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If you’re looking for a cinema with world-beating views, you could do a lot worse than pay a visit to Riverside Studios. Who doesn’t want to chew over the movie they’ve just seen as swans drift by on the muddy old Thames? And the good news is that the recently refurbished Hammersmith arts venue is officially open for business once again. Fire up those swans.
On the programme are family favourites, classic titles and award-winning films. This weekend it's ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and ‘Bend It Like Beckham’. There’s a 4K restoration of ‘Flash Gordon’ on July 31, while on the same day, Eva Green astronaut drama ‘Proxima’ will be the first new movie to screen.
‘We wanted to create a reopening programme that would give families the chance to step out in safety, and experience something iconic on the big screen, after feeling trapped indoors for the past few months,’ says interim creative director Rachel Tackley. The venue’s restaurants, bars and cafés are open for business too, while the theatre space will return ‘as soon as it is safe and viable to do so’.
With social-distancing measures required and Hollywood providing minimal support in the shape of grabby new releases – ‘Mulan’ has just joined ‘Tenet’ in being pulled from August’s release schedule – it’s a challenging environment for UK cinemas. Frankly, you’d forgive them for going to The Winchester, having a nice cold pint and waiting for this all to blow over. But many have reopened – or are planning to do so this month and in August – although most of the city’s indie cinemas will remain closed through the summer.
Here’s how to support your favourite local cinema through this turbulent time.
Find out when your local picturehouse plans to reopen.