This is a film still from THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE screening at Genesis Cinema (23 JUL 2020).
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THE BALLY #81: What to see in London this week (17 to 23 JUL)

Welcome to THE BALLY, the free weekly newsletter about London’s alternative cinema scene produced by RADIANT CIRCUS. Find out what to see in London this week across indie & underground venues, film clubs, popups & film festivals as well as our selection of new releases, restorations & revivals.

By RADIANT CIRCUS

Twitter @radiantcircus | Instagram @radiantcircus

This is a text block for the section: SCREEN NEWS - NEWS FROM ACROSS LONDON'S ALTERNATIVE CINEMA SCENE.
NEWS FROM ACROSS LONDON’S ALTERNATIVE CINEMA SCENE.

WHO WE ARE – We Are Parable’s monumental takeover of BFI’s social media channels in celebration of Black British film – comes to an end as we open a new screen week. We Are Parable’s co-founder Anthony Andrews makes a vital contribution to debates about cinema reopening with an article over at the Independent Cinema Office based on unique audience research: Understanding the concerns of Black cinema goers as lockdown eases.

On the theme of reopening, we’ve posted a special guest post from Steve Care documenting his firsthand experiences of safety measures at Everyman Hampstead, Genesis Cinema and the ODEON chain (link way down below). Genesis Cinema owner Tyrone Walker-Hebborn has written about their experience of running a cinema at the time of COVID-19, posted over at BFI’s The Bigger Picture website: Genesis Cinema: Lessons learned a week after re-opening.

Want to know what’s been doing the indie screen business since everything reopened? Here’s Tryone’s chart of Genesis’ best-sellers from that same article:

The most popular films (in order) have been QUEEN & SLIM, PARASITE, KNIVES OUT, MOONLIGHT and DO THE RIGHT THING.

Based on “the science” (well, box office submissions from their national network of indie screen partners…), BFI reports that “croc horror” BLACK WATER: ABYSS has roared to the top of the reopened indie venue charts. With few other new releases doing the venue rounds, rep titles continue to rule the roost, with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK doing just that.

The reported craze for drive-in cinema has been experiencing mixed fortunes in London… The Drive-In Club has closed its doors prematurely and permanently (apart from the uber expensive world premiere of BREAK, which still looks like it’s going ahead – see listings for 22 JUL). Whilst their mix was largely live performances with a few films, it looks like demand, costs and safety measures proved a toxic combination. Elsewhere, it looks like Luna Drive In Cinema will be wrapping their South London venue at The Printworks on 21 JUL (UPDATE21 JUL – new dates announced to 30 JUL). Rooftop’s Drive In Film Club continues to post sold out event notices (currently programming until 31 JUL) whilst The Drive-In at Troubadour Meridian Water transitions to live performance programming in the middle of August… At The Drive In returns to East London (venue TBA) from 16 to 21 SEP, although most of the dates currently look SOLD OUT.

It’s great to see some of London’s truly diverse indie programming make a re-emergence onscreen (rather than just being online). UK Jewish Film presents a special outdoor screening of Barbara Streisand’s YENTL at The Drive-In, Troubadour Meridian Water (see listings for 19 JUL). And our featured attraction of the week – THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE at Genesis Cinema (see listings for 23 JUL) – charts a return to the arcane pleasures of chatting about film with your fellow audience members in the bar afterwards, hosted by the always suave Nick Walker.

    • !BREAKING NEWS! At the time of going to press, we noticed that West London venue Watermans Arts Centre has just confirmed a reopening date of 05 AUG.
    • !UPDATE! Ciné Lumière has also recently announced a cinema reopening date of 26 AUG.

And finally… now that more screens are opening up, THE BALLY will revert back to a weekly summary events from 31 JUL. Sign up HERE if you’re not already getting it sent to your inbox. Subscribe to our Patreon membership service to support our work and get full event listings delivered every week.

Stay safe & we look forward to seeing you in the darkness,

Richard – Barker-In-Chief, RADIANT CIRCUS

SCREENING & STREAMING EVENTS FROM LONDON THIS WEEK.

