See A Film In London This Summer

Since moving to London, I’ve always made an effort to go out and experience as much as I possibly can that London has to offer. After all, what’s the point in moving to somewhere that’s so culturally rich and diverse if you’re just going to spend all your time sitting at home. Last summer, it was all about pop-ups; pop-up pubs, pop-up clubs, pop-up restaurants, pop-up shops. In fact, if it wasn’t pop-up, it just wasn’t worth going to. This year, it seems like it’s all about watching films in unusual places (otherwise known as pop-up cinemas). Here’s a list of all the places you can catch your favourite films in London this summer.

Rooftop Film Club

Website:www.rooftopfilmclub.com
Where: Queen of Hoxton, Shoreditch

Sitting on top of a pretty cool pub in Shoreditch. They’ve got a cracking line-up of films featuring ET, Labyrinth, Ghostbusters, Lost Boys, Waynes World, & Lock Stock to name just a few.

Nomad

Website:www.whereisthenomad.com
Where: All over the place

This is a roaming cinema, showing films all over London – from Zippos Circus, to Richmond Park, to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Personally, I’ve got my eye on ET at Richmond Park which should be epic.

Popup Screen

Website:www.popupscreens.co.uk
Where: Ravenscourt Park

They’re showing classic films Anchor Man, The Big Lebowski, and Ghostbusters. How cool is that? In their own words

If you’re bored of faceless multi-screens and their sticky carpets come along and spend a summer’s evening in the park and enjoy a proper cult movie with a cold beer or glass of wine, a box of hot popcorn and one of Tucker’s Exotic burgers

Secret Cinema

Website:www.secretcinema.org
Where: It’s a secret, silly!

These guys are the undisputed masters of pop-up cinema. The premise is simple – you buy tickets to see a film, but you’ve no idea that it is or where you’ll be watching it. About two weeks before the film is shown you’ll be given the dress code (yes, it’s fancy dress), and the tube station that you need to meet at. When you turn up, there are lot of actors playing scenes from the film, giving you a fully immersive cinematic experience before you sit down to watch the film. Below is a clip from the Secret Cinema showing of Blade Runner.

Roxy Bar & Screen

Website:www.roxybarandscreen.com
Where: Borough High Street

Ok, so this isn’t a pop-up, or outdoor cinema, but it’s still pretty random. Tucked away at the back of a pub that you could quite easily walk past on Borough High Street is one of the largest TV screens you’ll ever see in a pub. One of the best places in south London for watching sports fixtures, in the evening they turn their attention to showing films – both recent releases and cult classics.

Somerset House

Website: www.somersethouse.org.uk
Where: Somerset House

They’ll be showing films from 28 July – 7 August 2011. They haven’t been announced yet, but you can sign up to their newsletter to find out more.

The Scoop

Website: www.morelondon.com
Where: The Scoop, outside City Hall

Right at the very end of summer, the Scoop, which is an ampitheatre in the shadow of Tower Bridge, will “screen an eclectic mix of classic, cult and contemporary films rarely shown elsewhere”, including films such as Alice in Wonderland, The King’s Speech, and Grease.

If this pop-up nonsense isn’t your cup of tea, make sure you check out our film reviews so you know which cinematic releases are hot or not.