"SCALA"...Doc on the legendary much missed London repertory/cult Cinema is fun, lively, heartfelt, nostalgic & packed with entertaining tales & reminiscences (& cool movie clips). Good interviews too (thank God for the blu-ray extra ones). Essential for Cult movie fans, esp ex-Scala punters like myself. Main criticism is the short shrift given to the Events. Especially as the last thing hosted there before it closed (last day "King Kong" showing aside) was the fabulous 'Full Contact with a Killer' Chow-Yun-Fat festival (with the lovely man himself as guest of honour), a GREAT moment in my life, but it gets no mention.
Nor do they mention the 'Film Extremes' festivals that were personally my main time spent there.
In fact an afternoon screening of "Cafe Flesh" was my only (I think) visit to 'The Scala' that wasn't an Event/Festival.
A sad lack of live footage of the mural covered Cafe/Dealer room too, another solid memory of my time there.
It also calls "A Clockwork Orange" banned & hints that's why they got into trouble for showing a 'pirate' print. But it wasn't 'banned', Kubrick withdrew it from distribution in Britain himself after much hassle over its supposed effect on crime. But Kubrick didn't do anything to help The Scala himself over this costly trial & should've got a bit of criticism here, but there's nothing (not a surprise really).
And of course, it just too short to cover such a long period of time at such a fascinating place. But, in general, it's very good, lots of fun (with genuinely emotional moments) & a real gift for fans. Great memories from a great time.
Get that blu-ray!
Nor do they mention the 'Film Extremes' festivals that were personally my main time spent there.
In fact an afternoon screening of "Cafe Flesh" was my only (I think) visit to 'The Scala' that wasn't an Event/Festival.
A sad lack of live footage of the mural covered Cafe/Dealer room too, another solid memory of my time there.
It also calls "A Clockwork Orange" banned & hints that's why they got into trouble for showing a 'pirate' print. But it wasn't 'banned', Kubrick withdrew it from distribution in Britain himself after much hassle over its supposed effect on crime. But Kubrick didn't do anything to help The Scala himself over this costly trial & should've got a bit of criticism here, but there's nothing (not a surprise really).
And of course, it just too short to cover such a long period of time at such a fascinating place. But, in general, it's very good, lots of fun (with genuinely emotional moments) & a real gift for fans. Great memories from a great time.
Get that blu-ray!