While The Twitterverse and Blogosphere are swamped with stories about the Odeon Cinema chain's decision not to show Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. As a response to Disney shortening the time from from the film's cinema release to it's DVD/Blu Ray release.
Something else is happening in the world of cinema, something marvellous, that again reinforces the thought that small independent cinema will always go further to keep cinema go'ers happy.
Banksy has just announced that his film Exit Through the Gift Shop will have a limited release at his very own cinema "The Lambeth Palace" - London’s darkest and dirtiest new cinema” (with an exception made for “Cineworld Edmonton”). Screenings are expected to start today and end on the 1st March. Exit Through the Gift Shop will then be on general release from the 5th of March.
Pic from Timeout's Twicpic account taken at a press screening
Banksy has turned his favourite venue, the Leake Street tunnel, home of his Cans Festival into a pop up cinema. By the look of things he has the tunnel into not only a cinema but a Banksy exhibition. The 150 seat cinema has some new Banksy pieces installed that include a cardboard Queen and Prince Phillip opening ceremonial velvet curtains to reveal a spray-painted Anarchy “A”, a bonfire of Old Master paintings going up in fabric flames, hamster cages of animatronic hot dogs, and a bar in the form of a grungy ice cream van. As well as some favorites from his recent Bristol Exhibition.
HolyCow! looks like the master of subversive understatement has done it again. Tickets will be available from midday today Tues 23 February from http://banksy.co.uk/cinema.html
Banksy Secret Cinema or get Exit Through the Gift Shop tickets
Where
The Lambeth Palace
Leake Street, London, SE1 7NN
When
6:00 & 9:00pm daily till , Thurs 4 March, 2010
More info and tickets visit: http://www.banksyfilm.com/ or book here http://banksy.co.uk/cinema.html
Anyone that knows the The_EST knows that my support for Secret Cinema goes all the way back to the very beginning last year :). Now in their 2nd successful year Secret Cinema are back and bigger than ever before.
For those of you still unfamiliar with London's best kept secret.
“The Secret Cinema is a monthly gathering of all that love stimulating, challenging and ground breaking cinema. The Internet is changing the way we watch films. The Secret Cinema changes where you watch films.
Every month a new secret location, you will receive an email the day of the screening stating the film that is to be shown and the location.
The film will be chosen by the secret cinema folk whose names will remain secret and sometimes by you the secret audience who will send in your secret votes.
The locations will vary. Anything from derelict theatres, rooftops, parks and other secret spaces. There will be surprise re-scores and special guests. Register at secretcinema.org”
Here is a complete list of Secret Cinema screening so far:
Secret Cinema presents Alien at 105 Clifton Street, London
Secret Cinema presents The Warriors at London Fields
Secret Cinema Kids presents Bugsy Malone at The Troxy, London
Secret Cinema presents The Harder They Come at The Coronet Theatre, London
Secret Cinema presents Anvil! The Story of Anvil at The Shepherd's Bush Empire
Secret Cinema presents Ghostbusters at The Royal Horticultural Halls, London
Secret Cinema presents A Night at The Opera at The Hackney Empire, London
Secret Cinema presents If... at Dulwich College, London
Secret Cinema presents Paranoid Park at Shipwright Yard
Secret Cinema presents Funny Face at The Royal Academy of Arts, London
However it's not just the location of the screening that is important it is that immersive experience that Secret Cinema creates whether it be turning existing buildings or field into a replica film set such as a spaceship interior, gangland war zone, fashion show, etc. ), performance artists and installations recreating set pieces from the films, live rock bands that the film is about actually playing a gig (with Anthrax guitar legend Scott Ian) and special guests introducing the films like Ralph Brown or Ridley Scott.
This months Secret Cinema is taking place on both Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th February with 2 screenings on each day at Matinee shows will take place at 1:00pm and evening shows will take place at 7.30pm.
I'm guessing (and I'm a really good guesser) that this months screening is a preview of Banksy's film Exit Through the Gift Shop. Please note that this is just my guess and not an official confirmation. If so this is sure to be one of the hottest tickets this February
I'm not sure if there are tickets still left but head, nay run over to > http://www.wegottickets.com/f/1462 to get yours.
For regular updates follow Secret Cinema on Twitter @SecretCinema sign up on their website here > http://www.secretcinema.org/
For more information on Banksy's film Exit Through the Gift Shop (which may or may not be screened at Secret Cinema) vist the website here > http://www.banksyfilm.com/
Secret Cinema February BANKSY?
Where
Secret London Location to be confirmed
When
1.00 pm, Saturday 27 Feb, 2010
7.30 pm, Sunday 28 Feb, 2010
The Sotheby's Contemporary Art Day Auction is being held in London this February.
The February day sale of Contemporary art features a carefully-curated range of exciting works by the leading names in the Contemporary art world. With cutting-edge paintings and sculptures by prominent international young artists, as well as classic pieces by established post-war European and American masters, the sale brings together exciting art works from the past seventy years, illuminating the movements they helped to define.
Highlights of the post-war period include Dubuffet’s magnificent Cafetière, tasse et sucrier III; an extremely rare IKP sponge sculpture from 1958 by Yves Klein; and a sublimely poised stabile by Alexander Calder. Important paintings by Peter Doig, Gerhard Richter and Damien Hirst headline a select group of Contemporary artists, whose work will be offered alongside pieces from the Estate of Angus Fairhurst.
The exhibition in London opens on the 6 February 2010.
Where
London
When
Sat 6 February 2010.
For more info and padding visit the Sotheby's website.
Pieces up for auction include:
Banksy's -
Bomb Hugger - £25,000 - £35,000
Kate Moss - £25,000 - £35,000
Armoured Car - £25,000 - £35,000
If you haven't seen Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop yet and need a bit more convincing. The clip below of the first 5 minutes gives a really good feel of what to expect.
