The Duke Mitchell Thread

[Alex Kidd]

The Duke returns on Wednesday 22nd February:

Facebook event http://www.facebook.com/events/338379086197015/

Prepare to experience a one-of-a kind journey for the first time ANYWHERE in London.

To combat the vicious weather, The Duke strikes back with a night dedicated to THE Superstar of South Indian cinema.

A unique combination of bona fide action star and matinee idol, Rajinikanth is the biggest name ever to emerge from Tamil cinema: his films have been known to play 800 consecutive days to full houses not only in India but all over the world.

By way of an introduction, The Duke has picked his craziest, most action packed film: wall-to-wall fights, crazy stunts, outrageous fashions and unbelievable sets including a revolving disco! To top all that the films’ plot is the amalgamation of EVERY BRUCE LEE FILM EVER MADE!

If that wasn't enough we also have the choicest cuts of Indian psychedelia, Indian Grindhouse trailers of an unimaginable kind and a quiz with prizes!
Most important of all it's absolutely FREE!

So pull up a chair on the 22nd February and meet The Duke for this rare event!

FREE –FREE – FREE – FREE – FREE – FREE – FREE - FREE

DOORS OPEN: 19.00

SHOW COMMENCES: 19.45

Please note that The Duke will commence at 19.45 instead of the usual 20.00 starting time.

[Alex Kidd]

The Duke returns on Wednesday 28th March:

Here’s the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/183098651804031/

One of the true Duke traditions and perhaps our most entertaining night, The Early April Fools Night, returns in 2012 with a vengeance.

So far we introduced you to the wonders of Tommy Wiseau and The Room; gave you the joys of Sam Mraovich and Ben & Arthur but this time around The Duke has something much , much more brilliant in store.

Meet Nick Millard – filmmaker extraordinaire! A man whose body of work defies categorization, defies definition and even defies taste.

For one night only, The Duke will be bringing you not one but TWO of Millard’s amazing films: the incredible “The Terrorists” and the action epic “.357 Magnum”. Guaranteed to put a grin on your face for all the wrong reasons, these two wonders of low-budget cinema will make you question the very fabric of film. When we say you’ve seen NOTHING like this before, we’re truly not exaggerating.

But of course that’s not all! Our Trailer Master has a collection of terrible trailers for you which have been A YEAR IN THE MAKING! Plus you’ll have some awful music and a fantastically awful quiz with the worst prizes we can possibly find.

So come on down on the Wednesday 28th March and meet a filmmaker who’s ripe for cult re-discovery and a true Duke hero!

And as always, The Duke is absolutely, positively, completely FREE!

[Alex Kidd]

Here's the info on the next Duke event - Krimi Night!

First strains of spring brings to The Duke an air of mystery and murder! Yes , April is the month when The Duke has decided to expose that mostunderrated of genres: the Krimi!

Simultaenously the forerunner to Giallo and the predecessor of British B mysteries, these fantastic pulp films were a joy to behold: from weird shooting techniques to amazing sets to mind-boggling pace, it's an absolute wonder that they have been laying dormant and unappreciated for so long!

So to introduce you to the genre. The Duke has chosen what might be the craziest, most brilliant krimi of them all: The Door With The Seven Locks! This 1962 West German production based on a novel by the father of genre EDGAR WALLACE not only has everything from locked room mysteries to an early appearance by Klaus Kinski but also boasts the honor of having 5 twists in the last 6 minutes! Put that in your hat and smoke it !

But if that was all, it would not be The Duke. Our Trailer King has been working through the Duke archives, unearthing the most precious gems whilst our Krimi soundtrack with its groovy beats, our rare poster gallery, our short with a twist and of course the magnificient prize-filled quiz will all be making a welcome appearance at what is sure to be one of our most unusual and brilliant nights ever!

So put on your fedora and head on down to the The Duke on the 25th April as you will never experience anything like it!

[iomega]

You should go to this if you can. I turn up very occasionally and I'm always made to feel welcome and have a good time. The boys go to great lengths to make the nights fun.

