UPP
I wanted to mention the cinema where we saw ‘Ãtre et Avoir’ yesterdayâthe Ulitmate Picture Palace. This cinema (know locally as the ‘UPP’) has had a number of previous incarnations, the most recent of which was the ‘Penultimate Picture Palace’, or PPP. I don’t know what they will name it if the current owners sell upâthey haven’t really left a great deal of wiggle room with the ‘Ultimate’ tag.
The UPP is a funny cinema. It’s pretty old, and is in the pre-multiplex style, with a single, largish screen. There’s no foyer, and no popcorn, fizzy drinks or ice creamâit’s a case of ‘bring your own’. You buy your tickets from a tiny kiosk outside the cinema. The tickets themselves are the kind of numbered tickets you get at village fetes for the raffle, but I don’t suppose that they get hordes of people trying to get in without paying. The UPP always seems on the point of financial and structural collapse. Wise people keep their coats and gloves on in the winter months (there doesn’t seem to be any kind of heating), the paint is peeling, and the upholstery is rather torn. There’s a lingering smell of damp, and films are often accompanied by the sound of a tap dripping somewhere. I once saw the film ‘Salmonberries1’ there, which was set in Alaska, and it was like having some kind of virtual reality systemâI actually felt as if I was in Alaska.
So why do people go to the place? Well, they have an eclectic and adventurous programme of films, with all kinds of independent, foreign and just plain wacky films, as well as more mainstream offerings a few months after their first release. And it has characterâit’s not some corporate chain which tries to extract the maximum amount of cash from its customers by flogging them snacks and inflicting endless adverts on them. You go to the UPP to watch filmsâend of story.
1 An excellent film staring kd lang about a foundling in Alaska passing herself off as a man to work in the mines, and falls for an East German woman who befriends her.
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Hurrah for all small cinemas that survive on a wing and a prayer - some of my happiest times have been spent in them, occasionally working but mostly as a customer. I love them.----- Wow, youâre like the first person Iâve seen mentioning Salmonberries as an excellent movie. Youâre not afraid to state unpopular opinions, good for you!
p.s. Iâve been reading your blog for a while nowâ¦stumbled here from Sarah(nytoo)âs blog
by Sue @ 21/12/2003 7:12 pm • Permalink •
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ThoughtBadger: Amen
Sue: Hi, and welcome! From the reviews on the Amazon.co.uk page for the film, it seems to be something that stimulates completely polar opinions, and I guess that I can understand that. But personally, I thought it was a wonderful film. kd lang did much better than most singers who turn to acting (Whitney Houston, anyone?), the photography was stunning, the soundtrack sublime, and the story was rather touching and emotionally involving.
by bsag @ 21/12/2003 8:13 pm • Permalink •
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Ah, I remember it as the PPP, including the exterior that had (if memory serves) the Moulin Rouge legs. Done by the same bod as did the Headington Shark, I think.
Also, I vaguely recall a black and white exterior, complete with "Jazz Singer" motif. But again, I could be hallucinating.
by Lyle @ 22/12/2003 9:12 am • Permalink •
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Lyle: Sadly, the legs are gone now, and the exterior is rather sombre.
by bsag @ 22/12/2003 7:12 pm • Permalink •
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Enjoyed this entry very much indeed. Exactly the style of cinema that I frequent - because they show the sort of films I like. Often, here in Sydney, they are part of the Dendy chain. Unfortunately ... they have smelly popcorn!
I enjoyed "Salmonberries" - especially the "delight" shown by k.d. in the room full of preserved fruit. Wonderful tentative description of a relationship.
by Julie @ 30/12/2003 4:12 am • Permalink •
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