Prince Charles Cinema

Best cinema in London without question - classic films, singalongs, new stuff, weird stuff all on offer. The downstairs screen has a fantastic atmosphere when it’s packed but has slightly uncomfortable seating and the view from the back can be dodgy. Upstairs is fantastic with comfortable seats and little stars on the ceiling. The staff are usually friendly too. London’s movie nerds are blessed to have this place.

This cinema has such a vibe and personality that I fell in love with it! Came to see The Shining, which was a gift to watch on the big screen finally. If I lived in London I would be delighted to visit often, it’s perfect.

This is my favorite cinema in the entire world. It is constantly playing important movies to see, and it's also always playing really fun films and cult classics. This independent cinema has it all! 35mm prints, 70mm prints, new movies, experimental movies, Lynch, Kubrick, Scorsese, an other really important but less known directors/movies. PLUS they have an exquisite membership card that I carry around in my wallet wherever I go, even though I'm not living in the UK anymore, just because it looks so cool!

cinephiles, film buffs, movie dorks, and anybody else who has that extra level of love for movies will adore this place. great movie theater, thanks!

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed PCC sooner - it’s my favourite cinema! Brilliant mix of old and new films, lovely staff, a great little bar - with a blackboard for film suggestions - and the best popcorn ever. The chairs are really comfy, too.

I'm a huge fan of what they stand for -- amazing programming of classic movies and clear passion for film. A genuine institution. But worth mentioning that the downstairs screen is a bit...quirky. The floor slopes upwards to the screen, the room is quite narrow towards the front, and there is a theatre-like overhang above rows H to the back of the room. So if you are towards the back of the room it feels a bit like you're watching the film through a tunnel. Also the sound in the back rows is not great. So, unlike in the average cinema, I would actually recommended sitting nearer the front. Around row F probably optimum for view of the screen and sound quality. Go there to watch great classics you can't catch elsewhere and for a quirky setup. Don't expect the high-tech cinema experience which has become the norm in most other cinemas.

Hello and welcome! So who are they exactly? They are The Prince Charles Cinema, the last of the independents still operating in London’s cine-famous ‘West End’. The site itself sprang to life as a Theatre back in 1962 before making the rather interesting shift to becoming a film-house of ill repute, which just so happened to host the UK’s longest theatrical runs of both Emmanuelle & Caligula! Then in 1991, the early seeds of The Prince Charles Cinema were planted and from there this mighty little cine-behemoth began to grow. They now find themselves as one of the most popular Independent Cinema’s in the UK (if not THE WORLD!). So what kind of films do they screen? To the uninitiated you may think they only allow the Back To The Future and Indiana Jones movies to reach there screen, but that’s merely the tip of the cinematic iceberg. In the past they have seen seasons dedicated to Paul Thomas Anderson run in the same month as an all-nighter dedicated to the Jurassic Park series (yes, even the bad ones). They have had Jacques Rivette & Ingmar Bergman ‘sampler’ seasons run alongside those for 007 and Studio Ghibli. Epic 70mm presentaions of 2001 : A SPACE ODYSSEY in one screen whilst people Aca-Alonged to Pitch Perfect in the other. To put it plainly; they screen everything! From cinema’s origins through to the present day, from all corners of the globe, and presented from a variety of formats including; 35mm, 70mm and Digital [which includes Digital Cinema Package [or DCP], BluRay, DVD, DVCAM and DigiBeta.].* If it’s a film that they believe their audience wants or would enjoy seeing on the big-screen, they will run it. Don’t see your favourite film in their listings? Tell them! But being the only independent venue in cinema’s busiest square-mile immediately makes you the underdog of the industry, which is why at a glance their programme tends to be a little different to what you might expect to see in the West End. They also have Ushers in our screens, something you don’t expect to see in cinemas in the West End anymore… but i digress. Back to explaining the programme. THE NEW RELEASE Our NEW RELEASE programme has always filled a gap in London’s film-going fence, picking up films just off-release thus extending their theatrical lives and giving audiences a much-appreciated ‘second chance’ to see them. We have anything from 2 to 12 different New Release titles playing here over the week, so it’s a good idea to always keep an eye on their programme as things can change here pretty quickly. THE REPERTORY & EVENT The Repertory side of our programme is the one for which we have become most famous. Monday to Thursday they dedicate a slot in our evening schedule to bring you a different Repertory film, usually presented as part of an over-riding season, cobbled together with linking themes such as Director, Actor, Genre, Year etc, and where possible from 35mm too! When they venture into the weekend things tend to become a little more varied with Double Features, 70mm presentations, animated selections, interactive events, such as our World Famous SING-A-LONG-A presentations, all-night movie marathons and a whole lot more. When you pool all of the above together, you end up with The Prince Charles Cinema; a place dedicated to representing cinema’s every corner whilst placing utmost importance on the one thing which keeps us going – YOU! For the fellow format junkies out there, if you’re ever after an extra note or two about the condition of a specific 35mm print or any info about a digital restoration, do not hesitate to drop us an email via the contact address at the bottom of the homepage on their website.

We had a great time at the overnight lord of the rings movie marathon! The theatre is clean (especially the toilets!) and the atmosphere is much more friendly and laid back than a usual theatre setting.