Magic Lantern Film Club
Published 17th Sep 2007 by Neil Williams

Magic Lantern restarts its season of children’s shows in Brighton & Hove at the Odeon Cinema on 29th September with a new programme of unforgettable films. Discover cinema while having fun ! Aimed at 5 to 12 year olds, Magic Lantern is an educational film club like no other.  It aims to introduce members to the pleasure of discovering great films for themselves, not on a couch but in a real cinema where they can experience films in a fun and imaginative way.

Brighton & Hove Magic Lantern club sessions resume in September with a new programme of

9 shows featuring carefully selected films from around the world that illustrate the wonder and diversity of cinema. Membership costs only £20 (and only £15 for siblings) for the season. Membership allows children

to enjoy 9 shows a year with great films chosen to suit the age group. A few days before each show, members receive an illustrated magazine to introduce the film and before a screening they see a comic stage show, performed by local actors, which introduces the film whilst informing them about the history, genres and techniques of cinema. Magic Lantern allows children to explore the possibilities of cinema in a safe environment, with friends of the same age, in a 21st Century version of the old Saturday morning film clubs.

The Brighton & Hove club is the first of its’ type in the UK and has been supported by the Arts Council, Brighton & Hove Council and Screen South.  September 29th – Charlie Chaplin Shorts x3
Magic Lantern’s first session starts with three early short films by Charlie Chaplin: this offers a rare opportunity to see these classic comedies in a UK cinema. Members will receive a little magazine which details Chaplin’s life from his povertystricken childhood in London to his arrival in Hollywood and the creation of the ‘little tramp’ character which has delighted children of all ages for the past 90 years.  Before the screening the stage show will introduce the elements that made up Chaplin’s onscreen persona, as well as exploring the techniques of slapstick and
how early films coped with the absence of sound. Chaplin’s films rarely make an appearance on our TV screens, so this is an exclusive opportunity for children to see and enjoy his comedy in the environment for which it was intended.

Chaplin once said “A day without laughter is wasted”. Make sure you don’t waste the opportunity for your child to experience the timeless comedy genius of Chaplin at the opening session of this season’s Magic Lantern programme. The first session is on Saturday 29th September starting at 10:30 am, the ODEON Cinema, West Street, Brighton.

Membership is available at:
- The Dome Box Office, 29 New Road, Brighton. BN1 1UG.
- Tel: 01273 709709
- The Print House, 26 St. John’s Road, Hove. BN3 2FB
- 30 mins before the start of the show at the ODEON Cinema, West Street, Brighton.

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