This is a section header graphic containing the text: "What to see in London this Friday".This is a section header graphic containing the text: “What to see in London this Friday”.

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301/302 (d. Cheol-su Park, 1995) FREE recorded intro by Maisie Germain before the film streams on YouTube (17 JUL 18:00):

    • Korean Film Festival presents: “Two lonely women become neighbours in an apartment complex and struggle to coexist. One woman, Yoon-hee, is a recluse, wanting to disappear from the world in order to avoid confronting the deeply rooted trauma of her childhood. The other woman, Song-hee, has recently left an unhappy marriage where she was neglected and made to feel invisible.”
    • Part of TRAPPED: THE CINEMA OF CONFINEMENT: EUNUCH (30 JUL), TRANSGRESSION (13 AUG); SOPYONJE + Intro + Zoom Discussion (27 AUG).

CLEMENCY (d. Chinonye Chukwu, 2019) Q&A with the director & cast FREE online event (17 JUL 20:00):

    • Birds’ Eye View #ReclaimTheFrame presents: “Join us and commissioning editor on The Independent’s comment desk Kuba Shand-Baptiste for a very special Q&A with writer-director Chinonye Chukwu plus lead actors Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge and Wendell Pierce this Friday (17 JULY – the UN International Day of Justice).”
    • You can see the film at Genesis Cinema (daily listings below) & stream CLEMENCY directly from distributors Bohemia Media. 50% of your ticket purchase goes to your favourite indie (inc Arthouse Crouch End, Barbican, Ciné Lumière, Genesis Cinema, Rich Mix, & Rio Cinema).

#fridayfilmclub – OLIVIA (d. Jacqueline Audry, 1951) FREE to stream online + Twitter chat (17 JUL 20:00):

    • Carol Morley presents: “OLIVIA (also known as The Pit of Loneliness) is a 1951 French film directed by Jacqueline Audry, and based on the 1950 semi-autobiographical novel by Dorothy Bussy. It has been called a “landmark of lesbian representation”.(wikipedia).
    • How it works: Watch all together online then join the chat @_CarolMorley using #fridayfilmclub.

TAIPEILOVE* (d. Lucie Liu, 2019) Free to stream online (17 to 24 JUL):

    • Queer East Docs4Pride presents: “TAIPEILOVE* documents Taiwan’s crucial moments in becoming the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Featuring extensive interviews with key activists and lawmakers, as well as ordinary queer people who share their intimate stories, the film is a vivid and important portrait of the ongoing struggles and shifting social attitudes towards LGBTQ+ equality in Asia.”
    • How it works: Free to watch online for one week.
    • Find out more: We’ve posted a guide to Queer East’s full Docs4Pride programme which streams throughout JUL.

WHO WE ARE – In Conversation with Justin Simien (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE) – FREE to watch on BFI Youtube (17 JUL 19:00): 

    • We Are Parable presents: “Conclusion of a week-long series of online events designed to celebrate and spark debate around Black British film, past, present and future.”

///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

Drive In Film Club, Alexandra Palace inc: 

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

    • DARK WATERS d. Todd Haynes, 2019 (17 JUL 19:45);  GOODFELLAS d. Martin Scorsese, 1990 (17 JUL 19:00); THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL d. Wes Anderson, 2014 (22 JUL 20:15); GREASE d. Randal Kleiser, 1978 (17 JUL 16:30); JUST MERCY d. Destin Daniel Cretton, 2019 (17 JUL 15:45); MISBEHAVIOUR d. Philippa Lowthorpe, 2020 (17 JUL 17:45); SPACE JAM d. Joe Pytka, 1996 (17 JUL 15:15).
    • Also at Everyman Cinemas: LOVE SARAH d. Eliza Schroeder, 2020 (17 JUL 16:30 – Barnet).

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Allianz Park inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Printworks inc:

Sunset Cinema Drive In Movies at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground inc:

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///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

    • LA LA LAND d. Damien Chazelle, 2016 (18 JUL 14:30); KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 (18 JUL 21:30).

