Excalibur15

Directed by John Boorman | Ireland/UK | 1981 | 2h 21m | Starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Liam Neeson

Aided by the sorcerer Merlin, Arthur Pendragon pulls the mythical sword Excalibur from the stone and fulfils his destiny to be King of Britain. However, he faces greater tests ahead in pursuit of love, the Holy Grail, and his nation’s survival. John Boorman’s opulent and surreal adaptation of the Arthurian legend began development as an unproduced version of The Lord of the Rings, and went on to help launch the film and acting careers of Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne and Ciarán Hinds.

Reviews

‘Boorman reveals a wonderfully individual gift for embodying the mystical and the magical.’
David Robinson, The Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Excalibur between May 6, 2023 and May 6, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Saturday 6th June)

15:00

People's Emergency Briefing 12A
+ Discussion
50m (+ 30min Q&A)
The National Emergency Briefing in Westminster (November 2025) brings scientists together to present evidence on the climate and nature crisis. This film extends the findings nationwide, encouraging UK communities to gather, hear the evidence, and discuss solutions locally.

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17:00

Stalker PG
2h 42m | Russian w/ English subtitles
In a mysterious wasteland known as the Zone, a guide leads a writer and scientist toward a room where their dreams will come true. A towering work of world cinema, Tarkovsky’s classic is revered for its philosophical depth, slow cinema style, and spiritual ambiguity.

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20:30

The Christophers 15
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

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Tomorrow (Sunday 7th June)

14:30

The Red Shoes PG
2h 15m
The 75th anniversary of an undisputed masterpiece of British cinema. Powell and Pressburger’s visually ravishing fantasia about a young ballerina caught between her desire to dance and her yearning for love.

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17:30

The Christophers 15
1h 40m
A reclusive London artist (Ian McKellen) becomes the target of a scheme by his estranged children, who recruit a young painter (Michaela Coel) to infiltrate his home and uncover hidden works. Steven Soderbergh’s darkly comic chamber piece explores deception, legacy and artistic value.

Book here

20:00

Orphan 15
2h 13m | Hungarian w/ English subtitles
In Budapest, 1957, a Jewish boy awaiting his father’s return from the camps is confronted by a mysterious man claiming to be his real parent. Oscar-winner László Nemes (Son of Saul) directs this powerful drama about identity, trauma and postwar Hungary.

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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!