THE BALLY #90: What to see in London this week (18 to 24 SEP)
Welcome to THE BALLY where we update you on the latest news from across London’s alternative cinema scene & recommend what to see in London this week. Find everything listed in our weekly screen digest at radiantcircus.com*
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Even as the TENET tidal wave starts to recede, London’s alternative cinema scene continues to bloom back into life. Indie film releasing sees the return of roadshow Q&As – where the same talent crops up in different venues (cf WHITE RIOT) – and the long release cycles caused by COVID-19 bring some titles back into view (cf CALM WITH HORSES).
Indie exhibitors are really starting to storm London’s screens again. Ciné-Real 16MM Film Club completes their successful run of JAWS screenings back at The Castle (24 SEP) and have announced two special screamings for Halloween at the same venue: Terence Fisher’s DRACULA 16MM (21 + 29 OCT) & Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE 8MM (22 + 28 OCT). We’ve seen Ümit and Liam project their 8MM print of CHAIN SAW before and, as we said at that time, the home cinema format seems to add extra rust to the blade… Whilst we’re on the subject of scares, World Wide Weird! returns to venues this week with an excellent free evening for anyone with a passion for Italian horror, ITALY POSSESSED (19 SEP). They’re raising funds for MacMillan Cancer Support, so do go along and help them out.
Elsewhere on the scene, music themed content continues to be a popular attraction. We’re never sure whether we should list Pitchblack Playback’s sonic encounters in the darkness, so it’s great to see their film night return with the much adored concert movie STOP MAKING SENSE (23 SEP) at the equally adored Rio Cinema. Having recently projected the same film in their new rooftop location, Deeper Into Movies returns to Dalston Roof Park this week with music shop doc OTHER MUSIC (21 SEP).
ROCKS continues to bring meaningful cinema to young Black and Brown audiences, with a special Q&A screening at Riverside Studios (18 SEP) and generous coverage on indie screens across town. Looking across London for more Black content, BIMI brings Horace Jenkins’ CANE RIVER (18 SEP) to their free online programme, streaming it with a discussion of the filmmaker whose premature death robbed “generations of a talented, vibrant new voice in African American cinema”. And you might get a ticket for Spike Lee’s DO THE RIGHT THING (22 SEP) at Backyard Cinema’s The Winter Garden (although everything is looking pretty SOLD OUT as usual…)
HHonolulu Events presents a screening of Jamaican doc OUT DEH at Genesis Cinema (19 SEP) followed by The New Black Film Collective with a special preview of MISS JUNETEENTH at the same venue (23 SEP), and WHITE RIOT documents vital protests against racism (and is a film you can catch pretty much everywhere). Even though the BFI and African Odyssey’s season INJUSTICE is taking a break this week, a new season dedicated to the late Chadwick Boseman opens at Picturehouse Cinemas with a rare revival screening of 42 (d. Brian Helgeland, 2013). The season will raise funds for colon cancer charity 40tude and includes: GET ON UP (27 SEP), MARSHALL (04 OCT), and BLACK PANTHER (11 OCT).
Your screen week also includes some excellent festivals both virtually and in venues. Leytonstone Loves Film (16 SEP to 04 OCT) takes place on and offline, although due to spacing restrictions many of their live events seem to be fully booked. Get in on the action with our friends Stow Film Lounge and Letyonstone Popup Film Club for their free outdoor screening of cult curio BRONCO BULLFROG in Henry Reynolds Gardens (20 SEP). London Indian Film Festival continues live screenings at BFI and Ciné Lumière (until 20 SEP) and London Spanish Film Festival (22 SEP to 03 OCT) follows them at the South Kensington venue for their 16th edition.
Finally, RADIANT CIRCUS will be away working next week so we might miss our regular weekly post… Apologies in advance!
In a week that feels a bit like normal (not the ‘new normal’, the old one…), we have no hesitation in awarding our Featured Attraction Of The Week to The Celluloid Sorceress’ 35MM presentation of GROSSE POINTE BLANK at Genesis Cinema (24 SEP).
The Sorceress has been a good friend of what we’re trying to do here at RADIANT CIRCUS and projects some of the most exciting curations to be found anywhere on London’s alternative cinema scene. The fact that you’ll be supporting one of the city’s finest indie venues to keep projecting original format content can only sweeten the deal.
RADIANT CIRCUS is really sad not to be there, so you should definitely go!
See you in darkness,
RADIANT CIRCUS
CANE RIVER d. Horace Jenkins, 1982 + Discussion FREE online event (18 SEP 19:00):
- BIMI presents: “Written, produced, and directed by Emmy Award-winning documentarian, Horace B. Jenkins, and crafted by an entirely African American cast and crew, CANE RIVER is a racially-charged love story in Natchitoches Parish, a “free community of color” in Louisiana. A budding, forbidden romance lays bare the tensions between two black communities…”
- How it works: register online for links to the film + discussion.
ITALY POSSESSED d. Eugenio Ercolani, 2019 + Q&A with the director + LISA AND THE DEVIL d. Mario Bava, 1973 at The King & Queen (19 SEP 18:30 – FREE!/Donation requested):
- World Wide Weird! presents: “For our return to real world film nights we are very pleased to host an evening with Eugenio Ercolani. For the past 15 years Eugenio has been working as a film historian, video-maker, 1st AD and writer. Eugenio will be presenting the first London screening of his documentary film ITALY POSSESSED (available with the Arrow Video release of BEYOND THE DOOR).” Raising funds for MacMillan Cancer Support.
