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| Steve and Louise in The World's Smallest Cinema. Photo: Dom Henry |
Feeling good about yourself because you’ve got a big plasma-screen telly? Pah! Steve Jones can easily top that - he’s got the keys to the world’s smallest cinema, The Screen Room, and not only does it specialise in the cream of independent cinema, you can even rent it out and book in whatever film you like. Just try not to ask for Dirty Dancing, though…
First things first: is this really the world’s smallest cinema?
Yes. We’re quite lucky to have gotten in The Guinness Book of Records - only a fraction of world records get put in and it’s usually the more bizarre ones. A small building’s not that bizarre, really.
There’s definitely an intimate, relaxed feel here…
Going to watch a film at the cinema is an experience; you should be able to enjoy it. Customers here don’t think twice about chatting to each other before and after the films; you don’t get that so much at other cinemas. You wouldn’t go watch a film at Cineworld and then chat to the cashier about it afterwards!
The second smallest cinema – in Wales - shut down recently. Are you worried?
Not really, I got the impression that it shut down because its audience just got older and older and could no longer go! I think Nottingham will always have people of all ages that want to come to the cinema.
So you get quite a lot of people through your doors?
For a cinema with only twenty-one seats, yes! We have a lot of regular customers and considering the capacity it works out quite nicely. I think your standards are lowered from what you expect; we’ll never get two thousand people through the doors in one week. A few people come in and say 'can I have a look?’, pop their head ‘round the door and go 'ooh, it is small!'. We’ve also seen a couple of people having their picture taken outside - I don’t think you get that so much at other cinemas (laughs).
This used to be an X-rated cinema, didn't it?
I don’t know much about the history of the building, unfortunately, I only know from what people have told me. You can guess peoples' ages when they come in and say 'Ooh, this used to be a porn cinema’.
Would you ever refuse to screen a film?
No, I can’t be a censor. We have had a lot of hen dos here and generally they want to watch Dirty Dancing and, increasingly, Mamma Mia! They have a singalong version which can get quite…loud.. I wouldn’t watch either of them out of choice, but I have no problem with what people want to watch. I think it’s a tricky decision for people to make to keep everyone happy and to suit the occasion. I think you have to choose a classic - The Goonies, or Stand by Me.
What’s the oddest film request you’ve had that’s made you go 'Oh my God, why?'
Erm, I don’t know. You have to choose the right film. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a classic for some but on a Saturday night, at over two hours long, not a lot of people want to sit through it - even if they have got a drink. People come dressed up a lot; we had someone turn up as David Bowie for Labyrinth. We had Top Gun on recently and one guy's outfit was that he had two table tennis bats with him. He stood at the front of the screen at the beginning, waving his arms about with the bats as if directing planes – probably one of the funniest outfits I’ve seen.
Do you think that people still want the smaller cinema experience, or has it had its heyday?
It’s true that a lot of small cinemas around the country have shut down. Nottingham’s lucky; we’re spoilt for choice. It’s a testament to the people of Nottingham that there are enough film lovers to sustain so many cinemas. I don’t think, on the whole, that people will ever stop going to the cinema, there will always be a place for it. Just because the microwave was invented, it didn’t mean that no-one wanted to go to restaurants any more.
Do you think the recession will affect people coming to the cinema?
Not too much, because it’s a cheaper alternative to a lot of things, and people love films. It’s a funny business though; it’s not always easy to tell how you’re doing. 90% of the reason that people come to the cinema is to see a particular film, not because they like the décor, so every week’s new film is like a refurbishment. People do have their preferred cinemas but the driving force is the film, it’s extremely important that we get the programming right.
Where do you think The Screen Room fits into Nottingham?
By the time word of mouth has gone around about an arthouse or independent film being good, people now they can come see it here even if they missed it at Broadway or other cinemas. We’ve accidentally positioned ourselves in a strong place. What’s amazing is that with a lot of the smaller films that do really good business, there may only be three prints of the film in the whole country compared to the thousands of prints of the larger films.
Nottingham has a film industry that is larger than that of most English cities. Do you benefit from that?
Yeah, we get directors using The Screen Room - we had the press screening for This is England and the screen tests for Control. Samantha Morton has been making a film called The Unloved, and she has hired us several times with the crew to watch the rushes and for her boyfriend’s birthday. Filmmaking is fascinating; it seems to take so long, you wonder how they have the stamina for such an arduous process. I have a lot of respect for filmmakers, they can dedicate two years to a project and then it’s up to The Guardian or Empire as to whether it gets three or five stars or whatever.
Do you get one film that is requested over and over again that you’re sick of?
It’s A Wonderful Life gets requested a lot at Christmas, but Dirty Dancing is still far in the lead. I’m spared though - I don’t have to sit in here and watch it as it’s on one reel. I can just leave it to run...
The Screen Room is located on Broad Street, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 3AP
