The news that the two multiplex heavy-hitters on which the cinema industry was pinning its hopes have had their release dates postponed has caused the temporary closure of all Cineworld theatres and a move to weekend-only opening times for a quarter of the 120 cinemas in the Odeon chain. On top of that, Edinburgh’s much-loved Cameo Cinema has pulled down the shutters. As for those two films – Bond outing No Time To Die and Dune, Denis Villeneuve’s update of Frank Herbert’s cult sci-fi novel – their release dates have been pushed back six months and one year respectively.
Scotland’s independent cinemas, generally less reliant on big releases, are carrying on regardless. They subsist on a more varied (though in some respects richer) diet than their larger counterparts, putting together exhibition programmes which can take in re-releases (for example La Haine and the upcoming 4K restoration of anime classic Akira) and small-scale arthouse releases. Just as pleasing as the (relative) health of the sector is the fact that a number of upcoming releases are directed by women.
Sofia Coppola’s On The Rocks, which reunites her with her Lost In Translation star Bill Murray, is now showing alongside Rose Glass’s Saint Maud at both Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) and the Edinburgh Filmhouse. Saint Maud was released yesterday, as was Kajillionaire, the latest from arthouse darling Miranda July. This coming Friday, meanwhile, sees the releases of a trilogy of films by British women: Lucy Brydon’s Body Of Water, Emily Harris’s Carmilla (an adaptation of Sheridan le Fanu’s 1871 vampire novel) and Herself, by Mamma Mia! and Iron Lady director Phyllida Law. Some good news, then, in an otherwise dismal autumn.
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