POP UP CINEMA BRIGHTON

Join us for VHS Fest, a special three night film festival celebrating films that represent the classic era of VHS video.  Each night you can take a stroll through our life size VHS rental store, indulge in some retro gaming, and then enjoy a cult classic film from the era on the big screen. Tickets for individual nights are available as well as a discounted festival ticket for all three nights.

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The spectacular creation of two screen geniuses, co-directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal remains one of the most memorable, atmospheric and beautifully crafted fantasy films of the 1980s.

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Jim Henson, the creative force behind The Muppets, Fraggle Rock and many of the beloved characters of Sesame Street, would go on to create another fantasy classic, Labyrinth (starring David Bowie), but first came this outrageously brilliant collaboration with Frank Oz. A legendary puppeteer and the voice behind Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover, as well as Yoda in Star Wars, Oz would also establish himself as a hugely successful filmmaker, directing a string of hit and cult favourites including Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and What About Bob?

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The monumental 1982 coming together of Henson and Oz, alongside Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz and legendary concept designer Brian Froud (who would also design Labyrinth), created a perfect storm of creative talent. The result was an extraordinary world of mystery and wonder, brought to life through some of the most pioneering and astonishing puppetry ever committed to film (without a single human character in sight).

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Widely regarded as one of the great fantasy films of all time, The Dark Crystal follows Jen, a young Gelfling who is forced to leave his home and embark on an epic quest to find a missing shard of the Dark Crystal. This powerful fragment holds the key to restoring balance to the universe. But time is running out: the grotesque, power-hungry Skeksis are intent on exploiting the Crystal's dark power and plunging the world into an age of evil.

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Stunning to behold and almost baffling in its level of technical achievement, The Dark Crystal is an endlessly enchanting experience. A visual feast rooted in mythology, folklore and the darker corners of fairy tales, it features an unforgettable cast of characters, extraordinary creature performances and iconic production design. A true VHS-era classic, it has since spawned a lavish 100 million dollar Netflix prequel series inspiring a as well as an ever growing, fiercely devoted, worldwide following enthralled by its groundbreaking craftsmanship and utterly original vision.

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Experience this extraordinary fantasy masterpiece in a gorgeous new 4K restoration, on the final evening of VHS Fest.