[Alex Kidd]

Here's all the info about the next Duke Night:

Wednesday 30th may - Unseen By The Duke Night

Facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/events/432372630108255/

Abandoning the curatorial reigns for the first time ever, May sees The Duke up-the-stakes in what might be the most surprising, unusual and technically dangerous night he's devised. Ladies And Gentleman, The Duke Mitchell film club presents: Unseen By The Duke.

For one night only, The Duke will join the ranks of its' audience in trying to capture the magic of discovering cinema by dedicating an entire night to an array of goodies never before seen even by The Duke!

Our main feature is the completely forgotten 1978 special 'My Main Man From Stony Island ' a unique blend of R & B, social commentary and oodles of soul. We can't tell you much about the film except that the trailer was one of The Duke's most exciting discoveries and we can hardly wait to watch it!

This sense of adventurous daring does not stop there! Trailer ubermensch Alex Kidd has compiled the entire Trailer Trash this month based on the titles of the films! There could be disaster, hilarity, heartbreak or horror ahead and none of us will know until we turn up!

But the fun doesn't stop there! The Duke will also bring an array of unseen shorts, posters, music and of course, The Quiz to turn an ordinary evening into a night of entertainment!

So do not miss your chance to be part of this unique experiment and enter Duke-lore - come on down to The King's Cross Social Club on 30th May!

[Alex Kidd]

The Duke never stops and here's all the info about our next film night:

Yuen Clan Night - Taoism Drunkard

Wednesday 27th June 2012

Doors 7PM Films Start 8PM Ends 11PM

Facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/events/319658161452858/

FREE ENTRY! FREE ENTRY! FREE ENTRY!

Come and join The Duke as we pay tribute to Asia’s number one fight family: The Yuen Clan. Lead by director/actor Yuen Wo-ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and starring his brother’s this incredible selection of multi-talented actors/choreographers produced a series of increasingly bizarre and hugely entertaining martial arts films throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Tonight we bring you their most brain-melting over-the-top LSD influenced film: Taoism Drunkard (1984)

Don’t bother trying to follow the plot in this one, it’s so packed with bizarre events, ridiculous action, laughing bad guys and crazy situations that it’s best to just sit back and let it all wash over you. All this and you’ll meet the legendary Watermelon Monster in all its insane glory!

We’ll also have all our regular features including Trailer Trash, short films, great music, a quiz and much more, all with a Yuen Clan theme. So come along for this introduction to the unstoppable Yuen Clan and preparer to enter a world unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

[Alex Kidd]

We're back much earlier than normal this month, Wednsday 18th June.

Here's the link to the facebook event page with all the venue details: http://www.facebook.com/events/489134254435308/

Triad Night - Burning Ambition

Wednesday 18th July 2012

Doors 7PM Films Start 8PM Ends 11PM

FREE ENTRY! FREE ENTRY! FREE ENTRY!

The Duke's of Asian Summer continues this July with a blistering , never-before-seen action film: a title so brilliantly bonkers and yet so
unknown that it's sure to mesmerise the audience.

'Triad' films have a huge place in Hong Kong cinema - just like their U.S. counterparts, they focus on the inner-workings of this mysterious yet alluring organisation, often showing the conflict between humane individuals and a violent enviroment. The 1989 example 'Burning Ambition' is without doubt one of the best of the genre: an adult storyline wrapped in ever-increasingly brutal fight pieces. When we say this will make you rub your eyes in disbelief, we're not kidding!

But that's not all: The Duke will also present a Triad trailer trash, a short slot exploring some crazy moves from Hong Kong, posters, music, our always popular quiz and much, much more AND as always it's all FREE!

So put on your sharpest suit, make sure you're not double-crossed and make your way down to 'The Duke' on Wednesday 18th July.

FREE ENTRY! FREE ENTRY! FREE ENTRY!

[voor]

August can only mean a birthday party for The Duke and as always, we're earlier this month to avoid post-Frightfest exhaustion.

THE DUKE MITCHELL FILM CLUB PRESENTS - AUGUST BIRTHDAY BLOW-OUT!

Doors open 7 pm
Film starts at 8pm

This year , as the end of 2012 AND civilization looms ever closer , The Duke finishes its’ fifth year. Not a milestone to be scoffed at so we want to get you to help us celebrate the only way we know how: with movies and madness, of course!

