We went a little cinema-crazy in this week's version of London On The Cheap, but sun-bathing in the flickering light of the silver screen is such a delightful escape on a rainy summer day. You get the best of both worlds — all the lazy delights of a lie-in film night while still getting out on the town. All film screenings featured are free, and of course, there's always a pub nearby for an idle nightcap.
Monday: The Roxy Bar and Screen on Borough High Street has been kind enough to offer free film screenings on the second Monday of every month. Tonight's Cannes winner is the languidly lovely Blissfully Yours (Sud sanaeha), a hedonistic Thai film celebrating the pleasures of the moment. Tuesday: Lest we all get caught up with the joyful triumphs of the Olympics, Amnesty International reminds us of darker days not so far behind with their timely screening of the Tank Man, a powerful documentary on the events leading up to the Tiananmen Square massacre and the story of the lone protester who held up a column of Chinese tanks with nothing more dangerous than his shopping bags. Screening followed by discussion with the director and former Tiananmen Square protester Shao Jiang. 6.30, Human Rights Action Center, 17-25 New Inn Yard, free.Summer: another day, another debaucherous evening following not far behind. Head over to Bourne and Hollingsworth speakeasy, a Londonist favourite, to squeeze into the tiny space that effortlessly recalls your grandmammy's living room and dance to live music including Cyan and the Midnight Rambler on their fabulous sound system that would have never seen the light of day in your real grandmammy's living room. Free, the fun starts at 7.30.
Then destroy all the good work you've done by taking advantage of a free afternoon beer on Budweiser in Potter's Field, next to London City Hall from 11am to 3pm. It's got something to do with some Olympic record-breaking surprise...blah blah. Free beer, that's all you need to know.
Friday: Kuki La-Belle and Delores von Cotier of burlesque come cabaret come speakeasy flapper club Volupte are now offering super cheap five quid standing tickets for Friday Follies throughout August. Doors at 6.15, comedy/music/burlesque show starts at 7. Oh yeah, and two for one cocktails from 5-8 pm. Saturday: Pray for rain, because today is an indoor freebie day to rival all indoor freebie days. The Tate Modern is screening — count 'em — three films for free today in a superstar culmination of their street art showcase. At 2pm is Inside Outside, a doco exploring the intersecting worlds of commercial art versus street art. Four o'clock's Next: A Primer on Urban Painting puts the spotlight on the emergent world culture of graffiti-based visual art. Five o'clock's Bomb It travels across 5 continents and 14 cities to tell the complete story of graffiti, from ancient cave paintings to the crumbling back alleys of Shoreditch. Sunday: Speaking of Shoreditch, head to the East End this weekend for Shoreditch Festival 2008, a week-long celebration of cultural and physical activities, combining arts and sports in one big celebratory mêlée. Today is the Tour de Hackney, free from 1-7 pm. Or, you could stay in and watch re-runs from your couch, but Sky can't really hold a candle to all the free films available in London this week.Image of the curtain's descent courtesy of chutney bannister's flickrstream.
