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.

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What else is on?

Tomorrow (Saturday 6th December)

15:30

Fiume o morte! 18

1h 52m | Croatian & Italian w/ English subtitles

Igor Bezinović revisits D’Annunzio’s 1919 ultranationalist occupation of Fiume, blending archival footage, reenactments, and interviews. This inventive documentary interrogates memory, myth-making, and lingering fascist shadows. Winner of Rotterdam’s Tiger Award and Croatia’s Oscar submission.

18:00

The Choral 12A

1h 53m

As World War I decimates membership of a Yorkshire choir, a group of teenagers and the gifted yet scandalous Dr. Guthrie step in. Ralph Fiennes anchors this poignant wartime drama written by Alan Bennett, celebrating community and music amid profound loss.

20:30

The Running Man 15

2h 13m

In a brutal, televised bloodsport, fugitives are hunted by elite killers for nationwide entertainment. To save his dying daughter, Ben enters the arena, and becomes an electrifying symbol of rebellion. Edgar Wright unleashes pulse-pounding action as Glen Powell explodes in Stephen King’s fiercely dystopian thrill ride.

Sunday 7th December

14:00

The Great Beauty 15

Music at Oxford screening

2h 21m | Italian w/ English subtitles

An aging journalist drifts through Rome’s decadent elite, confronting mortality and lost love after tragic news. Paolo Sorrentino’s lush, Fellini-esque masterpiece dazzles with sensuous imagery, a sublime score, and Toni Servillo’s enthralling performance. Winner of Best International Feature at the 2014 Oscars.

17:00

The Thing with Feathers 15

1h 44m

A grieving father’s reality fractures after his wife’s sudden death, and finds himself haunted by a giant talking crow. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a riveting performance in this lyrical, surreal adaptation of Max Porter’s award-winning novel exploring love and grief.

19:30

The Choral 12A

1h 53m

As World War I decimates membership of a Yorkshire choir, a group of teenagers and the gifted yet scandalous Dr. Guthrie step in. Ralph Fiennes anchors this poignant wartime drama written by Alan Bennett, celebrating community and music amid profound loss.

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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 don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!