One of the most beloved Manchester institutions which I think our fair city would be completely different without; it is that pinnacle of culture in the city. It’s the Cornerhouse ladies and gentle men, our little hub of the alternative, the independent and the avant-garde. See being someone who has grown up in around Manchester I always used to go and see those random little films that yes I may have heard Jonathon Ross talking about, but still I went on down to the Cornerhouse. It used to be a big night out its where I developed my love of cinema, let’s face it they must have been doing something right!
A Little bit of history about the place, also the recently announced plans of Manchester City Council for improvement of this little slice of heaven. Sadly the history isn’t as interesting as the content of the building; it was originally built as a furniture store (one, two, three THAT’S HOT.) The cinema has been housed there ever since Shaw’s Furniture Store closed down in ’85. However the more exciting news that the council announced that the Cornerhouse will be in a couple of years packing up shop and moving to a brand new purpose built facility on the northern side of First Street, you know that place where the council moved with the crazy acrobatic statues outside. The 19 million pound structure will hold five cinema screens, an impressive gallery and theatre seating scores of thespians. Also it allows a lot more space for those helpful little seminars or those delightful Q&A’s with directors and industry geniuses. It will be the cultural hub of Manchester apparently, in what some would say an odd part of town. However we shall have to wait until spring 2014 to find out whether this huge investment is worth the dough.
As ever the Cornerhouse has a great range of events from their ‘Monday Night Movie Quiz’, to a great range of films being shown currently I know at the top of my list is the last instalment of ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ trilogy, ‘The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest’. Also on The 15th of December the corner house will play host to a screening of ‘Four Lions’ and a Q&A with Chris Morris the acclaimed satirist and director of this black comedy about terrorism. Also its time for a Festive treat when the Cornerhouse dusts off those old Christmas classics and from the 17th will be showing that winter heart warmer ‘Its A Wonder Life’.
So I hope that I have only served to back up an already clearly defined love of this little slice of culture in the centre of the city. The Cornerhouse will always be one of those place in Manchester that is adored by many and loved by even more, it’s not just the film’s, it’s the people and the fact that all of this can be found in a tiny little ex-furniture store on one of the busy strips in Manchester. I just hope that when they move into their new ‘’hub’ they don’t lose their off-beat charm, and their same dedication to content.
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