Nineteen eighty seven will be remembered for many things - it was the year Terry Waite was taken hostage in the Middle East, Rick Astley was riding high in the charts and Michael Fish told us not to worry about ‘that storm’. It was also the year that two much-loved Letchworth groups were founded, and 30 years on, they are joining forces for a special birthday event.
The Letchworth Arts and Leisure Group and Letchworth Film Club will come together on 14 September at Broadway Cinema for a screening of the 1987 classic, Raising Arizona, which was chosen by Film Club members for the occasion.
Peter Griffiths has been the chairman of Letchworth Film Club since 1992. He said: “It’s rather fitting to hold our 30th anniversary at the Broadway. Back in 2005, the Heritage Foundation invited us to base our group at the Cinema, which transformed our gatherings with its state-of-the-art set up. Over the years we’ve developed a great relationship with the team at Broadway Cinema and we look forward to many more years of great film to come.”
George Barnes, chairman of LALG said: “We’re very much looking forward to this special anniversary and to do so with the Film Club, which was originally an LALG group. We are proud to have so many clubs and groups under the LALG banner – there are more than 100 in total covering food and drink, crafts, languages and a range of physical activities for all levels. We couldn’t do it without our dedicated volunteers so we’re keen to expand our membership to attract younger people to ensure it’s still going strong 30 years from now!”
Raising Arizona follows the antics of an ex-con and ex-police officer who snatch a quintuplet when they discover they are unable to have their own child. Starring Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter, this crime comedy was the second film by the Coen brothers who are renowned for their stylised films.
Commenting on the film, Peter Griffiths added: “Raising Arizona is an early example of the Coen brothers’ work and is rather more wacky than their style now, but interesting to see where they have come from. We hope the community will join us on the night for this great film and that the screening will attract new members to help us grow our membership for the future.”
Tickets for the screening are on sale via the Broadway website or by calling 01462 681088.
