From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci revel in the ritual and intrigue surrounding the process of choosing a new pontiff, in this tantalisingly tense Vatican-set drama.

The Pope has died. Cardinal Lawrence must lead the Conclave to select the new leader of the Catholic world. But as high-ranking cardinals gather, he discovers sides have been drawn and secrets that might destroy a future pope, perhaps even the Church itself, threaten to be revealed. Following his Oscar-winning success with All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger presents us with another tale of conflict, albeit one where battles are waged in hushed tones in hallowed hallways. Fiennes, Tucci and John Lithgow make the most of Peter Straughan’s (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) screenplay, based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, albeit with Isabella Rossellini almost stealing the film as the formidable Sister Agnes.

A young boy is at the age where he's beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Claus. However, one Christmas Eve he hears a thunderous noise outside and, on investigating, finds it's being made by a huge train - the Polar Express. A kindly conductor asks him aboard and soon he and some other children are on a rollercoaster ride north to see the big man himself. Director Robert Zemeckis honed the use of "motion capture" technology when filming The Polar Express, and the technique perfectly suits this charming, fantastical nature of a film about the magic of Christmas.

Screening as part of our "Six for £6 Christmas Films Season"

Academy Award-winners Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman head an all-star cast in the fantastic, action-packed film that made Christopher Reeve an international star playing the greatest superhero of all time. From the doomed planet of Krypton, two parents launch a spaceship carrying their infant son to earth. Here he grows up to become Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet. But with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, he battles for truth and justice as Superman.

Screening to accompany the new documentary film SUPER / MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY which is on Sunday 8th December at 6pm

Celebrate the holiday season with André Rieu's dazzling Christmas Concert, "Gold and Silver," exclusively in cinemas! This magical event embodies the festive spirit of Christmas, bringing joy, warmth, and sparkle to the big screen.

Get ready to be transported to the wondrous world of enchanting glamour that is André's winter wonderland! Under the sparkle of 150 chandeliers and 50 Venetian candelabras,feel your heart warm with the magical melody of all your favourite Christmas classics.

André Rieu will be joined on stage by his beloved Johann Strauss Orchestra, along with special guest artists and the young and talented Emma Kok.

Don’t miss this chance to celebrate music, love, and Christmas sparkle, with André Rieu's new Christmas Concert in cinemas - " Gold and Silver ".

Join us for a fun filled all immersive production as we bring A Vicar of Dibley Christmas - the Second Coming to Woodbridge Community Hall on Saturday 7th December.

Geraldine Granger is the much loved and chocolate addicted village vicar where she runs chaotic committee meetings and organises quizzes. She decides to set up Radio Dibley, which unsurprisingly does not run as smoothly as expected with a rather startling on-air confession from boring Parish Clerk, Frank. With the Christmas Nativity play to audition, cast and rehearse. how about Elvis as one of the three Kings? But then who will play Joseph? With Hugo having been to furniture-making classes, he seems like the perfect choice and with his wife Alice expecting, the casting of Mary could not be better. Needless to say there is a riotous conclusion. This specially written stage play by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter is adapted from the original TV series by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer. and includes all your favourite characters plus a few 'extras' to help get you in the festive mood.

Doors open at 6.45pm with the main performance starting at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £15.00 and include Festive Nibbles. There will also be a fully licenced bar.

This amatuer production is performed with kind permission of Tiger Aspect Productions.

For this production The Riverside Musical Theatre Company are supporting Comic Relief as their chosen charity.

TICKETS ON SALE FROM 9TH SEPTEMBER

The character that made Christopher Reeve famous was so much a reflection of the person who played him, as this moving documentary portrait reveals.

The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care - all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera and dedicating himself to his beloved family.

From the directors of McQueen, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, this film includes never-before-seen intimate home movies and an extraordinary trove of personal archive material, as well as the first extended interviews ever filmed with Reeve’s three children about their father, and interviews with the A-list Hollywood actors who were Reeve’s colleagues and friends. The film is a moving and vivid cinematic telling of Reeve’s remarkable story.

We're screening the original SUPERMAN (1978) on Saturday 7th December at 3:45pm

his Christmas, be transported into an ethereal world where a sprinkling of fairy dust makes dreams come true. This enchanting ballet by The Royal Ballet’s Founding Choreographer Frederick Ashton is a theatrical experience for all the family.

Cast: To be confirmed

Choreography: Frederick Ashton | Music: Sergei Prokofiev

The film recounts the troubled life of French child prodigy sculptor Camille Claudel and her long relationship with the married sculptor Auguste Rodin. Claudel was the daughter of a devoutly Catholic, socialite mother and a wealthy French businessman. While the latter was sympathetic to her highly iconoclastic, secular art, her mother found it odious.

