Regent season of 35mm films launched with 1993 classic Matinee
A SEASON of movies shot on original 35mm film will launch at the Regent Centre in Christchurch next week with the 1993 kitsch comedy Matinee.
Billed as "smart, funny and disarmingly sweet", Matinee starring John Goldman is a PG comedy set against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis.
Despite being made on a low budget, the "film within a film" delighted critics who praised director Joe Dante’s effort as the ultimate tribute to 1950s sci-fi B movies.
Matinee will be shown on Sunday 24th October at 3pm as the first of four special film screenings on a recently restored 35mm projector.
Regent Centre spokesperson Laura Dean said: “If you adore the flicker, the cue dots, and the magic that celluloid brings to the big screen then you will love our four fantastic 35mm feature films, totalling over 32,000ft of print!”
The season continues with three further theatre-themed titles: Demons (18) on Friday 26th November at 7.30pm, the Smallest Show on Earth (U) on Monday 27th December at 7.30pm, and Phantom of the Paradise (15) on Saturday 8th January 2022 at 7.30pm.
The special showings, organised in collaboration with Dirt In The Gate Movies, are made possible with a working 35mm projector manufactured by the Ballentine Company in the USA.
The projector started life in the Tricycle Cinema in Kilburn, London, before being bought and installed at the cinema in Lymington. It was later purchased and donated by former Regent projectionist John Thornley.
Regent Centre chair Gary Trinder said: “Operating alongside the Regent’s state-of-the-art digital equipment, we’re one of the few venues in the UK where real film can still be presented.
"The carefully selected programme is a premium film offering for Regent patrons.”
Until around 20 years ago, all the Regent’s films were shown on 35mm print. Technology advanced and cinemas, including the Regent, moved onto digital projection. However, acclaimed directors such as Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino famously prefer the aesthetics of 35mm.
Tickets to 35mm season films are £10. For more information visit www.regentcentre.co.uk
- For your chance to win a pair of tickets to Matinee on Sunday 24th October see the competition entry form on page 11 of this week's New Milton Advertiser and Lymington Times, on newsstands now.
