Rogue Hollywood
Cinema Rediscovered 2026
“The only safe thing is to take a chance.” Elaine May
Marking its 50th anniversary, Mikey and Nicky (1976), Elaine May’s dark take on masculinity, was released by Paramount Pictures in the middle of a decade that opened up opportunities for filmmakers to tackle more provocative subjects.
While Hollywood was starting to pivot towards blockbusters such as Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977), May - one of the few female directors in Hollywood at that time - was one of a generation of filmmakers to deliver uncompromising and troubling visions of contemporary American society; alongside contemporaries like William Friedkin, Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese.
From today’s perspective, it is difficult to imagine how such tough and unsettling works were being made within the mainstream. The films in this season, far from the liberal consensus often associated with Hollywood of the period, are darkly difficult in terms of subject matter and provocative in their politically contradictory nature.
Bleak, unsettling but endlessly rewarding, these films are testament to a period when some in the Hollywood mainstream went very rogue and provide a fascinating snapshot of America which resonates today.
This season is part Other Ways of Seeing, an initiative supported by BFI awarding funds from National Lottery co-curated by Ellen Smith and Andy Willis (Professor of Film Studies at the University of Salford and Senior Visiting Curator at HOME)
Upcoming screenings in this season
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (35mm)
classified 18 (CTBA) Rogue Hollywood
A schoolteacher (the late Diane Keaton in one of her most striking performances) living alone spends her evenings frequenting late-night bars and picking up men in this dark complex drama.
Hardcore
classified 18 Rogue Hollywood
A conservative Midwestern patriarch has his world shaken when he must search for his missing daughter in the seedy underworld of the California sex industry in this bleak psychological neo-noir from Paul Schrader.
UK Premiere: Mikey & Nicky
classified 15 Rogue Hollywood
Back on the big screen on its 50th anniversary, Elaine May’s neglected mid-1970s gem is a dissection of masculinity and male friendship anchored by mesmerising performances from John Cassavetes and Peter Falk.
Taxi Driver
classified 18 Rogue Hollywood
Fifty years after it picked up the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Scorsese’s chilling masterpiece has lost none of its power to shock and disturb in its visceral exploration of alienation and violence in urban America.
Cruising
classified 18 Rogue Hollywood
Controversial at the time of its release, William Friedkin’s nocturnal thriller which sees Al Pacino’s undercover cop descend into New York’s gay leather scene on the hunt for a serial killer is being reappraised by a new generation.
Hustle
classified 15 Rogue Hollywood
Fresh off box-office comedy smash The Longest Yard (1974), director Robert Aldrich and star sensation Burt Reynolds ditched laughs for a gritty, uncompromising neo-noir set in the seedy underbelly of LA.
Individual events and screenings unless otherwise stated:
£12.00 full (plus 12% booking fee*)
£9.50 concessions / Refugees and Asylum Seekers (plus 12% booking fee*)
£6.50 24 or under (plus 12% booking fee*)
Concessions apply to Full Time Students, Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance, 66+ who have retired, Equity and BECTU members and disabled people. Where applicable please produce proof of eligibility when collecting a ticket.
*Booking fee applies to online and phone booking only.
Complimentary tickets are available for Personal Assistants accompanying customers who are Deaf / Disabled and can be booked through the Box Office, or online after joining our Access Register.
Cinema Rediscovered Festival Pass
The Cinema Rediscovered Pass allows you to select from 60+ Cinema Rediscovered screenings and events between Wed 22 - Sun 26 July. Subject to availability, terms and conditions apply. Buy your Pass here. Pass holders get 25% off monthly or annual subscriptions to streaming platform Cinelogue.
Pass prices: £130 full / £100 concessions / £80 24 and under.
Multi-Ticket Package Offer
Get 15% off the regular ticket price when you book 4-10 Cinema Rediscovered screenings and/or events. The discount will automatically apply when you add the tickets to your basket.
Club Shed members get 15% off all individual Cinema Rediscovered tickets.
All Cinema Rediscovered Pass and ticket holders can get 20% off any 6 O'Clock Gin & Tonic (including Watershed’s very own) at the Café & Bar and Undershed Bar during the Festival. Pass and ticket holders can also enjoy 20% off Wiper and True draught products after 20:00 at the Café & Bar and Undershed Bar during the Festival.
Please note: the Cinema Walks, Projection Tours, Improv Workshops, Family Workshops and the Film Quiz are excluded from the Pass and Package.