Beginning in the 1880s, with the young Claudel's first meeting with Rodin, the film traces the development of their intense romantic bond. The growth of this relationship coincides with the rise of Claudel's career as she overcomes prejudices against female artists.

However, their romance soon sours due to the increasing pressures of Rodin's fame and his love for another woman. After Claudel's father dies, she's at the mercy of her mother's ire. These difficulties combine with her increasing doubts about the value of her work, driving Claudel into emotional tumult.

While her zealot mother wants her institutionalized, her sympathetic brother tries to comfort her and promote her artwork. The film contributes to a broader exploration of mental illness in films, depicting Camille Claudel's emotional tumult and the societal challenges she faced.

Juror #2 is a 2024 courtroom drama-thriller directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland. The film follows Justin Kemp (Hoult), a devoted family man serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial. As the case unfolds, Justin realizes that he may have been responsible for the victim's death in a reckless driving accident. This discovery forces him into a moral dilemma: should he use his knowledge to sway the jury’s verdict and protect himself, or let an innocent person face conviction? Kemp’s struggle between justice and self-preservation is at the heart of this tense thriller.

Joe Dante's hilariously overblown comedy horror cheerfully pits man against beast in a cosy suburban setting. Zach Galligan is the hapless teenager who receives the oh-so-loveable Mogwai, Gizmo, for Christmas, completely disregards the instructions not to get it wet or feed it after midnight, and watches, along with his girlfriend Phoebe Cates, the mayhem unfold when the goggle-eyed cutie starts birthing evil sprites as a result. Played almost totally for laughs (even Cates' monologue on how she found out there's no Santa Claus has a vein of pitch black humour in it), this serves as a delightfully offbeat reminder of how inventive and witty blockbusters seemed when you were a kid.

Dante’s critters-run-amok-in-snowbound-Spielberg-suburbia satire takes the Christmas milieu of It’s A Wonderful Life (Screening as part of this season on 18th December) and splatters it with cartoony carnage, anarchic comedy and a stripe of gleeful subversion a mile wide.

Screening as part of our 6 for £6 each Christmas Films Season

Beauty and the Beast will feature a host of CBeebies’ stars - and some new faces too! There’ll be lots of singing, dancing and laughs for all the family in this Christmas adventure that celebrates that the only thing that matters is what’s inside!

Narrated by Snow Raven, played by James Mackenzie, the story has been especially adapted for CBeebies by Isabel Fay and takes place in a magical setting inspired by Scottish landscapes.  There are brand-new characters to meet too, including funny garden gnomes, mischievous wolves and a sneaky Thorn Fairy.  Expect unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds!

Courtesy of composers Banks & Wag, this Christmas special has a toe-tapping pop soundtrack that will have the whole family singing, moving and grooving along. Festive fun for all the family!

The Muppets perform the classic Christmas tale by Charles Dickens, the iconic Michael Caine playing Ebenezer Scrooge, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit. Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Fozzie Bear take up supporting roles as Scrooge receives visits from the spirits of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future. The Spirits do everything in their power to show him the error of his ways and to help him find redemption and lasting happiness.

Screening as part of our 6 for £6 each Christmas Films Season

There have been many contenders over the past twenty years, but ELF is clearly the first and best classic Christmas movie of the 21st century.  Buddy, a human orphan raised by Santa’s elves at the North Pole, learns that his father is still alive and on the naughty list. Determined to save his father from such a fate, Buddy travels to New York City to meet him for the first time and inspire some Christmas spirit, but the Big Apple is very different from the North Pole. Can Buddy save his father from the naughty list, but more importantly, figure out where Buddy truly belongs?

A breathtaking natural amphitheatre in Tuscany, Italy, bursts to life with enchanting melodies as world-renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli honors his 30th anniversary with a three-day concert event in his hometown.  

Journey to the Teatro del Silenzio (Theater of Silence), Lajatico, where once-in-a-lifetime performances showcase the Maestro’s extensive and beloved repertoire, alongside captivating duets with an unprecedented cast of global superstars, including Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Will Smith, Jon Batiste, Sofia Carson, Lang Lang, Nadine Sierra and more. With extraordinary staging, production, and visuals, set against a landscape of unparalleled beauty amongst the Tuscan hills, Andrea Bocelli’s sensational career comes to life in a truly unforgettable experience

Jimmy Stewart is George Bailey, a good man who has descended into despair because he considers himself cheated out of the life he could have had.

His Guardian Angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), arrives in his hour of need to show George how loved he is by everyone in his small community of Bedford Falls and what life would look like without him.

A timeless story of redemption and hope that is an absolute treasure, returning to our screens in a beautiful new digital restoration

The setting of Joe Dante’s shocker Gremlins (Screening with us on 20th December) is a mischievous tribute to this film’s fictional Bedford Falls.

