FRIDAY 29th October – SUNDAY 31st October 2021

Nothing scarier than Soho on a weekend… 
Edgar Wright’s long-awaited psychological thriller Last Night in Soho hits cinemas this weekend, just in time for Halloween. HEROINE cover star Thomasin McKenzie takes the lead alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith as Eloise, a young woman trapped in the fever dream of time travel, straddling modern-day to swinging 60s London. However exciting the prospect of jumping through eras may sound, Wright gives his story a sinister twist as Eloise becomes entangled in the revelations of old crimes and supernatural goings-on. 

Last Night in Soho is out in cinemas now.

FYI, BFI Southbank are hosting an Edgar Wright takeover titled London After Dark, running a line-up of films that inspired the filmmaker’s latest work.  Watch the film, and then see Wright’s working out. 

Horror all-nighter
If a Hallow’s Eve movie marathon is what you’re after, London’s Prince Charles Cinema is always dead good. Starting early this year, since the end of September they’ve been screening the very best horrors as part of their HorrOctober programme, but in a final celebration of the past month, this weekend sees two all-nighters on the agenda as a farewell to spooky season. Five classic horror films will be played back to back from 8:30 pm until the crack of dawn including Ouija board horror The Exorcist (1973), the insanity of Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980), clawed killer Freddie Kreuger in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), sci-fi horror The Thing (1984) and finally, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). You’ll be leaving more than a little shaken.

Find more info on the HorrOctober schedule here. 

Sonic seance
The only thing scary about this one is the fear of missing it. Over at Hackney’s Sebright Arms, the lovely folks at Never Heard of Ya have conjured Iceage frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt for a very special, intimate night, hitting the stage for a solo set this Saturday. If you’ve ever seen Rønnenfelt perform as Iceage or Marching Church, you’ll know how incredibly visceral his performances are, so we’re very much looking forward to seeing him strip it all back here à la Cobain unplugged. Tickets are only £13.50 and are somehow still available. Be quick before we buy them all.

Elias Bender Rønnenfelt plays at The Sebright Arms on Saturday 30th. Buy tickets here. 

(In anticipation, read our HERO 19 interview between Elias and Royal Trux icon Jennifer Herrema)

Oh! You Pretty Things
London’s 14 Heddon Street is an iconic Bowie hotspot. Immortalised in the musician’s iconic The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album artwork, the street is now playing host to a Ziggy pop-up running until January 2022. Stocking exclusive drops including signed memorabilia, rare merch, the store will also be showing previously-unseen Bowie content such as BTS footage and live clips (played via immersive 360 Reality Audio) alongside an extensive photo gallery. Plus special guest announcements are imminent – keep your eyes peeled.

The Bowie pop-up runs until January 2022, find more information here. 

Tan-talising
Coming to a close this weekend is Olivia Sterling’s Really Rough Scrubbing Brush at Guts Gallery on the campus of Goldsmiths University. Sterling’s latest collection of work is an exploration of colour-changing bodies through tanning  – real or fake – against the slapstick background of the stereotypical British package holiday. Influenced by 18th-century political cartoons, she uses a bold, graphic painting style to hone in on issues of racism and the narrative surrounding skin colour in the UK.

Really Rough Scrubbing runs at Guts Gallery until 31st October, more info here. 

Pint, quiz and maybe a ghost or two
Scrub up on your Halloween knowledge, don your finest fancy dress, grab your mates and head down to Greenwich’s The Old Brewery at the heart of the Royal Naval College for a Sunday pub quiz with a fright (fancy dress is encouraged). Promising to test your spooky pop-culture knowledge, and offering one of the finest roasts in South London, fill up before roaming the College grounds for some lost sailor souls.

The Old Brewery is located at The Pepys Building, SE10 9LW. More info here.