Shogun Assassin18

Directed by Misumi Kenji | Japan | 1972 | 1h 24m | Starring Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ôki, Shin Kishida, Akihiro Tomikawa

After his wife is murdered by a ruthless shogun, a vengeful rōnin wanders the countryside with his young son, taking down ninja assassins with cold precision in operatic bursts of surreal, stylised violence. Shogun Assassin, with its pulsing synth soundtrack and wild action sequences—featuring flashing swords, spurting blood, and severed limbs—became an instant cult classic, influencing artists from the Wu-Tang Clan to Quentin Tarantino.

This screening is part of the BFI’s national Art Of Action tour. For more information go to: https://www.bfiartofaction.co.uk/home

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Shogun Assassin between November 23, 2024 and November 23, 2024.

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

What else is on?

Tomorrow (Monday 15th June)

18:00

North Cormorant Island Cert-TBC
1h 26m
Join us in person for a free screening of North Cormorant Island, an award-winning documentary film about time, place, mortality and human relationships with the land and the sea. Followed by a Q&A with writer, producer, and director John Williams (Oxford Brookes).

Book here

20:30

Backrooms 15
Descriptive Subtitles
1h 45m
When a patient vanishes through a strange basement doorway of a furniture showroom, his therapist follows him into a disorienting dimension. Expanding Kane Parsons’ cult online series, this feature-length adaptation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve and bringing “liminal horror” to the big screen.

Book here


Tuesday 16th June

17:45

Fairyland 15
£6 for Members
1h 56m
Set in San Francisco from the 1970s to 1980s, this drama follows a father and daughter navigating bohemian life and social change as their bond is tested by the AIDS crisis. Adapted from Alysia Abbott’s memoir, it’s a tender coming-of-age story of love and resilience.

Book here

20:30

The Holy Mountain U
£6 for Members
1h 45m
Made in 1926 by Arnold Fanck, The Holy Mountain is a landmark German Bergfilm featuring Leni Riefenstahl. Set in the Alps, it blends a romantic triangle with spectacular mountaineering, skiing and avalanches. Presented by Rethinking Weimar Cinema.

Book here


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!