“Although peppered with colourful, sharply drawn characters, this is Stewart’s movie, instantly loveable as a small town dreamer who sacrifices everything for others. His journey to despair and back warms the cockles like little else. Enjoy it in a cinema so you can sob among others.” - Empire

Screening as part of our 6 for £6 each Christmas Films Season

Ismail Merchant and James Ivory (and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala – the scriptwriter who was an essential part of the triumvirate) made some of the most successful and popular films of the last 40 years – Room With A View, Remains of the Day, Howard’s End and many more. Their films starred many household names, such as Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Anthony Hopkins who all appear in this fond but clear-eyed documentary which follows not only their career and their films, but also their relationship; Merchant and Ivory were both business and life partners.

The film gives us a chance to see the bigger picture of how they came to make so many interesting films, and also how infuriating and impossible it was to work for them. A must watch for all their fans.

MERCHANT IVORY is the first definitive feature documentary to lend new and compelling perspectives on the partnership, both professional and personal, of director James Ivory, producer Ismail Merchant and their primary associates, writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and composer Richard Robbins. Footage from more than fifty interviews, clips, and archival material gives voice to the family of actors and technicians who helped define Merchant Ivory’s Academy Award-winning work of consummate quality and intelligence.

With six Oscar winners among the notable artists participating, these close and often long-term collaborators intimately detail the transformational cinematic creativity and personal and professional drama of the wandering company that left an indelible impact on film culture.

Discover the enchantment of ballet with this sparkling festive treat for the whole family. Julia Trevelyan Oman’s period designs bring festive charm to Peter Wright’s beloved Royal Ballet production, as fairytale magic comes together with spectacular dancing in this unforgettable classic ballet.

Choreography: Peter Wright after Lev Ivanov | Music: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky

Wicked is the highly anticipated prequel to The Wizard of Oz, based on the hit Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. This epic fantasy tells the untold story of two iconic figures—Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a misunderstood young woman born with green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), a popular, ambitious student. Set at Shiz University, the film follows their unlikely friendship as they navigate prejudice, power, and the dark political forces in the Land of Oz. While Glinda basks in privilege, Elphaba’s defiance of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) leads her down a path that transforms her into the Wicked Witch of the West. As their lives take opposing directions, their choices ripple across Oz, forever altering its future. Featuring stunning performances and iconic music, Wicked delivers a reimagined origin story of the witches of Oz, challenging what it truly means to be “Wicked.”

It's Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids.

Before there was Bad Santa, the Griswolds were already besmirching the holiness of Christmas with general ill will and sarcasm. That’s not what they set out to do, of course. In fact, having survived both Wally World and Europe, Clark (funniest man alive Chevy Chase) and his family are now attempting to have a “good old-fashioned family Christmas.” What could go wrong?

Screening as part of our 6 for £6 each Christmas Films Season

Moana 2 is the thrilling sequel to Disney's beloved 2016 animated musical. This time, Moana, now a seasoned wayfinder, receives an unexpected call from her ancestors that leads her on a daring new adventure beyond the familiar shores of Motunui.

Accompanied by the ever-powerful demigod Maui and a fresh crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana embarks on a journey deep into the far seas of Oceania. Their mission: to break an ancient curse that threatens a long-lost island once vital to her ancestors. Along the way, Moana and her companions must face dangerous waters, hidden islands, and mysterious foes—including a formidable sea monster.

The third instalment brings Paddington's story to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.

The incredible ensemble cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Carla Tous and Jim Broadbent. Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton both return as the voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.

A celebration of youth, friendship and the everlasting magic of the movies, Cinema Paradiso won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and is considered a classic of world cinema. Restored in 4K.

Giuseppe Tornatore’s loving homage to the cinema tells the story of Salvatore, a successful film director, returning home for the funeral of Alfredo, his old friend who was the projectionist at the local cinema throughout his childhood.

Soon memories of his first love affair with the beautiful Elena and all the highs and lows that shaped his life come flooding back, as Salvatore reconnects with the community he left 30 years earlier.

A homage to the inspirational power of the moving image, played out to a gorgeous score by the maestro Ennio Morricone..

Screening as part of our year-long season - CINEMA ON SCREEN

The lives of three women intersect and overlap in a haunting drama that sees the city of Mumbai play a central role. Prabha, Anu and Parvaty are employees at a hospital in Mumbai. They grapple daily with the opportunities and hardships of existence in the city. Balancing an immersive verité style with a touch of the surreal, Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning drama captures the many shades of working-class life in Mumbai. The result is a profound and deeply humanist meditation on urban migration and dislocation.

Neil’s Pick of the Month and in his Top 3 films of 2024