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Printworks inc:

Sunset Cinema Drive In Movies at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground inc:

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BLACK MOON (d. Roy William Neill, 1934) FREE to stream online (19 JUL TBC):

    • Women & Cocaine presents: “We will be screening the pre code horror movie BLACK MOON, starring the most famous damsel in distress, Fay Wray, as Juanita, a young woman who returns to the tropical island where her parents were murdered during a voodoo ritual. Check back on Sunday when we post the link.”
    • How it works: Follow @womenandcocaine on Instagram to get the link when it’s posted.

YENTL d. Barbara Streisand, 1983 at The Drive-In, Troubadour Meridian Water (19 JUL 14:00):

    • UK Jewish Film presents: “YENTL is classic Streisand – besides marking her directorial debut, she produced, starred in and co-wrote the film (with Jack Rosenthal). Adapted from Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short story and subsequent Broadway play, the plot concerns an Eastern European girl in 1904 who disguises herself as a man in order to study the Talmud. The twist is that Streisand’s YENTL is a musical, with the lady herself belting out a dozen memorable numbers including ‘Papa, Can You Hear Me?’”.

///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Allianz Park inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Printworks inc:

Sunset Cinema Drive In Movies at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground inc:

    • KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 (19 JUL 20:00).

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COME AS YOU ARE d. Richard Wong, 2019 Live Q&A with the director, Asta Philpot & Grant Rosenmeyer at Curzon Home Cinema (20 JUL 20:30):

    • “Three young men with disabilities (Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, Ravi Patel) flee their overbearing parents for a road trip to a brothel in Montreal that caters to people with disabilities, in order to lose their virginity and embrace their independence. Gabourey Sidibe stars as their jaded nurse driver.”
    • You can also see COME AS YOU ARE at Genesis Cinema (see daily listings).

DC ON DEMAND – FREE to stream online from Deptford Cinema. New feature film every Monday. New short films every Thursday:

    • Wavelength Docs presents: Current feature (from 13 JUL): SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE d. Ann Guedes, 1981. Current shorts (from 16 JUL): MAI (1973) & LAURIE (1978).
    • How it works: FREE to stream online at deptfordcinema.org.

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT d. Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez, 1999 Watch at #LexiOClock with The Lexi Cinema FREE on BBC iPlayer + Facebook chat (20 JUL 18:30+). 

    • Lexi Cinema presents: “Horror has always brought out the best in filmmakers, as they strive on (usually) minimal budgets to achieve maximal impact. The conceit of compiling a film from “found footage” wasn’t exactly new to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, but BWP certainly showed just how powerful it could be.”
    • How it works: Watch (separately) all together on BBC iPlayer 20 JUL at 18:30, then join The Lexi on their Facebook page at around 20:00 to chat about the film.

///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

    • GET OUT d. Jordan Peele, 2017 (20 JUL 22:40).

Drive In Film Club, Alexandra Palace inc: 

    • FOOTLOOSE d. Herbert Ross, 1984 (20 JUL 20:00).

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

    • DARK WATERS d. Todd Haynes, 2019 (20 JUL 16:30); THE GREATEST SHOWMAN d. Michael Gracey, 2017 (20 JUL 15:00); INTERSTELLAR d. Christopher Nolan, 2014 (20 JUL 18:30); MISBEHAVIOUR d. Philippa Lowthorpe, 2020 (20 JUL 15:45); MOONLIGHT d. Barry Jenkins, 2016 (20 JUL 17:45); QUEEN & SLIM d. Melina Matsoukas, 2019 (20 JUL 20:30); WAVES d. Trey Edward Shults, 2019 (20 JUL 19:30).
    • Also at Everyman Cinemas: LOVE SARAH d. Eliza Schroeder, 2020 (20 JUL 16:45 – Barnet).

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Allianz Park inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Printworks inc:

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///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

    • THE DARK KNIGHT d. Christopher Nolan, 2008 (21 JUL 19:15); JACKIE BROWN d. Quentin Tarantino, 1997 (21 JUL 18:30); JUST MERCY d. Destin Daniel Cretton, 2019 (21 JUL 20:15); PARASITE d. Bong Joon Ho, 2019 (21 JUL 16:00); SPACE JAM d. Joe Pytka, 1996 (21 JUL 15:30); WAVES d. Trey Edward Shults, 2019 (21 JUL 15:00).
    • Also at Everyman Cinemas: BLACKKKLANSMAN d. Spike Lee, 2018 (21 JUL 17:30 – Barnet); THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION d. Frank Darabont, 1994 (21 JUL 19:15 – Barnet).

