My trips to the cinema 2021

SCREENING: Drive-in
DATE: April 20th
CINEMA: The Luna Drive-In Cinema
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: My first ever drive-in! Indoor cinemas were still closed at the time because they’re less essential or safe than schools apparently.

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: May 17th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: HOH subtitled
DATE: May 17th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

NOTE: True to the message of the film and the request of the director, captions were burned in to all DCPs of the film to ensure a more accessible experience for for the deaf or hard of hearing.

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: May 18th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

NOTE: Initially watched on Glasgow Film’s online platform as part of the all-virtual Glasgow Film Festival during Lockdown 3.

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: May 19th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

NOTE: First watched through an online charity screener in late February.

SCREENING: XPlus
DATE: May 20th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater
SHORTS: Us Again (★★★)

NOTE: Mum’s first viewing, but I had previously rented it on Disney+, something I hope I never do again, while cinemas were still closed.

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: May 20th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Empty screen, so I could fanboy over what they did get right all I wanted!

SCREENING: The Studio
DATE: May 21st
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Predictably an empty screen.

SCREENING: XPlus Laser
DATE: May 21st
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: 35mm, with intro (Edgar Wright), Dream Palace
DATE: May 22nd
CINEMA: BFI
LOCATION: Southbank

SCREENING: IMAX
DATE: May 23rd
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Empty screen. And on a Sunday, no less!

SCREENING: The Gallery
DATE: May 23rd
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: May 24th
CINEMA: Vue
LOCATION: Eltham

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: May 25th
CINEMA: Cineworld
LOCATION: The O2

SCREENING: IMAX
DATE: May 26th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: XPlus, Japanese
DATE: May 27th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: May 30th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Empty screen. And on a Sunday during the school holidays, no less!

SCREENING: XPlus
DATE: May 30th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Meant to see this on the opening Friday, but my morning screening was cancelled due to a technical fault as I had learned through email. Rescheduled it to the following Sunday afternoon so I’d have less hassle getting home and something to double-bill with Felix.

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: June 1st
CINEMA: BFI
LOCATION: Southbank

NOTE: Bought with my American iTunes account the previous July.

SCREENING: Event Cinema, XPlus
DATE: June 2nd
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Rented on US iTunes earlier in the year.

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: June 3rd
CINEMA: Picturehouse
LOCATION: Greenwich

NOTE: Ticket booked using a free voucher.

SCREENING: IMAX
DATE: June 4th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: Pre-recorded Q&A (Questlove), Opening Gala, Sheffield Doc/Fest
DATE: June 4th
CINEMA: BFI
LOCATION: Southbank

SCREENING: The Studio
DATE: June 6th
CINEMA: BFI
LOCATION: Southbank

NOTE: Rewatched after the Glasgow Film Festival online platform, for some reason, could only provide a 720p copy.

SCREENING: Q&A (Peter Compton & Ajoy Bhose), Closing Gala, UK Asian Film Festival
DATE: June 6th
CINEMA: BFI
LOCATION: Southbank

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: June 7th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: June 11th
CINEMA: Picturehouse
LOCATION: Greenwich

NOTE: Surprisingly empty considering the kind of film it is and that it was a 3pm showing. Sure, it was a week after release and it was opening day for another long-awaited British drama, The Father in this case, but crazy even so.

SCREENING: Anima(c)tion
DATE: June 12th
CINEMA: Ciné Lumière
LOCATION: Kensington

NOTE: First watched during Lockdown 2 as part of the Manchester Animation Festival.

SCREENING: 3D, Return to the City
DATE: June 13th
CINEMA: Barbican Centre
LOCATION: Barbican

NOTE: Rented with US iTunes in November 2019; no conveniently located 3D screenings were available until this time.

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: June 14th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: XPlus
DATE: June 15th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Initially did not feel the need to watch this again at a cinema after first renting it for the full PVOD price on US iTunes, but because of my lack of concentration at home and because I was left thinking about it constantly, I decided to give it a go. Emotionally, I can’t say I didn’t regret it.

SCREENING: The Gallery
DATE: June 15th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: Pre-recorded Q&A (Denis Do), Anima(c)tion, Refugee Week
DATE: June 16th
CINEMA: Ciné Lumière
LOCATION: Kensington

NOTE: Previously rented on US iTunes in December 2019. Much like how plans to add a pre-recorded director’s Q&A to Calamity fell through, this was meant to be followed by a panel discussion with human rights officials on the ongoing refugee crises, but due to either the low turnout, management issues or COVID, this was cancelled.

SCREENING: Regular
DATE: June 17th
CINEMA: Curzon
LOCATION: Soho

SCREENING: Q&A (Jerry Rothwell, Jeremy Dear, Roland & Emma), Preview
DATE: June 17th
CINEMA: Picturehouse Central
LOCATION: West End

NOTE: First watched on the BFI Player as part of LFF, but my neurotypical mother who’d been holding onto the book for years deserved it watch it too.

SCREENING: XPlus Laser
DATE: June 18th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: June 19th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: One-off
DATE: June 19th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

NOTE: Previously paid £15.99 to watch this, as everyone else did on release. Did not receive an expanded, post-lockdown theatrical run but would often be screened as a repertory, and this was the film’s first indoor screening in the UK.

SCREENING: 35mm, Extended English version
DATE: June 21st
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: IMAX
DATE: June 22nd
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: I guess I was the only person who wanted to show up to support Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa in their fight against the giant sand beasts at 10:30 in the morning on a Tuesday. :(

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: June 24th
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: IMAX
DATE: June 25th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater
SHORTS: Jurassic World: Dominion prologue

New Shorts: Animation Variety Show
- In Her Boots (★★★½)
- Red Rover (★★★★½)
- Washing Machine (★★★★)
- Tiger and Ox (★★★★)
- Isle of Chair (★★★★)
- Break the Confinement (★★★)
- The Fishman (★★★★)
- Don’t Buy Milk (★★★★)
- Out (★★★½)
- Arka (★★½)

SCREENING: London Short Film Festival
DATE: June 28th
CINEMA: Catford Mews
LOCATION: Catford

SCREENING: 35mm, Robert Altman: American Outsider
DATE: June 29th
CINEMA: BFI
LOCATION: Southbank

SCREENING: XPlus
DATE: July 1st
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: July 2nd
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: 70mm
DATE: July 3rd
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: 35mm
DATE: July 3rd
CINEMA: The Prince Charles Cinema
LOCATION: West End

SCREENING: The Gallery
DATE: July 5th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater

NOTE: Previously paid the PVOD price to watch it at home the month after its US opening.

SCREENING: IMAX
DATE: July 7th
CINEMA: Showcase Cinema de Lux
LOCATION: Bluewater