Ray Milland stars as Don Birnam, an alcoholic writer who evades a weekend retreat in the country planned by his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen, for a five-day bender in New York City. Told partly in flashbacks to explain Don's current state of desperation, Billy Wilder's Lost Weekend is a brilliant-if-at-times-harrowing depiction of alcoholism and frustrated ambition. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). It also shared the Grand Prix at the first Cannes Film Festival, making it one of only two films to win both the Academy Award for Best Picture and the highest award at Cannes.

The Lost Weekend feels like a fitting film to show for our last screening at The Star, seeing as our first at the venue was Billy Wilder's Sunset Blvd. And, of course, there's the fact that we're moving on because The Star's function room is being turned into a gin distillery. And speaking of booze, seeing at Tues 1 Aug is both our farewell screening and fifth birthday, we can confirm that there will be some free food (cake n nibs) and booze laid on. 

Because we're expecting this last screening to be busy, we're making it Members Only. But non-members are more than welcome to join on the night (annual membership is £15 and includes free entry to all future screenings at our new venue (see below)). 

We'll be back on Tues 8 Aug at our new-old venue, The Lord Palmerston with a screening of Festen. 

We’d like to thank everyone who's supported us over the past 5 years and all those who took the time to peruse our list of 137 also-rans and helped us choose our fifth anniversary screening. Cheers - we really do sincerely appreciate all your support.