There are lots of unusual ways to see a movie this summer – from the luxury of a hot tub or while lazing on a picnic rug. From glamp-sites to roof tops, palaces to stately homes, VisitEngland gives you the top picks of quirky cinemas across the country.
The Cultured: For the first time, The British Museum is screening a major exhibition, Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, in cinemas nationwide, while opera fans can enjoy live screenings direct from the Royal Opera House.
Pompeii Live is a unique broadcast which brings the remarkable collection, alongside commentary from renowned experts and live performances of music and poetry, to people across the country throughout August. The ROH’s performances of Tosca’s Puccini and La Rondine will be shown on BP Big Screens in a host of venues throughout England, including London’s Trafalgar Square, The Piazza in Plymouth and Waltham Forest in Walthamstow.
The Set-jetter: This summer, Withnail & I fans can enjoy the ultimate 360 experience with a screening at the real-life Crow Crag, AKA Sleddale Hall in Cumbria. Part of a series of films being shown in their real-life locations by Picnic Cinema, it takes ‘set-jetting’ to a whole other level. The line-up extends to the 28 Days Later and Sightseers both shot in Cumbria which you can view in various locations in the Lake District.
The Iconic: Presented in the magnificent 18th century courtyard complete with surround sound, Somerset House is heralded as one of the best loved open-air cinemas. This year, the season includes the world premieres of: About Time, Richard Curtis’s time travelling romance; The Way Way Back, a coming of age comedy starring Steve Carrell; and on closing night, Prince Avalanche, an odd-couple comedy with Paul Rudd.
The Grand: Stately Homes are slowly but surely getting in on the cinema act, with open-air screenings becoming a regular summer fixture. Lincolnshire’s Burghley House will be airing Disney classics, a blast of Bond and the Oscar winning ‘The King’s Speech’ as part of its diversification programme in August. Four days of cinematic splendour will see the picturesque south gardens convert to a spectacular outdoor cinema hall. From your seat, you’ll admire more than action, adventure and amore as the gardens over-look the grand Elizabethan palace, Capability Brown Lake and sweeping parkland beyond.
In similar fashion to Picnic Cinema, Hedsor House, used recently in Quartet, will be holding its own movie extravaganza with a nod to set-jetting in late June. Starting with the glorious Les Miserables and finishing with Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut , watch as Hedosr House transforms to Beecham House, right before your eyes.
The Steamy: With bikini diets on the go, flash your beach body all over the rooftops of London with Hot Tub Cinema (above). Enjoy a panoramic view of the city skyline, champagne waiter service and of course your favourite film on the giant screen with the hottest alfresco cinema experience in London. Book a tub with friends or individual tickets to meet some new ones as you splash along to classics like Dirty Dancing, Top Gun and Grease.
In addition, the glamping company Pitch-Up includes in its portfolio, Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, ideal for beach babes and Hollywood hunks. Featuring an outdoor pool, the site holds regular open air film screenings where the back drop of one of the Isle of Wight’s most stunning beaches sets the mood for that light-hearted rom-com.
The Edible: Designed to elevate the movie magic, the concept behind Edible Cinema provides explosive entertainment alchemy. Mixing the taste, aromas and textures of a film’s most famous scenes, guests receive a selection of numbered boxes at the start of the experience, which they are instructed to open throughout the showing. As the plots thicken and romance is discovered, your special parcels will ensure that all taste buds are tantalised, all spines are tingled and all senses are heightened for an evocative experience. Fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind can watch the love between Clementine as Joel unravel in the most theatrical fashion yet, on the 29th and 30th June in Shoreditch’s Aubin Cinema.
The Medieval: A medieval castle built by William the Conqueror could be no less than majestic. It’s little wonder therefore that the charms of Warwick Castle have drawn in stars and starlets such as Dame Grace Kelly, Clark Gable and Lawrence Olivier. To celebrate its glitterati past, this summer, the castle will be hosting a mini film festival of three Hollywood blockbusters. Grab your gingham blanket and picnic basket, and set yourself down in the central courtyard as centurions roar with Gladiator, thespians dramatise with Les Miserables and gal-pals giggle along to Mamma Mia.
For more details see www.visitengland.com