BRONCO BULLFROG d. Barney Platts-Mills, 1969 at Henry Reynolds Gardens, E11 (20 SEP 19:00 – FREE!):
- Leytonstone Pop Up Film Club and Stow Film Lounge presents: “A leading cult film of the 1960s and the only record of suedehead in British cinema, Barney Platts-Mills tale of teenage lovers with no money and nowhere to go was largely improvised by a non-professional cast of young East Enders. A wonderful time capsule of late 60s east London, this is filmmaking with a spontaneity, wit and endearing humanity that still feels strikingly fresh.” Part of Leytonstone Loves Film (16 SEP to 04 OCT).
OTHER MUSIC d. Puloma Basu & Rob Hatch-Miller, 2019 at Dalston Roof Park (21 SEP 20:00):
- Deeper Into Movies presents: “Other Music was an influential and uncompromising New York City record store that was vital to the city’s early 2000s indie music scene. But when the store is forced to close its doors due to rent increases, the homogenization of urban culture, and the shift from CDs to downloadable and streaming music, a cultural landmark is lost.”
MAUVAIS SANG 35MM aka The Night Is Young d. Leos Carax, 1986 at Ciné Lumière (20 SEP 14:00 / 22 SEP 17:30):
- “Paris, a few years before the 21st century. The city is threatened by a fatal disease called STBO, that seems to be transmitted by simple caresses. A young man, Alex, is charged to steal the formula of a serum that can fight the disease. One of the most remarkable French films of the early 80’s, this lyrical and poetic thriller featuring the late Michel Piccoli pays imaginative homage to silent cinema.” Part of THE MANY FACETS OF MICHEL PICCOLI.
MISS JUNETEENTH d. Channing Godfrey Peoples, 2020 Preview at Genesis Cinema (23 SEP 18:30):
- The New Black Film Collective presents: “Beauty queen and single mum Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie) attempts to get her rebellious teenage daughter to follow in her footsteps in the warmhearted and beautifully observed indie drama.”
GROSSE POINTE BLANK 35MM d. George Armitage, 1997 + Intro by The Celluloid Sorceress + Retro Trailers at Genesis Cinema (24 SEP 18:30).
- The Celluloid Sorceress presents: “Martin Blank is a freelance hitman who starts to develop a conscience, which causes him to botch a couple of routine assignments. On the advice of his secretary and his psychiatrist, he decides to attend his 10 year high school reunion in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.”
> Full daily listings at radiantcircus.com
TENET 35MM / 70MM / IMAX 15
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- BARBICAN CINEMA: TENET 35MM d. Christopher Nolan, 2020 (18 SEP 17:10 / 19 SEP 14:00 & 20:15 / 20 SEP 16:40 / 21 SEP 17:10 / 22 SEP 20:15 / 23 SEP 17:10 / 24 SEP 14:10 & 20:15).
- BFI IMAX: TENET IMAX 15/70MM (daily until 27 SEP 12:00, 16:00 & 20:00).
- PICTUREHOUSE CENTRAL: TENET 70MM (18 SEP 15:30 & 19:00 / 19 SEP 15:30 & 19:00 / 20 SEP 15:30 & 19:00 / 21 SEP 15:30 & 19:00 / 22 SEP 15:30 & 19:00 / 24 SEP 15:15 & 18:45).
OTHER DELIGHTS!
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- The Castle Cinema: JAWS 16MM d. Steven Spielberg, 1975 presented by Ciné-Real 16MM Film Club (24 SEP 19:30).
- Ciné Lumière: MAUVAIS SANG 35MM aka The Night Is Young d. Leos Carax, 1986 (20 SEP 14:00 / 22 SEP 17:30).
- Genesis Cinema: GROSSE POINTE BLANK 35MM d. George Armitage, 1997 + Intro + Retro Trailers presented by The Celluloid Sorceress (24 SEP 18:30).
CELEBRATING CHADWICK BOSEMAN at Picturehouse Cinemas (SEP+):
“Following the devastating news of Chadwick Boseman’s passing, Picturehouse has programmed a season of his work to celebrate his incredible career.”
> Full season listings at radiantcircus.com
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- Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival at BFI Southbank & Ciné Lumière (17 to 20 SEP).
- The Design Film Festival online event (11 SEP to 01 NOV 2020).
- Leytonstone Loves Film blended event (16 SEP to 04 OCT).
- Little Wing Film Festival online event (21 to 27 SEP).
- London Spanish Film Festival at Ciné Lumière (22 to 30 SEP).
- Safar Film Festival online event (13 to 20 SEP).
We continue to expand our coverage of London’s indie venues & events and encourage anyone to get in touch if we’re regularly missing your favourite independent venue or alternative cinema promoter.
We’ve also added a new section to our weekly digest – ORIGINAL FORMATS – to celebrate London’s celluloid sensations (and other projection formats noting London Video Club’s forthcoming screening of THE GATE from VHS! – 25 SEP at Genesis Cinema).
*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 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+. // > Remember, always try to follow The Carny Code by “not screwing up anyone else’s game” //.