Whether you’re seeking out a Lynchian marathon on the big screen at the Cameo Picturehouse, or a Park Chan-Wook double feature at the Filmhouse, Edinburgh’s local cinema scene houses a wide range of special film screenings.
I spend at least one afternoon every week browsing through upcoming screenings. A couple of weeks ago, I watched David Cronenberg’s Crash (1994) right after my art history lecture on cubism, and suddenly a film I dismissed as a guilty pleasure became educational, legitimate. Screenings of old films and those difficult to access on streaming services place cinematic narratives into a different context. Watching becomes experiencing. All the senses are evoked; sound seeps into your skin as though you have ears on places other than your head, moving images occupy your entire periphery, and slowly, you are no longer just a witness, but a participant too, in the film. Your experience is what completes the movie as a work of art.
With the blooming of crocuses early this spring, Black Cat Cinema is presenting a series of film screenings fortnightly at Central Library starting from Tuesday 17 March at 2 pm, and ending on Tuesday 28 March at the same time. Tickets are available on the library website and go on sale Tuesday 3 March at 10 am while film titles will be advertised within the library due to licensing policies.
There will be a new column beginning the next print edition that spotlights student reviews on special film screenings at Edinburgh’s cinemas. Take a friend with you to rewatch a classic, or perhaps to explore the filmography of your new favourite director or develop some knowledge about cinema history through genre and movements. Whatever your reason may be — not that you ever need one to watch a movie — treat yourself by shutting your laptop and watching something on the big screen like it was made to be seen!
Photo by fatma jarghon on Unsplash.