Celebrating HPPH's 112th birthday in films

Karen • 1964 • Per un pugno di dollari (A Fistful of Dollars)

"A co-production between Italy, West Germany and Spain made around Madrid and Almeria (Spain). Released in Italy in 1964 and 1967 in the USA, it stars Clint Eastwood as 'the man with no name' in his first feature length leading role. Directed by Sergio Leone, based on a Japanese film Yojimbo 1961. The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone won a Silver Ribbon in 1965 and then, not until 2007, was awarded an honorary Academy Award.

A great start to the Dollars trilogy of spaghetti westerns." - Karen, Service Coordinator.

Robb • 1972 • Deliverance

"Choosing a favourite film from any year is a typically precarious (but delicious) thrill of eliminating cinematic excellence in all its forms, and 1972 is no different. I mean, how does one pick between such luminous works as The Godfather, Pink Flamingos, Fat City, Last House on the Left, Jeremiah Johnson, Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers or Solaris? Tricksy, yeah?

So I picked Deliverance, John Boorman’s brutal depiction of compromised masculinity, problematic social politics and the lingering trauma of the Vietnam War. It also features Burt Reynolds without a moustache and the incredible ‘Duelling Banjos’ scene. It hit hard when I first saw it, and it hits hard now. Full disclosure, I’m two in this photo. I ain’t got no true baby photos I can share. It’s rare that I’m captured as a child without a frown or a look of existential worry, but I have my trusty green tea cosy here, so all be right with the world. Squeal like a pig." - Robb, Operations & Programme Manager.

Wendy • 1982 • The Thing

"1982 was a pretty stellar year for cinema with some heavy hitters like Fitzcarraldo and Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander heading up the list, not to mention a little-known romp called Blade Runner. When I was running through the possibilities, though, I had to, in all sincerity, say that the film from that year I've seen the most, and would be quickest to return to, is without doubt John Carpenter's The Thing.

It's strange, this feels really out of odds with any other top films list I find myself forming, which are consistently small and winding dramas. I mean no shade to any other type of storytelling here, but intimate stories around people's inner worlds have just been where I get my joy for quite a few years now. But not if it's 1982, apparently. When I think about the year of my birth, what is resonating is a frozen and unending landscape, the constant fear of the un-named and unidentified monster and the absolute wonder that is Kurt Russell. Just thinking about it, I find myself aching for a rewatch. John Carpenter is a great filmmaker and a reminder to me to just keep finding excitement and thrills in my cinema. It's the spectrum of the form that makes it so wonderful." - Wendy, Head of Cinema.

Han • 1984 • The Karate Kid

"This is the ultimate underdog story, with a hero to root for and brilliant bad guys you love to loathe, iconic music, a wonderful friendship that crosses generations and incredible words of wisdom from the legendary Mr Miyagi, a classic from 1984!" - Han, Venue Coordinator.

Sylvia • 1986 • Labyrinth

"As a child of the 80s, my most treasured films were the ones we had on VHS. We played Labyrinth so often, I feel like the movie has integrated with my own personality. To this day, I cannot eat soft fruit, as I am concerned about the gruesome bugs which may be lurking inside; the threat to push someone into 'the eternal bog of stench' is still a genuine threat in my family and I'm still convinced, that with a bit of effort, my head could be pulled off. I have loved revisiting this film at different ages, from discovering the film in childhood to a slightly unhealthy but formative fascination as a teenager, but now it's a film I consistently return to for comfort, and I've really enjoyed being able to share the film with my own children.

It felt very special this year when we both shared our 40th anniversary, and I feel very lucky that in my current role, I get the opportunity to sneak this film in annually to celebrate my own and David Bowie's birthday every January." - Sylvia, Young Audiences Officer.

Mosa • 1989 • Homework

"In honour of our recent Iranian season, I'm going to select Homework as a great film from my birth year, 1989. Like most of the students in Kiarostami's documentary, I'm pretty sure I always did my homework on time!" - Mosa, Creative Engagement Officer.

Tanmay • 1993 • Schindler’s List

"Schindler’s List may be a slightly grim choice to accompany a baby photograph, but it’s a film that genuinely moved me when I first watched it. The story, the extraordinary performances, and the cinematography all stayed with me, but perhaps most of all, it was the fact that the film is rooted in real people and historical events that made it so affecting. Knowing that the story emerges from such a painful historical reality gives it a weight that is difficult to shake off. It’s a devastating but deeply human film, and one that has stayed with me long after watching it." - Tanmay, Venue Coordinator.

Martha • 1996 • Brassed Off

"It’s a tough call between Brassed Off, Matilda and Muppet Treasure Island for my favourite film of 1996, but Mark Herman’s Brassed Off particularly has my heart. It’s such an emotional story of a Yorkshire colliery brass band and their struggles as their coal pit is being closed. The band continue to come together for their band practices and performances, and it’s incredibly heartwarming to see how meaningful this escape is for lots of the characters, especially the group’s conductor, played by the brilliant Pete Postlethwaite. If you’ve not watched it, I highly recommend it. The injustice the characters face will anger you, but the sweet bonds between lots of the band members will melt your heart, and their flaws make the film feel incredibly real. Happy 30th to Brassed Off and me - and even more impressively - happy 112th to HPPH!" - Martha, Digital Marketing Coordinator.

Cat • 1998 • You've Got Mail

"I love that I share a year with a film I love and watch as much as You’ve Got Mail. It feels like one of those tiny cosmic connections that Kathleen Kelly would wear like a badge of honour whilst skipping through New York in the ‘fall’ or rehashing the past with Birdie.

I hear you, maybe Joe is the worst and she deserves better BUT there’s something magic about everything Nora touches and the women in her worlds. With the real one getting increasingly scary, it’s nice to spend time in one that is soft, full of knitwear and twirling." - Cat, Deputy Operations Manager.

Katya • 1998 • Good Will Hunting

"I love Good Will Hunting. I don’t even know where to start… there are just so many brilliant scenes… It is a great companion in life that movie!" - Katya, Venue Coordinator.

Eva • 2001 • Moulin Rouge!

"Something was definitely in the air in 2001 - from Amélie to Ocean’s Eleven, A Knight’s Tale to Shrek, there are so many fantastic films to choose from. My all-time favourite film, however, is the spectacular Moulin Rouge! (which I had the pleasure of seeing on the HPPH big screen last year). It’s an over-the-top, high camp, wild ride of a film, with the most outlandish sets, intricate costumes, and beautifully choreographed musical numbers. Yes, the editing gives you whiplash and the mashups are absurd, but I will love it until the end of time." - Eva, Venue Coordinator.

HPPH • 1914

If only we knew what Hyde Park Picture House's favourite film was from the year of its birth, 1914. 

At the time, spoof and comedy movies like Lt. Pimple and the Stolen Submarine (which told the imagined story of a lieutenant riffing on the naval tensions between Britain and Germany) and Sea Dreams (in which cartoonist Lancelot Speed used his art to make fun of German naval officers) brought audiences across the country to seats for short and silent relief from the ongoing war. Among the Picture House’s earliest showings were screenings of An Englishman’s Home, which told the story of home invasion by enemy agents, in an attempt to boost recruitment.

But maybe HPPH's favourite film of the year had nothing to do with war - if only it could speak and tell us this and many other stories from the past 112 years.

Here's hoping for many more happy years here in the heart of Hyde Park. If you'd like to be part of the Picture House's story, you can support us here. And if you'd like to learn about Hyde Park Picture House's history, you can find lots of interesting facts here.