Located in the chapel of a former workhouse where a young Charlie Chaplin once lived, Kennington’s Cinema Museum is a remarkable piece of lateral cinematic history.
For a while, the museum-cinema’s home was under threat, but now it’s won the legal battle to stay where it is, there’s just one more fight left: raising the funds to buy the building it occupies.
Fortunately, the museum has some big cheeses from the world of film and TV in its Rolodex, and this October and November they’re coming out in force to lend a hand, taking part in a short series of events. On the docket:
🎞️ A Halloween disco, with tunes spun by Toby Jones (star of Detectorists and Mr Bates vs The Post Office) and Ben Miles, who you’ll recognise as Peter Townsend in The Crown. Costumes encouraged. Let’s hope Toby has his on. (31 October)
🎞️ First Scares sees a double-bill of chats with various big names — including Joanna Scanlan, Mark Gatiss and Lesley Manville — about horror films, childhood nightmares and what really gets under our skin. Sessions available to book separately or as a twofer. (1 November)
🎞️ Mark Kermode is Horrified with Neil Brand has the bequiffed movie critic chat film soundtracks (presumably horror ones, given the event title) with Brand, a composer, writer and broadcaster. (2 November)
🎞️ Neil Brand’s Evening with Laurel and Hardy sees Brand return to the museum to celebrate 100 years since cinema’s greatest comedy duo starred in their first film together. Lesser-known films from Laurel and Hardy’s back catalogue, including You’re Darn Tootin’ (1928), The Finishing Touch (1928) and The Second Hundred Years (1927), are screened, with Brand accompanying them with live improvised piano. (22 November)
If you can’t make any of these events, the Cinema Museum opens regularly for guided tours, and screenings. Check out their listings.
