Alternative Valentine's Day Cinema
Valentine's Day Cinema: London has so many offerings – here are our picks, hand-selected by Culture Whisper's India Halstead.
For hardcore romantics: Katharine Hepburn, BFI
The golden girl of Classic Hollywood returns to the silver screen for the most comprehensive collection of her work in, well, ever. Culture Whisper members can also enjoy an exclusive discount on tickets for the season. Click here for more information.
For cynics: My Twisted Valentine
If you're in the mood for everything anti-Valentine's then head to the Barbican cinema for some warped romance movies. Our pick is The Virgin Suicides starring Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett, a picture of disaffected youth, which also boast a great soundtrack that completely captures the era.
For adventurous types: The Nomad
Our favourite London pop up cinema, Valentine's Day experience is the return of the stylish Nomad cinema to Hyde Park’s LookOut (don’t worry, it’s indoors). Going on a date on Friday the 13th might repel more superstitious types, but the Nomad are serving up such a warm and unpretentious line-up, it's hard to resist. From unexpected romance Harold and Maude to Mike Nichols' classic tale of the alluring Mrs Robinson, here's a parade of odd couples that put even the most unconventional of romances into heartwarming perspective.
For Austenites: Sense and Sensibility + Q&A with Alan Rickmann and Emma Thompson
Fans of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, its Oscar-winning adaptation, or indeed anything British, will be thrilled to hear that these two national treasures will be meeting in person at the Tricycle Cinema on the 15th February: the perfect wind-down to the Valentine's weekend. As part of the boutique cinema's British Screen Classics season, the pair will be reflecting on the film and their subsequent careers, following an afternoon screening of this much-loved adaptation by Ang Lee.
For homebugs: In case you missed them, the best films to watch online
Last year was one of the best years for film: if you fancy a night in with a lover / pet, why not snuggle down to some of these.
Passionate and naturalistic romantic drama Blue is the Warmest Colour won the Palme D'Or at Cannes last year – be prepared though: the hyper-realist sex scenes aren't for the faint-hearted. There's also the fictional day-in-the-life documentary of singer Nick Cave, 20,000 Days on Earth– Both of these are available to rent now on BFI player among many other incredible cinematic sensations from the past year.
Other films to have recently hit the net include Richard Linklater's Oscar-nominated Boyhood, available on iTunes, or if you're a Netflixer, there's offbeat, quirky hit Frank, starring Michael Fassbender and new British rising star Domhnall Gleeson.
If none of these take your fancy, click here for our list of 2014’s best movies, or peruse BFI player's reasonably priced line-up of rentals and snuggle down for a night in.
