Naked Lunch - The Ultimate Picture Palace

Naked Lunch18

Directed by David Cronenberg | Canada | 1991 | 1h 55m (+ 20min short film) | Starring Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Ian Holm, Julian Sands, Roy Scheider, Monique Mercure

Bug exterminator Bill Lee discovers that the insecticide he uses has potent hallucinogenic effects. After becoming deeply addicted, Bill descends into the nightmarish Interzone, a bizarre underworld filled with sinister government conspiracies and giant, talking insects. Equal parts darkly humorous and grotesque, cult filmmaker David Cronenberg (The Fly, Videodrome, Crash) brings to life this surreal adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ hallucinatory novel, once considered impossible to film.

Naked Lunch will be preceded by a special presentation of Kōji Yamamura’s short film Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor (2007).

Kafkaesque Klassics

Reviews

‘Obviously this is not everybody’s cup of weird tea: you must have a taste for the aesthetics of disgust. For those up to the dare, it’s one clammily compelling movie.’
David Ansen, Newsweek

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Naked Lunch between October 21, 2024 and October 25, 2024.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Tomorrow (Thursday 1st January)

13:15

Once Upon a Time in the West 15

2h 45m

Classic Season: In Memoriam 2025

A ruthless mercenary targets a widow’s newly inherited land, forcing an outlaw and a enigmatic gunslinger to defend her. Leone’s sweeping revenge epic combines operatic imagery, Fonda and Cardinale’s iconic performances, and Morricone’s immortal score in a mythic elegy to the West.

17:00

It Was Just an Accident 12A

1h 44m | Persian w/ English subtitles

Azerbaijani mechanic Vahid suspects a customer is his former Iranian torturer. After years of censorship and a recent spell in jail, celebrated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi returns with a thrilling tale of obsession, paranoia, and vengeance. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

19:30

Blue Moon 15

1h 40m

On 31 March 1943, lyricist Lorenz Hart drinks alone at Sardi’s as former collaborator Richard Rodgers basks in Oklahoma!’s triumph. While accolades flood in, Hart unravels with bittersweet candour. Ethan Hawke shines in Richard Linklater’s real-time meditation on art, regret, and legacy.

Friday 2nd January

15:00

Wicked: For Good PG

Descriptive Subtitles

2h 17m

Elphaba, now feared as the Wicked Witch, lives in isolation while Glinda enjoys fame in Emerald City. As a hostile mob rises, the estranged friends reunite to reshape Oz’s destiny. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return for the thrilling finale to this Broadway musical adaptation.

18:00

Eleanor the Great 12A

1h 38m

After losing her closest friend, 94-year-old Eleanor moves to New York, seeking connection with her daughter. Accidentally joining the wrong support group, she reveals more than she bargained for, sparking unexpected friendships. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a tender portrait of family and grief.

20:30

It Was Just an Accident 12A

1h 44m | Persian w/ English subtitles

Azerbaijani mechanic Vahid suspects a customer is his former Iranian torturer. After years of censorship and a recent spell in jail, celebrated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi returns with a thrilling tale of obsession, paranoia, and vengeance. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

See all upcoming films

Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!