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Allianz Park inc:

    • JURASSIC PARK d. Steven Spielberg, 1993 (21 JUL 18:15); JOKER d. Todd Phillips, 2019 (21 JUL 21:30). 

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Printworks inc:

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BREAK d. Michael Elkin, 2020 premiere at The Drive-In Club, Brent Cross (22 JUL 18:30):

    • “Spencer Pryde (Sam Gittins), a gifted snooker player is wasting his talents, choosing instead to indulge in petty crime with his mates, but when things begin spiralling out of control, he seeks sanctuary in the one place he feels safe, the local snooker hall.”

Kennington Bioscope TV Ep7 – HOBSON’S CHOICE (d. Percy Nash, 1920) + Intro by Michelle Facey + Live Accompaniment by Cyrus Gabrysch – FREE online (22 JUL 19:30 – YouTube):

    • Kennington Bioscope presents: “A 1920 British comedy drama film starring Joe Nightingale, Joan Ritz and Arthur Pitt. A Salford bootmaker is irritated to learn his daughter is to marry one of his cobblers, and his outrage grows when they set up a successful shop which challenges his own for business. It is the first film based on the play Hobson’s Choice by Harold Brighouse.” (wikipedia)
    • How it works: Watch KBTV for FREE on YouTube.

MINDING THE GAP (d. Bing Liu, 2018) Watch together on BBC iPlayer + chat using #Stream25 (22 JUL TBC):

    • Screen25 Cinema presents: “First- time filmmaker Bing Liu’s Oscar nominated documentary MINDING THE GAP is the coming-of-age saga of three skateboarding friends in their Rust Belt hometown, hit hard by decades of recession.”
    • How it works: Watch MINDING THE GAP on BBC iPlayer then join the discussion using #Stream25.

///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

Drive In Film Club, Alexandra Palace inc: 

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Allianz Park inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Printworks inc:

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THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE d. Dario Argento, 1970 + Intro/Salon with Nick Walker at Genesis Cinema (23 JUL 18:45):

    • Cult Classic Collective presents: “Our first post-lockdown instalment is Dario Argento’s THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970). The screening will be introduced by Rochester Kino’s Nick Walker who will also host a socially distanced post-film discussion in the bar.”

///// VENUE LISTINGS:

The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water inc:

Drive In Film Club, Alexandra Palace inc: 

Everyman King’s Cross inc: 

GENESIS CINEMA inc:

The Luna Drive In Cinema, Allianz Park inc:

Sunset Cinema Drive In Movies at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground inc:

STILL STREAMING FROM PREVIOUS EDITIONS (A to Z).
SCREEN EVENTS WE’VE SPOTTED LOOMING OVER THE HORIZON (A to Z).
THE LATEST NEW EXHIBITS & ATTRACTIONS AT RADIANTCIRCUS.COM
This is a film still from MEMENTO screening at the reopened Genesis Cinema in London.
MEMENTO at the reopened Genesis Cinema.

DIARY OF A RETURNING CINEMA LOVER: In the next in our series of posts about cinema-going at the time of COVID-19, guest contributor Steve Care writes about visits to Everyman Hampstead, Genesis Cinema &, after some reopening box office trials, an ODEON Luxe. Steve shares his personal thoughts on venue safety arrangements & why his return to the darkness is so welcome.

Main featured image: THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE d. Dario Argento, 1970.

 “Indispensable to the London film scene.” (Ripley & Lambert)

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*THE SMALL PRINT: As accurate as we could make it. Apologies for any errors. Updates & corrections will be made to the online version. Event dates/times are subject to change by the venue/organiser. We try to only list events you can book for at the time of posting: however, some events may still be sold out. Please click quickly! We don’t filter by age/certification: all readers & subscribers should be 18+. Follow The Carny Code by “not screwing up anyone else’s game”.