BEST UNUSUAL CINEMAS IN LONDON
HOT TUB CINEMA
Hot Tub Cinema is an open-air cinema where you can see the films like Grease, Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, The Rocky Horror Picture Show while immersed in the bubbling waters of a Jacuzzi and sampling a drink from the fully stocked bar.
This peculiar London cinema is located on the rooftop of a brick building in East London, which until 2006 was where Shoreditch Underground Station was located.
At the Hot Tub Cinema silence is not mandatory: you cry loudly during sad scenes, hurl into wild dances in the tub with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John watching Grease and you recite the cult film scenes that you know by heart. So if you’re picky, reserved or lover of tranquility, this experience is not for you, but it is definitely ideal for groups of friends who want to enjoy a different night in a hot tub that accommodates up to six people.
ROOFTOP FILM CLUB IN PECKAM ( RFC)
The Rooftop Film Club is an outdoor cinema with a view of the skyline of the City, where the view is worth more than any cinematic masterpiece. It opens in the summer months, from May to September, on the top floor of the Bussey Building, a building of the early twentieth century that now houses art and music events.
There’s only one projection a day, usually at 20.30 and You can buy tickets online only.
PRINCE CHARLES’ CINEMA
Many regard the Prince Charles, defined by Tarantino as the “Mecca of cinema”, the best cinema in London not only because you can see the best film at the lowest prices (for London), but also because you can watch a selection of cult films sat on comfortable red leather armchairs. Typical for its sixties character, it’s never been modernized but still looks young and fresh.
The building hosts two rooms, respectively of 104 and 285 seats, screening films all the times, from noon to 21 pm and on weekends until midnight.
You can choose among a great selection of films, which include blockbusters, but also some of the cinema classics such as Blade Runner or Pulp Fiction.
For true cine-fans, cinematic marathons lasting all day are organized regularly: some examples are the MIDDLE EARTH MARATHON, complete trilogy of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, lasting 1,080 minutes and ARNIE ALL NIGHTER, six films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, for a total of 720 minutes.
GATE PICTURE HOUSE
87 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3JZ
There are many Independent cinemas option around London, but the single-screen Gate Picture House in Notting Hill is such a lovely little place and one of my favorite for its classical, old-fashioned with and Edwardian feel, with great programs, projection sound and comfortable seats with little tables in between for food and snacks.
IMAX
Next to Waterloo station, you will spot something unusual. A cylindrical, modern building standing at the centre of a busy roundabout. A screening here is going to cost you at least £ 20, but watching a film on a massive screen with such spectacular sound quality, is something every cine-fanatic has to experience at least once in their lives.
THE ELECTRIC, SHOREDITCH
If you are up to something both snug, chic, and luxurious, with comfy armchairs and cushions, where you can watch a movie wrapped in cashmere blankets, THE ELECTRIC, IN SHOREDITCH may be worth the experience. It’s literally divine, you would like to spend the night there! The bathrooms are complete with Cowshed products and actual hand towels too.
Monday night screenings are the cheapest.
Make sure you book as seats are limited.
EVERYMAN HAMPSTEAD
This is another exclusive, cozy, two-screen boutique cinema, where you will feel like being in a luxury living-room of own home. You can treat yourself to a mainstream or independent film, watched from comfortable leather sofas and armchairs, with staff serving food and drinks to your seat.
PECKMAMPLEX
I’m listing the Peckhamplex here, not because of its interiors, as it’s pretty basic and no frills, but because it’s got something unusual for London standards: its price. It’s probably the only cinema in London where you can see a movie for a fiver. ALL TICKETS ALL DAY £4.99, 3D TICKETS £5.99.
If you are looking for a good, nice place to be which has a soul and character, this may be the right choice for you.
Needless to say, It’s rated five-star by its habitués.
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