faustus | Movie Memories

I've noticed recently - the few times I've been able to look up and not get a face full of rain - that Debenhams has an interesting range of frontages, which may be worth a panorama or two. Today I spotted a plaque which I don't recall seeing before, and which has clearly been there for a decade. Given the first commercial showing of films were in France in 1895 (leaving Wordsworth Donisthorpe to one side) November 1896 as the first public film screening strikes me as pretty damned early. More research needed - and a better photo.

I got home to a mailing from the BFI. I was a member in about 2001, but never used it then, and I've subscribed to Sight and Sound for a decade (and not read that for... five years?). What has always struck me is the BFI's reluctance to tell you what's being screened at the NFT, the LFF and LLGBFF aside - and even those is a battle. Whilst I've seen leaflets for the NT and RSC outside the M25, even north of the River Trent, the NFT is on a need to know, give us yer money now, basis.

For a month or so I've seen adverts on buses, drawing attention to its existence, and wondered if that heralded a new visibility. Yes, there is a website, but I find a pamphlet with a diary onnapage much more tempting then buggering about with poorly laid out PDFs. I supposed it's possible that Roger gave them my home address when he booked my ticket for Polymath - but I doubt it.