With Halloween around the corner, Showroom Cinema hosts a selection of gentler fright-night fare, with relaxed screenings and spooky stories for all ages.
While Celluloid Screams pack the truly terrifying features, our Family Time strand has partnered with Sheffield’s primo horror purveyors for the last three years, to spotlight great age-appropriate stories.
From Return to Oz to The Witches, these PG flicks may ask for a bit of bravery, but reward with fantastic, exhilarating adventures. This year it's Night of the Zoopocalypse (PG), a treat for horror-loving families, on Saturday 24 October at 11.00.
Based on an idea by Hellraiser creator Clive Barker, it sees a young wolf named Gracie and a gruff mountain lion called Dan, team up to escape the zoo, after a meteor crash unleashes a ‘ZOOmbie’ virus. The bold, green and purple-tinted animation recalls classic monster movies, while Xavier, the horror-buff Lemur, is a sure call back to smart-alec Randy from Wes Craven’s Scream. Throw in some sharp, meta jokes and genuinely creepy foes, and this is one for the whole family to enjoy. Family Time brings films for ages 5+ each Saturday morning at 11am. Enjoy the pictures in a relaxed setting with softened lighting and Hard of Hearing subtitles where possible. All tickets are £4.99, little ones can grab a drink and popcorn combo for £4.50, and grown-ups get 10% off café bar food with their ticket.
We tone things down considerably for Toddler Kino, on Monday 26 at 11.15. Room on the Broom (U) is a magical tale about friendship and found family, based on Julia Donaldson’s delightful picture book of the same name. A kind witch invites a surprising collection of animals to join her on her broom, much to the frustration of her cat. Pitched at 1–4s, Toddler Kino gently introduces the youngest to the big screen. All tickets are just £3.99.
Baby Kino follows at 12.15 with Ghosts: The Possession of Button House (PG), exclusively for parents or guardians accompanying babies under one year old. The beloved, BBC sitcom makes its big-screen debut, with the whole gang embarking on a hilarious body-swapping adventure.
Enjoy all this and more at Showroom Cinema this October.
Book now: showroomcinema.org.uk/cinema-clubs/children-and-families
By Nathan Makalena, Creative Coordinator
Paternoster Row, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 2BX
Bike racks, nearby tram parking, tram and bus access
