Scala!!!

Or the Incredibly Strange Rise and Fall of the World’s Wildest Cinema and How It Influenced a Mixed-up Generation of Weirdos and Misfits

“A suitably riotous documentary about the subversive London cinema.” – The Guardian

In Britain’s post-punk Thatcher years, the infamous and legendary Scala cinema showed a diverse range of films, from high art to cult classics, sexploitation, horror, Kung-Fu and LGBTQIA+. Nudging boundaries of convention, it became an inspiration for future famous creatives.

With interviews from nearly 50 contributors, previously unseen archive footage and film clips, Scala!!! is an anarchic, uproarious documentary telling the riotous inside story, with an original soundtrack by celebrated musician Barry Adamson. Transcending nostalgia, Scala!!! is a universal testament to the power of cinemas, providing refuge and community for outsiders. A place where everyone is welcome.

“It is impossible to talk about the history of the Scala without talking about Thundercrack!“.  As such, how could we not unspool Curt McDowell & George Kuchar’s cult/horror/porn phenomenon later in the evening?