This documentary about the cherished Scala independent cinema in London's King's Cross, with its own unique character housed in an ageing theatre and then cinema from 1978-1993, is a real love-letter to the old days of rep cinema. It is impossible for today's cinema-chain homogenised cinemagoers to fully understand the importance of independent venues like London's Scala in the times of the Video Recordings Act and the Thatcher government in particular, but this warmly nostalgic documentary goes quite some way to show its significance. With a great array of alt-culture icons who actually experienced it, the film also boasts a fantastic array of pictures and film clips that capture the favour and range of the Scala's offerings that were otherwise largely unavailable, and certainly not in mainstream cinemas. As this film goes on, it does tend to rely more on personal drug/sex anecdotes rather than the films and dispenses with the Scala's actual demise with something of a resigned shrug. From personal memory, the building reflected the dire state of many of the UK's ageing fleapits at the time (pre-multiplexes for the most part), but - allied with the BBC's Videodrome slot on late-night TV - it gave access to more than just standard Hollywood fare. Overall, this is a well-made and well-researched documentary that preserves a particular time and experience in UK cinemagoing. As an added bonus, have fun identifying the short film clips playing throughout the end credits!
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