Silver Screen Cities: Celebrating city cinema-going

Celebrating City Cinema-Going

‘Dunkirk’, Curzon Mayfair, London

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Screen 1 at Curzon Mayfair is one of the best auditoriums in London. The last time I was here was to see the sprawling epic Cloud Atlas. Today’s film is a much shorter, more focused production – director Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. I didn’t have high expectations of this film, but it turned out to be […]

‘T2 Trainspotting’, Empire Leicester Square, London

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In the early afternoon of this bitterly cold February day a second visit to the Paul Nash exhibition at Tate Britain was very enjoyable. There probably won’t be another retrospective of Paul Nash’s career for at least a couple of decades, so it was good to make the most of the opportunity to admire this […]

‘La La Land’, City Screen, York

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The streets of York were very quiet this January afternoon. It was midweek, very cold and grey, too chilly to linger and take in the sights of the historic city centre. So we dived straight into the Dean Court Hotel for a pre-film meal, admiring the Minster from the restaurant window. It was a wonderful […]

‘Arrival’, Picturehouse Central, London

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As you exit Pimlico Underground Station there are some great tiled murals lining the exit ramp, showing paintings by artists such as LS Lowry and others whose work is held at the nearby Tate Britain gallery. Public art like this certainly adds something to the quality of city life. At Tate Britain I ascended the […]

‘Napoleon’, Royal Festival Hall, London

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At 8 hours in total, this airing of the 1927 silent film Napoleon at London’s Royal Festival Hall was by far the longest film showing I have ever been to. It started at 2pm and ended at 10pm. To alleviate this endurance test for the audience, three intervals were provided, including a break of 100 […]