Richard O’Brien speaks fondly of his inspiration for the Rocky Horror Show as being the joy of watching late night television, when T.V stations aired old B Movies and Sci-Fi films from the fifties, knowing that their viewing audiences were mainly made up of lost souls, insomniacs and drunks. The opening song of the show, Science Fiction Double Feature, is a musical tribute to the films he remembers, and we’re shivering with anticipation for our screening of two of those in our own Double Feature. Altogether now: “Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still, but he told us where we stand…”
The Day the Earth Stood Still (U)
Dir Robert Wise/US 1951/92 mins
Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe
A sci-fi classic from Robert Wise that emerged at the height of Cold War paranoia, the film depicts the arrival of an alien dignitary who arrives on earth to deliver the message that earthlings must find peace amongst themselves or face deadly consequences…
Forbidden Planet (U)
Dir Fred M. Wilcox/US 1956/98 mins
Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen
A ground-breaking entry to the sci-fi genre that involves a rescue mission to a distant planet, Forbidden Planet, which references Shakespeare’s The Tempest, features an incredible electronic score, Eastmancolor and CinemaScope cinematography and the iconic and much emulated Robbie the Robot.
Please be aware that our Box Office closes at 20:30, tickets are to be purchased and collected before the start of the screening. This double bill screening will include a 15 minute intermission.