Welcome back to Jameson Cult Film Club, a series of screenings that showcases the most exciting, edgy, cool and just plain fun cult films around. Not only that, but they are presented in settings carefully selected and dressed to fully immerse you in the world of the films. Previously, we’ve shown Trainspotting in a Shoreditch warehouse, a quartet of great horror movies in an Islington chapel and the majesty of This Is Spinal Tap at the Clapham Grand. But this time we are going out of this world.
This St Patrick’s Day, Jameson Cult Film Club is going sci-fi. Not only that, but we are giving you the chance to help pick the sci-fi cult classic we show. Just scroll down and choose from the flicks on offer.
Some sci-fi films earn their cult stripes through impenetrable plotting and worse special effects — the paper plates doubling as flying saucers in Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space are something you long to forget — but thankfully there are cult sci-fi films of breathtaking originality and genuine quality that take up permanent residence in the memory.
These films create vivid worlds in which viewers can lose themselves (Blade Runner, 12 Monkeys); they can offer big ideas and mind-melting mysteries that demand constant attention (Donnie Darko), or they can present unashamedly camp pastiche that offers plenty of chances to quote the dialogue — who can’t watch Flash Gordon without uttering the immortal line, "Gordon’s alive!"?
This month you can vote below for which cult sci-fi film you would like to see screened. Choose from the film options below; whichever film wins the most votes will take pride of place as the last in the current run of Jameson Cult Film Club screenings, to take place on St Patrick’s Day, March 17, at a suitably sci-fi London venue – the Royal Institution, founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the time. Cast your vote now!
Richard Kelly’s twisty-turny masterpiece mixes teen drama, end-of-the-world apocalypse, time travel, ’80s nostalgia (Tears For Fears! Patrick Swayze!) and startling surrealism into something compelling and completely original. Plus, Jake Gyllenhaal is superb as Donnie.
A classic slab of '50s alien invasion epic. H.G. Wells’ classic science fiction novel is updated from Victorian England to sunny California as martians crash land on earth and terrorise the US military in cool Manta Ray style spaceships. Although it is directed by Byron Haskin, it has the hallmarks of producer George Pal: showmanship, rich visuals and Oscar winning effects.
Moon is a modern cult classic waiting to happen. Anchored by a terrific turn from Sam Rockwell as an isolated astronaut undergoing a personality crisis, this directorial debut from Duncan Jones harks back to the classic sci-fi of the '70s, placing Big Ideas and atmosphere over big special effects and one-liners, staying long in the memory after the movie has finished.
Jameson Cult Film Club offers a series of cult film screenings for the serious movie fan with fun, adventure and — of course! — complimentary Jameson drinks! These events showcase cult flicks in locations that riff on the movies’ themes, storylines or locations, bringing them to life. Just one thing — you’ll need to be 18 years old or above.
Remember to keep your eyes out, there will be more Cult Film Club screenings at various venues across the UK this year. Register for these events at www.jamesoncultfilmclub.com.
To discuss any of the above cult sci-fis, what makes a cult sci-fi and your favourite cult sci-fi flicks, head over to the Jameson Cult Film Club Blog.
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