ABSTRACT
The Scala was a notorious and influential London repertory cinema operational in Fitzrovia (1978-81) and King’s Cross (1981-93) during a time of significant change for the British film industry. This period saw both an all-time low in cinema-going in 1984 and the emergence of video home entertainment as an important economic force for film. The Scala’s parent company Palace Pictures (1981-92) changed the film landscape with its video shops, VHS label, film distribution arm, production company and offshoots for video games, music videos and television. The British Board of Film Censors grappled with the evolution of film classification and the Government passed the Video Recordings Act in 1984 to restrict home video. Years of Tory government (1979-97), the recession and a greater social awareness of global concerns created politicised divisions that were part of youth culture. All of this shaped the history of the Scala and was reflected in its programme.