If you’ve ever visited The Duke in August before, you’ll have some idea of what’s in store – however if this is your first time: come prepared for a night of uncontrolled marvel!

As always for this special date, The Duke eschews a feature-length movie in favour of a
rollicking programme: Not one but two Trailer Trash compilations, shorts that witness madness scattered here and there, Evrim and Alex presenting a slot trying to put the final word in entertainment , a Quiz that is sure to frustrate and entertain in equal measure, our party pictures, the best party music The Duke can think of and much, much more.


FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE
So come on down this August 22nd to The Duke and celebrate another year of celluloid brilliance with the man himself!

The Duke Mitchell Film Club
King's Cross Social Club
7 Britannia Street
King's Cross
London
WC1X9JE

[Alex Kidd]

Here's the info about The Duke's spin-off evening - Night Of The Trailers.

Night Of The Trailers Returns - Sunday 23rd September, 7PM-10PM - Roxy Bar & Screen, London. FREE ENTRY!

Night Of The Trailers is back and I’ve got a mind-blowing brand new show to share with you! For the last 6-months I’ve been scouring the world for more unique film trailers discoveries to screen and now’s the time to unleash Night Of The Trailers Returns upon The Roxy.

Come and join me as we take a trip into the darkest reaches of film history, into previously uncharted territories where you’ll see: trailers for films you didn’t know existed, trailers for films that threaten the very fabric of reality and
trailers that’ll make you say: “Is this real?”

Highlights to look out for this time around include: the world’s worst dog film, liberal stealing of music, international comedies and something I’ve decided to call The 99p Special. I’ll also be counting down a selection of subtitled trailers never before seen outside of their original countries. How do I know this? Because I’ve subtitled them myself just for tonight!

This is truly going to be a one-off night that’s going to be wall-to-wall entertainment as we celebrate all that the humble film trailer can offer when Night Of The Trailers Returns!

Trailers start at 7PM sharp, night ends around 10ish. FREE ENTRY!

[Alex Kidd]

Here's the info about our next Duke evening: 16MM Night

Wednesday 26th September 7PM - Kings Cross Social Club

Here's the facebook event page http://www.facebook.com/events/106553952831397/

Here at The Duke HQ we have had a dream for a while: to spend an entire evening in the company of reels of film, shown from an old-school projector, transforming our little space into a true cinema.

And now that dream can come true.

For the past year or so The Duke has been feverishly collecting reels of 16MM film: from all over the world, containing anything and everything you can imagine – and now the time has come for us to unleash upon you our best curated bits!

In true Duke fashion we’re reluctant to reveal the actual details of the programme: suffice it to say there’ll be no feature - instead we’ll have reels and reels of 16MM goodness: shorts, trailers, adverts, promotional videos, sex, violence, pub etiquette– and there’s even a rumour that a childhood friend may come visiting from deepest, darkest Peru.

So on September 26th, leave the clean, crips precision of the multiplex behind and let The Duke take you on a cinematic journey through hiss, crackle and grain of the wonderful world of film.

[Alex Kidd]

Next up for The Duke it's: Hollywood, Iran Style!

Wednesday 29th May - Kings Cross Social Club - FREE ENTRY!

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/514524085262177

We’ve brought you some offbeat themed evenings in the past, but what we’ve got to offer this time around could quite simply be our most obscure night yet. This time around we’ll be looking at the works of Iranian film directors working in Hollywood B-Movies!

Come and join us for simply one of the most incredible films you’ll ever watch: Samurai Cop (1989), from action master director Amir Shervan, a man who blazed a trailer of violence and destruction though LA in the late 80s.

Samurai Cop is simply one amazing scene after the other and it’s the perfect film to watch with a Duke audience. You’ll see terrible car chases, awfully staged action sequences and some simply unwatchable sex scenes, but you’ll love every second of it. Also he’s not a Samurai, he’s not even a very good cop!

Of course well also have all our special extras for the night, all with an Iranian theme: Trailer Trash, short films, a quiz, great music and more. Come and join us as the Duke does Hollywood, Iran Style!

FREE ENTRY!