Review – ‘Scala!!!’ Pulls The Curtains Back On London’s Most Sensational Cinema And More

Once upon a time in Britain, during the infamous video nasty era, a structure stood that steadfastly provided a melting pot of music and cinema that catered to London and its surrounding areas more subversive inhabitants. It was the Scala and boy, was it wild during its day. Fostering a community consisting of punks, cinephiles, weirdos, gorehounds and more, the Scala was ground zero for many life altering (and affirming) affairs including gay awakenings, which was a bold endeavor during the 80s and 90s. Moving locations but ultimately ending up in the notorious King’s Cross area of London – known for the more seedier side of life – the Scala continued its tradition of delivering bold and fearless film selections all across the board. Cult, classic, queer, horror, grindhouse, experimental… The Scala was happy doling out a dealer’s dose of big screen bliss – you just had to be a card-carrying member. The programming consisted of films such as Driller Killer, Cafe Flesh, Evil Dead, Blue Velvet, Ms. 45, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Pink Flamingos. For over 40,000 screenings, the Scala was a “safe space” for those seeking to lose themselves in the dark theater with the uncompromising storytelling shared before their eyes. But after fifteen years of salacious member only cinema, its sad and unwelcome downfall occurred after their lease ran its course and a forbidden showing of Stanley Kubrick’s legendary and incendiary A Clockwork Orange accumulated a sizeable legal cost. 

After receiving initial funding from the British Film Institute’s Documentary Society Fund, filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall additionally raised the impressive sum of over £40,000 on the crowd funding platform, Kickstarter. Scala!!! Is based on former lead programmer Jane Giles’ indispensable chapters, discussing the history of one of the epicenters of the communal experience during a time of unprecedented censorship in the U.K. (Scala Cinema 1978 – 1993) Scala!!! shares the personal recollections of fans who were there including Mary Harron (American Psycho), Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio, In Fabric ), John Waters (Cry Baby, Cecil B. Demented,Serial Mom), Alan Jones (renowned British horror journalist), David Gregory (Severin Films co-founder) and many more. The feature length documentary by Giles and Catterall dives deep into the not-so-glamorous but oh so important formative years of the celebrated cinema with candid tales, personal photos, diary entries, and previously unseen material. For nearly four months in 2021, the producers filmed close to fifty interviews with former audience members, programmers, and managers. 

These filmmakers, along with Severin Films, have come together and made a really moving tribute demonstrating not only how incredibly influential the Scala and its programming was, but also some of its American counterparts in this three-disc collection. In a fascinating separate 48-minute documentary – The Art of the Calendar directed by Kier-La Janisse – the significance of not only the tangible monthly calendars painstakingly crafted and distributed (and are now collector’s items), but the renegade programming behind it all is rediscovered and remembered fondly. 

Splatterfest Exhumed, another feature length documentary found on this physical release of Scala!!! and directed by Jasper Sharp, follows the insanely ambitious idea of Splatterfest 90, an all-night horror movie marathon with premieres and special guests (including Brian Yuzna, Scott Spiegel, and John McNaughton) – all spearheaded by a passionate yet naive 19-year-old – and was as much of a clusterfuck as it was a success. This one definitely pleased the horror fan in me and was an inspiring watch. 

Housed in a beautiful, sturdy slipcase and coming complete with a replica Scala Cinema membership card and mock monthly calendar displaying all the included Scala curated shorts and documentaries, this piece of physical media calls to those individuals who champion the theatrical experience.  

Scala!!! Or, the Incredibly Strange Rise and Fall of the World’s Wildest Cinema and How It Influenced a Mixed-up Generation of Weirdos and Misfits emphasizes the importance of such a place, the impact it had upon countless moviegoers, and how incredibly special it is to watch a fucked-up movie in a theater with fellow fans. You can purchase your copy directly from Severin Films HERE or go the Amazon route if you so choose. 

The North American Three-Disc Collection premiere includes 13 hours of some VERY SPECIAL features including a 1989 appearance at the Scala from the Godfather of Gore H.G. Lewis and the early short from Sam Raimi starring Bruce Cambell, Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter

Disc 1

• Audio commentary with co-directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall
• Introduction from the UK premiere at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival 
• Introduction to SCALA by director Michael Clifford 
• SCALA CINEMA (Ali Peck / Victor de Jesus, 1992) 
• Audio commentary for SCALA CINEMA with Paul R. White 
• Scala Programs 1978-1993 
• Cabinet of Curiosities – Inside the Scala archive  
• Extended Interviews 
• Outtakes with Mary Harron, Nick Kent, Thurston Moore and John Waters 
• Cartoons by Davey Jones 
• Osbert Parker’s SCALA!!! Animation experiments and outtakes 
• Trailer 

Disc 2 

• Scala-screened short films Divide and Rule – Never!, Dead Cat, The Mark of Lilith, Relax, Boobs A Lot, Kama Sutra Rides Again, Coping with Cupid, On Guard 

Disc 3

• The Art of the Calendar (48 minutes) 
• Splatterfest Exhumed (81 minutes) 
• Scala-screened short films Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie, Horrorshow, Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter (original and producer’s cut), Mongolitos. All with filmmaker audio commentaries. 
• The Legendary H.G. Lewis Speaks – 1989 Scala appearance by the Godfather of Gore
• And more!