Cinema

The Filmhouse is definitely a cinema for lovers of cinema. It specialises more in niche cinema, and it does it very well.

Outside of London, I would say that The Filmhouse has the best selection of world and independent cinema in the UK. They frequently have seasons dedicated to one filmmaker’s work, mostly lesser known directors and hard to come by films, that you may struggle to find in cinemas elsewhere or even on DVD. There are often seasons dedicated to one actor or director. Usually these are very well known auteurs, like in the past it has been David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock, however at the moment The Filmhouse is showing every film starrting David Bowie (for some reason, people in Edinburgh love Labyrinth and screenings of it always sell out!).

There are also fairly regular screenings of classic films, I’ve been lucky enough to introduce old classics to friends on the big screen, such as Taxi Driver, The Godfather and Persona.  It’s not all old films however, they do show a lot of new releases from all over the world, and most importantly, they show a lot of the films screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival, which takes place every year in June.

There is also an excellent bar in the foyer, which serves some very powerful coffee and also has a selection of continental beers. The food is very tasty, and if you go between 15:00 and 17:00, it is discounted!

If you like to see an unforgettable film in the perfect location, then visiting The Cameo is essential on your visit to Edinburgh. At almost one hundred years old, The Cameo is one of the oldest surviving cinemas in Scotland, and it is the only one with most of the original décor intact.

Film fans of all genres can expect to find something for them in The Cameo, it generally shies away from the majority (but not all) of mainstream films, making a lot of space for independent and world cinema in its programming. One of the coolest things about The Cameo is its special screenings. ‘All Night Horror Madness’ is one of the most popular Cameo features where they show 5 classic horror films back to back about every six months, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart! There are also late night screenings every Friday of classic films.

There is also a bar, which can be somewhat quiet during the week but is sometimes packed on Friday and Saturday nights. The drinks can be a little on the expensive side but the drinks are of good quality, and the hot chocolate is one of the best in Edinburgh

I have visited cinemas in a lot of different cities, but none have ever surpassed The Cameo.  It is a place that I feel lucky to have so close to me.