Silver Screen Cities: Celebrating city cinema-going

Celebrating City Cinema-Going

‘Strangers On A Train’, The Phoenix, East Finchley, London

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What better way of spending a Thursday morning than sitting in the art deco splendour of Finchley’s Phoenix cinema watching an old Hitchcock classic? About twenty cinephiles gathered here today for the 10.30 showing of the 1951 thriller Strangers On A Train. The film didn’t start until a few minutes later than scheduled, but that’s […]

‘Florence Foster Jenkins’, Picturehouse Central, London

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Bloomsbury Farmers’ Market was in full flow when we got there around 1pm. A throng of people were enjoying the mid-May sunshine and blue skies, wandering around amongst the array of tempting stalls set up in Torrington Square. University of London’s stunning art deco Senate House looms over the market. The setting is perfect for […]

‘Miles Ahead’, Picturehouse Central, London

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The trailer for Miles Ahead looked very good, and the film more than lived up to expectations when we went to see it at Picturehouse Central in London. Don Cheadle does a fantastic job as director and star of this tribute to jazz great Miles Davis. The pacing of ‘Miles Ahead’ is a perfect mix […]

‘High-Rise’, Curzon Victoria, London

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Mornington Crescent, a bright and breezy Tuesday morning in the last week of March. What brings me here today is curiosity to see the north London locales painted by Frank Auerbach and displayed at his recent Tate Britain retrospective. One work in particular resonated with me when I saw it at the Tate exhibition, the […]

‘Havana Club Rumba Sessions: La Clave’, ICA London

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It was a cold, bright and clear afternoon this last Sunday in February. After a very good lunch at Jamie’s Italian in Covent Garden, rounded off with a warming glass of calvados, we headed through the streets of central London towards the ICA on Pall Mall. ICA’s screen 1 was packed for this afternoon’s showing […]

‘Trumbo’, Picturehouse Central, London

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It’s all happening today – the Chinese New Year celebrations, Valentine’s Day, and the BAFTA awards. Signs of all those can be seen in central London, particularly around Covent Garden where we go to Palm Court Brasserie for a suitably romantic meal before heading along to Picturehouse Central to see the eagerly awaited Trumbo. Usually […]