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 (Sunday 5th April)

12:15

The Prince of Egypt U

Kino Kids Cinema Club

1h 39m

Kino Kids Cinema Club

Moses discovers his Jewish heritage and defies Pharaoh Rameses to free his enslaved people. This animated retelling of the Exodus combines epic storytelling, stunning visuals, and an Academy Award–winning soundtrack, featuring voices from Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, and Sandra Bullock.

15:00

Bride of Frankenstein PG

1h 15m

After surviving an angry mob, Dr. Frankenstein is coerced into creating a new creature. James Whale’s eerie classic blends horror, desire, and identity, exploring bold queer themes while delivering unforgettable cinematic artistry nearly a century later.

17:00

Hamnet 12A

2h 6m

Shakespeare and his wife endure the devastating loss of their young son, straining love and family bonds. Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland) poignant adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel captures grief, creativity, and resilience, with moving performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

20:00

Midwinter Break 12A

1h 30m

Long-married couple Stella and Gerry holiday in Amsterdam when buried tensions surface, forcing them to confront their past and uncertain future. Starring Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds, Polly Findlay’s debut adapts Bernard MacLaverty’s novel into a moving meditation on love.

Monday 6th April

15:15

Midwinter Break 12A

1h 30m

Long-married couple Stella and Gerry holiday in Amsterdam when buried tensions surface, forcing them to confront their past and uncertain future. Starring Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds, Polly Findlay’s debut adapts Bernard MacLaverty’s novel into a moving meditation on love.

17:30

Bride of Frankenstein PG

1h 15m

After surviving an angry mob, Dr. Frankenstein is coerced into creating a new creature. James Whale’s eerie classic blends horror, desire, and identity, exploring bold queer themes while delivering unforgettable cinematic artistry nearly a century later.

19:30

Resurrection 15

2h 36m | Mandarin w/ English subtitles

In a future where humanity cannot dream, one being secretly still can. When a woman discovers him she enters his dreamworld, beginning a shape-shifting journey through cinema, memory, and time in Bi Gan’s visually dazzling, mind-bending fantasy.

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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!