Tampopo15

Directed by Jûzô Itami | Japan | 1988 | 1h 54m | Japanese w/ English subtitles | Starring Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Koji Yakusho, Rikiya Yasuoka

Two Japanese truck drivers stumble upon a run-down roadside fast food stop selling ramen noodles and decide to help the struggling business thrive. This tantalising story of underdog restaurateurs parodies classic Western genre tropes, while also providing a humorous and satirical perspective on Japan’s meticulous culinary scene.

Food Film Classics

Reviews

‘Tampopo is one of those utterly original movies that seems to exist in no known category.’
★★★★
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

‘Tampopo is buoyantly free in form. It’s as much an essay as it is a narrative — always ready to digress into random gags and comic anecdotes.’
Vincent Canby, The New York Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Tampopo between May 12, 2024 and May 14, 2024.

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What else is on?

Today (Friday 14th March)
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14:30

The Seed of the Sacred Fig 15
2h 47m | Persian w/ English subtitles
As political unrest engulfs Tehran, a newly appointed investigating judge grows increasingly paranoid of his own family. Filmed entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s has been nominated for Best International Feature at the Oscars.

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18:00

I'm Still Here 15
2h 18m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
Awards Season 2025
In 1970s Brazil, as the military dictatorship tightens its grip on the country, a mother is forced to rebuild her life after her husband is abducted by police. Powerful drama based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir and nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Picture.

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21:00

The Monkey 15
1h 35m
When two brothers discover their father’s old toy monkey in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths follows. Osgood Perkins (Longlegs) returns with another terrifying tale, this time adapting a chilling short story by Stephen King.

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Tomorrow (Saturday 15th March)
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17:00

David Lynch Weekender 18
David Lynch Weekender
Join us and The Evolution of Horror Podcast as we honour one of the most influential artistic voices of American cinema over a single weekend – the late great David Lynch. Purchase a limited Weekend Pass for entry to all screenings and events.

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17:00

Blue Velvet 18
+ Intro
2h 1m
David Lynch Weekender
The discovery of a severed ear leads a clean-cut amateur sleuth to uncover a nightmarish flipside to his sleepy suburban hometown in David Lynch's subversive and haunting melodrama, starring Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini.

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20:00

Eraserhead 15
+ Intro
1h 29m
David Lynch Weekender
A head floating through the cosmos. A lady who lives in a radiator. A baby that won't stop crying. David Lynch’s visionary debut that became a sensation on the midnight movie circuit and heralded the arrival of one of America's greatest artists.

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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!

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