Director’s Cuts is a new series inviting filmmakers we admire to curate a screening of their own work alongside films that have shaped, inspired, or simply delighted them, past and present.
We’re thrilled to launch the series with Peter Strickland, who presents a selection of personal favourites alongside a special screening of his 2014 film The Duke of Burgundy on Saturday 16th May. Strickland will be in attendance for an exclusive post-screening Q&A.
“Six films specially picked for the Ultimate Picture Palace. No overriding theme and more of an intuitive selection of the new and the old along with the known and unknown. Harry Lighton’s Pillion: fresh from its release last year and a compatible (almost) all-male foil to the all-female Duke of Burgundy. The heliocentric wonders of Space is the Place bring Sun Ra to earth in John Coney’s ‘70s cosmic caper. William Klein brings his photographer’s eye to the wildly inventive and woefully overlooked ‘60s fashion mockumentary Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? Peter Solan’s The Case of Barnabáš Kos could almost be a documentary in its absurd portrayal of a triangle player promoted to orchestra director due to his political fealty. Needless to say, still relevant. Lastly, Anna Biller’s The Love Witch finds a series of besotted men fall victim to the titular witch of love. Also still relevant.” – Peter Strickland
Screenings take place between Saturday 9th and Thursday 28th May. Use the film links below for more info and to book tickets.
A modern witch searches for love through spells and seduction, leaving chaos in her wake. Anna Biller’s stylised homage to Technicolor cinema blends horror, humour, and sharp feminist insight, transforming romance into a dangerous fantasy of obsession and desire.
Lovers Cynthia and Evelyn sustain a ritualised relationship shaped by control and desire. As tensions surface, a hypnotic drama explores shifting power and intimacy through striking visuals and a haunting atmosphere. Plus a post-screening Q&A with director Peter Strickland.
A quiet traffic warden life radically shifts when a domineering biker draws him into an unexpected BDSM relationship. Harry Lighton’s fearless BAFTA-nominated debut blends comedy, kink, and tenderness, starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård.
Supermodel Polly Maggoo navigates relentless media attention as a documentary crew attempts to capture her life. William Klein’s witty satire dismantles fashion and fame, revealing an absurd world where modern identity is constructed, consumed, and endlessly performed.
Sun Ra leads his Arkestra on an interstellar journey to forge a new utopia. Blending sci-fi, performance, and radical politics, this electrifying film boldly channels Afrofuturist vision into a vibrant, cosmic experience where music, myth, and liberation collide.
A timid triangle player is unexpectedly promoted to Musical Director, but soon becomes corrupted by power. Peter Solan’s darkly comic satire exposes absurd hierarchies, sharply skewering state bureaucracy and the fragile egos behind positions of authority.
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!