STARRING Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston
This 1974 neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Robert Towne, and set in 1930s Los Angeles, is loosely inspired by the California water wars—early 20th-century conflicts over critical water rights in this city that nature made a desert. It received widespread critical acclaim on release for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, and performances—particularly those of Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston. Writing in 2013, upon its re-release, critic Peter Bradshaw wrote: “What the passage of time has done for this superlative film is progressively lessen our sense of its being simply a modern pastiche of the classic 30s gumshoe thrillers. The time-gap has narrowed, and it now looks like a classic in a direct line of succession to those earlier pictures.… The dialogue is crackling (“Are you alone?” – “Isn’t everyone?”) and the set pieces, like the one in the anti-semitic old people’s home, are just superb. Unmissable.”
DURATION: 2 hours 11 minutes
📽️ Doors open 5.30, for drinks, nibbles & classic cocktails.
📽️ Films start 6.30 with a brief introduction from the curators.
📽️ Entry is free with a yearly ticket, although we suggest a small donation of £5 per person to help keep the lights on. Yearly tickets can be purchased on the door (£7.50 adult / £6.00 concessions).
📽️ If you buy tickets and are subsequently unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can give your seat(s) to someone else.