Opened in 1972 as a single-screen cinema and split in two in the late 70s, the Curzon Bloomsbury has never veered from its commitment to foreign-language and US and UK indie films, with a serious emphasis on the former. The cinema was previously in the domain of Artificial Eye — which Andi Engel (1942–2006) and Pamela Balfry Engel started in 1976 — but is now part of the excellently reliable Curzon chain, with Artificial Eye in the distributor role. In June 2014 the Curzon grou...
Opened in 1972 as a single-screen cinema and split in two in the late 70s, the Curzon Bloomsbury has never veered from its commitment to foreign-language and US and UK indie films, with a serious emphasis on the former. The cinema was previously in the domain of Artificial Eye — which Andi Engel (1942–2006) and Pamela Balfry Engel started in 1976 — but is now part of the excellently reliable Curzon chain, with Artificial Eye in the distributor role. In June 2014 the Curzon group closed the cinema for a radical refurbishment (redesign by Takero Shimazaki) and re-opened on 27 March 2015, no longer called Renoir but renamed Curzon Bloomsbury, which is admittedly is closer to its original 1972 moniker Bloomsbury Cinema. The updated complex — marked by concrete-effect elegance and an emphasis on café culture — reinstates the original big screen but with just 149 seats, while the rears of the two previous theatres have become small theatres, with three further new theatres on site, all with names taken from historic London venues (Lumiere, Minema, Renoir, Phoenix) plus Bertha DocHouse, which screens fund-alone documentaries. Four of the five smaller theatres seat 30 or fewer, but come with an attention to detail, design and plushness. However, prices have skyrocketed, with the main Renoir theatre costing £16 in 2017 (Monday to Thursday matinees £10.50). This cinema sits within the cleverly refurbished Brunswick Centre — an interesting mid-60s development made up of flats and shops. Tube station: Russell Square. Landmarks within walking distance include lovely Russell Square, British Museum [see entry], Gay's the Word bookshop [see entry], quaint Lambs Conduit St [quality shops and pubs], fish and chips at the Fryer's Delight [see entry] and St Pancras railway station/hotel. Other Curzon movie houses can be found in Mayfair and Soho [see entries], plus Victoria (opened May 2014), Aldgate (January 2017), Hoxton, Camden Town and beyond. Chelsea (King's Rd, demolished in 2019, apart from the art deco-style facade) has yet to reopen.
