McGuffin's Film & TV Society

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There was standing room only at the McGuffin Film Club’s first event, a film quiz at the Rose and Crown in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, on Saturday night.

More than 150 people crammed into the function room and as many were turned away.

The quiz goers’ motives were two fold-- to support the club’s campaign for a broader range of films to be shown at the EMD cinema and to have an enjoyable evening out testing their film knowledge.

Founder member of the club Jo Brind said: “We didn’t know how many to expect, but we were telling people to arrive early. We knew there would be 50-100 people from those we had spoken to.

“But it was amazing. the wonderful thing was that people were leaving and saying ‘we are glad it is full and we can’t get in’.”

The quiz tested the film buff’s knowledge on everything from British cinema classics to Hollywood blockbusters.

Over 100 membership forms were handed out and a questionnaire was distributed asking people what direction they thought the club should take.

The club, whose name is a reference to a Hitchcock red herring character, now has enough money in its coffers to put on its first film at the cinema, likely to be an art house Indian film.

The cinema in Hoe Street currently shows Bollywood ills.

It was sold by Odeon last year with a controversial clause saying that films shown must be in “one of the ethnic languages of India” to protect cinema audience numbers at the Odeon in Woodford.

Supporters fear this restrictive clause has led to low attendance and ultimately the threat of closure.

Mr Brind gave a brief speech about the cinema, a grade 2 listed building, and the campaign to save it by widening its appeal.

He emphasised the need to work with the owner Mohan Sharma to get a broader range of films shown.

Mr Brind said this week: “Odeon are going to have to listen to us. We have to try and convince them it is in their best interests that the cinema stays open and can make a profit.

“The cinema building is one of the most interesting in the country.”

since the news last week that the Office of Fair Trading will not investigate Odeon for anti competitive behaviour, campaigners have changed tack to looking at whether the clause can be declared racially discriminatory.

Local race equality officer Chris Aoin said: “I feel this ought to be challenged by the legal process.

“The discrimination was part of the bargain. The cinema was sold at concessionary rates at the expense of the local people. The clause is excluding people from the cinema.

Mr Aoin has submitted documentation to the commission for Racial Equality arguing that legal action should be taken.

Pippa Richardson, a member of the Cinema Theatres Association, said: “The Commission for Racial Equality has to take legal action before the whole community loses the cinema. We mustn’t be squeamish about the race issue.”

Mrs Richardson suggested that the racial discrimination affected planning rules.

But a council spokesman said the licence is granted for showing films, regardless of language, and that planning decisions can only be take on planning grounds.

Ray Dudley, of Hawarden Road, Walthamstow, has written an open letter to the Office of Fair Trading to protest at its decision. He said: “As it stands, the disastrously low attendance at the cinema for any of its showings must lead to the building closing down entirely in a short time.”

Waltham Forest Guardian (Walthamstow edition), February 15, 2001.

THE ABC cinema in neighbouring South Woodford has been promised a £2m expansion from three screens to seven.

Meanwhile the future of the former ABC cinema in Waltham Forest hangs in the balance with little progress towards the building of the new one earmarked for Selborne Walk, Walthamstow, and growing fears that the Bollywood EMD cinema is not making enough money to stay open.

News that South Woodford is due for an upgrade seems to confirm that Odeon's strategy is to concentrate its East London and West Essex operations in South Woodford.

Many local residents, limited in the films they watch by the fact that only the remaining cinema in the borough can only show Indian language films, have started going to Gants Hill Odeon. However, there are unconfirmed rumours that the Gants Hill cinema is also set to close.

Jay Franklin, a retired housewife, has lived in Walthamstow most of her life and was particularly upset by the sale of the ABC in November. Mrs Franklin, 84, said: "It's not fair. I'm disgusted that there is nothing for people like me at our own cinema".

Ray McGregor, 39, a horticulturist from Scotland who has lived in the area for a number of years, said: "I used to go to the cinema quite regularly but I haven't been to the cinema since it closed."

David Smart, 42, now travels to Gants Hill to watch films. He said: "I used to go once or twice a month, but now I can't do that. Why can't they have a mixture of films?"

Mohan Sharma took over control of the ABC cinema with confidence of attracting a big enough Asian audience but attendances have been disappointing.

Members of the Asian community were happy to see Bollywood films come to the area.

Bushra Sharif, 16, said: "It's great for Asian people. Let's keep it going as it's great for the community".

But Friha Akhtar, 17, was unhappy with the narrow range of films on offer at the EMD, saying: "Why not show alternative shows? Maybe show English movies at weekends."

ABC and Odeon merged in March 2000 and embarked on a massive "rationalisation" of its 137 cinemas nationwide closing down the least profitable cinemas and concentrating on giant multiplexes.

A spokesman for Odeon claimed the selling off of the Walthamstow site was not connected to the massive improvement of South Woodford, announced four months later, and the possible closure of Gants Hill. He said: "The decisions are made on a site by site basis. At Gants Hill it is business as usual.

"We have an ongoing strategy to upgrade the ABC cinemas. That's why we are putting £2m into the South Woodford cinema."

He would not be drawn on whether Odeon is in negotiation with Capital & Regional for new cinema in Walthamstow town centre.

A spokeswoman for Capital & Regional said: "Capital & Regional is in discussion with prospective cinema operators to manage a mainstream cinema at Selborne Walk. A further announcement will be made once an operator has been appointed."

Guardian says