Scala: Sex, drugs and rock and roll cinema
In tribute to the legendary venue and the new documentary celebrating its influence, a collection of the greatest cult hits from the world’s wildest cinema.
Between 1978 and 1993, the Scala cinema showed over 4000 films, developing a unique programme ranging from established classics to cult movies, music films, horror and LGBTQ+, in daily double bills plus Saturday all-nighters. While many of the films have become more regularly available than they once were, their infamous tropes even entering into the language of mainstream cinema, there are still many wild and transgressive delights to be found in the Scala canon, including some still rarely screened in the UK to this day. We present a selection here which, while unable to replicate the authentic ‘80s venue experience, does allow you to curate your own anarchic all-nighters for home viewing.