi with some whiskey for BLADE RUNNER – THE FINAL CUT at The Sydenham Centre (24 FEB). On Saturday, film expert Jon Davies gives us more of his French Impressions with CASQUE D’OR at Watermans whilst Riverside Studios continues their celebration of TV and film production on their historic site with another HANCOCK’S HALF HOUR TRIPLE BILL (both 25 FEB). Your Sunday gets busy with BREAK MY FALL – REDUX from Club des Femmes at Rio Cinema, I EVEN MET HAPPY GYPSIES from Never On Sunday at Close-Up , and a 16mm screening of NO MAN OF HER OWN presented by Women and Cocaine at The Cinema Museum (all 26 FEB).

If Mondays aren’t your thing, there are some moody movies on offer including a DIY double of Able Ferrera’s DRILLER KILLER and MS. 45 at The Prince Charles, and the launch of a new regular horror night with Horror Movie Monday’s presentation of MY BLOODY VALENTINE at The Last Tuesday Society (which I struggled to get my head around a little…). Transmissions puts a trans body horror spin on AKIRA at Dalston Superstore for their trans majority audience at Dalston Superstore (all 27 FEB). 

Another horror-leaning film club starts on Tuesday with Fleshed Out Cinema Club’s screening of THE CREMATOR at SET Social whilst NANA closes Sands Films Cinema Club’s series of silent adaptations of Emile Zola’s novels – you can catch their events online if you can’t be there in person. Tufnell Park Film Clubwill be screening VICTIM in tribute to Sylvia Sims (1934 – 2023), which also makes a suitable way of rounding out LGBT History Month (all 28 FEB).

Wednesday remains perpetually busy with Doc’n Roll’s presentation of A FILM ABOUT STUDIO ELECTROPHONIQUE at Picturehouse Finsbury Park, The London Library’s screening of A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN at Rio Cinema in advance of International Women’s Day, Cinema Rising’s showing of COLD WATER at The Garden Cinema, and Kennington Bioscope will be ladling out more than one portion of OLIVER TWIST from different celluloid formats at The Cinema Museum (all 01 MAR).

I’d probably wrap my screen week by seeing one of the new releases supported by a director Q&A; both Marie Lidén (ELECTRIC MALADY) and Asif Kapadia (CREATURE) will be travelling to promote their films across town. Other new releases include Hirokazu Kore-eda’s BROKER, Elizabeth Banks’ COCAINE BEAR, Saim Sadiq’s JOYLAND, and Shekhar Kapur’s WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? Both BROKER and JOYLAND benefit from recorded director Q&As in some locations (check with your preferred venues if that’s your thing!).

New rep seasons crop up at the start of the month with COUNTDOWN TO OPPENHEIMER: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN ON FILM opening at BFI IMAX with TENET. THE FILMS OF TERRY GILLIAM includes Q&As/intros from the director for THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE and TIDELAND and FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICAN CINEMA opens with BLACK GIRL, both at The Garden Cinema. Mountain lovers get three competing festivals (Banff, Kendal, and London), whilst Glasgow Film Festival has some London screenings on its tour.

Personally speaking, I’ve got two editions of my BAR TRASH cult movie events this week… First up, we’re back serving cinema and brunch at Rule Zero on Sunday from 11:00am with CONAN THE DESTROYER (26 FEB). Then, we’ll be heading downstairs from our usual bar venue at Genesis Cinema for a special luxury Studio 4 screening of the 1976 KING KONG remake (01 MAR).

With the tragic anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine upon us, there are several screenings and fundraisers across town this week. I’ve chosen BREAKING INTO BAIKONUR at Genesis Cinema (01 MAR) as my Featured Attraction of the Week thanks to its extraordinary visuals and as a celebration of Ukrainian screen culture.

See you in the darkness, and stay safe.

Richard // RADIANT CIRCUS

BREAKING INTO BAIKONUR d. Angel Angelov, 2020 + Recorded Q&A with the director, presented by Mr Bongo raising funds for Helping to Leave and Kyiv Volunteer at Genesis Cinema (01 MAR 18:45).

“The film documents Ukrainian researchers Dmitri Gromov and cameraman Angel Angelov as they cross the Kazakhstan desert to reach the classified territory of Cosmodrome Baikonur to watch the launch of the Soyuz space rocket. Risking their lives, the pair suffer with dehydration, starvation, physical and psychological exhaustion on their journey, as well as the threat of being taken to jail if found by the Russian militaries.”

“As a renowned military object, Baikonur was the first and the largest space station in the world, which had become one of the key symbols of the Soviet-American space race during the Cold War. This unique footage tracks the journey of this illegal trespass for the duo, whilst exploring the history of this spaceport and the deeply personal experience of this expedition for the Ukrainian protagonist.”

Subscribe to get all our listings emailed & help #ReviveTheDark.

Full daily listings in this week’s SCREEN GUIDE.

FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICAN CINEMA at The Garden Cinema

• Includes (check venue for full listings): BLACK GIRL d. Ousmane Sembène, 1966 + Intro by Estrella Sendra Fernandez (02 MAR 15:00).

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

• Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour (16 to 25 FEB).
• Glasgow Film Festival (01 to 12 MAR).
• Kendal Mountain Festival Tour (01 to 02 MAR).
• London Mountain Film Festival (20 FEB to 05 MAR).

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)

RADIANT CIRCUS is powered by monthly subscribers. Get great rewards & help #ReviveTheDark. JOIN US!

*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. //.