A DIY Movie Night to Remember at The Old Shoe

By Gabe Burt

---

In a small bar in the centre of Sheffield I meet Tom Claxton, the Michelin-starred sommelier turned film buff, and now film host at The Old Shoe. Setting up a projector and screen in the middle of the bar, surrounded by seats, he commences the showing of the 1987 cult-classic ‘Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2’ to an audience of 23. He sits double-parked with one glass of white wine and a pint of lager as we get down to the nitty-gritty of showing niche films on a budget in a DIY venue.

DIY film showings seem to have drastically increased over the past few years, with so many more weird and wonderful films being pulled from the depths of archives and restored by companies like Vinegar Syndrome. When asked about why he thinks these DIY movie events are getting more popular Tom remarks, “Streaming has made film readily available and very predictable, when you get to put on these types of events it makes me happy to see a crowd interact with the movie. Cinema is for sharing!” This seems to be a key point in the community who put on these events, the audience is full of like-minded individuals who are keen to learn, and also connect with others with the same passion. With these showings it seems accessible for everyone to enjoy often forgotten film, however Tom stresses that ‘quality is still needed especially regarding the use of equipment’. There’s a level of pride to showing these films to people, “It feels like you’re showing them a piece of history, like some sort of Roman coin.” Tom chuckles. In fairness, hearing the way some of these films have been recovered is truly similar to archaeological excavation, hidden in bins and under piles of rubbish.

The audience enjoying the film

"CINEMA IS FOR SHARING"

“Showing these movies is not as simple as going to HMV and buying a DVD, you need to get the movie rights to show it and they can get expensive quickly.” For Tom’s DIY events with his licencing he is legally not allowed to profit from the ticket pricing, he can only afford to take enough money to cover the price of the showing rights. “If I was to show Star Wars the licencing would cost £7500 which is just for a venue of 25 people, tickets would be a bargain at £300 a person!” Evidently the cinema Tom chooses to show is not as expensive as that and normally charges £5 or less, making it more accessible for people of all incomes. When questioned about his favourite movie genre Tom quickly answers ‘Hong Kong martial arts-based movies and exploitation movies’. Conveniently with these genres being less popular in large commercial cinemas the licencing is often cheaper making it more accessible for him to show.

The ever-present film-bro would be in shock over the extensive and bizarre amount of films Tom talks about. It seems like there may not be a film this man has ever not watched; he has even managed to incorporate it into his work as a sommelier by pairing wines with films. The DIY cinema scene in Sheffield alone is already quite large with other groups like the Kelham Island Film Club and Magic Lantern Film Club giving opportunities not only for film watchers but also independent film makers to share their interest. Tom’s plan to add to an expanding community can only be seen as beneficial. His extensive research to optimise everything about his showings is admirable, factoring brightness and distance when buying his projector, selecting the right screen and multiple watches beforehand to make sure his pre-show speech is perfect.

Tom Claxton (standing) appreciating his hard work

Often when people think about DIY events they think of sweaty, cramped rooms filled with loud music and people getting thrown around. This is true and does happen, however, to tether DIY to one form is a great misjustice and neglects many other arts. Tom goes on to talk about his love for live music and that side of the DIY scene. “People think just because you put so much effort into movies you can’t also enjoy live music, but they genuinely couldn’t be more wrong.” Tom then slips into the back and pulls out a vinyl copy of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 soundtrack’. “This right here is the best of both worlds.” There are definitely similarities to be drawn between the joy that a great live performance and great movie can provide to an audience.

With the DIY scene in Sheffield being majority based around music, it’s pleasant to know that there is diversity within. Local art is commonly being introduced into smaller DIY venues with workshops being ran to help others find a new hobby or skill. It’s not only people in Sheffield interested in these events though, as I met people who had travelled in order to attend, each with a genuine interest in what was being shown. Tom has evidently enjoyed showing these films and clearly has an expertise that is fairly unparalleled in regard to what this niche. In the future he says he wants to increase the audience size, this would increase his future spending for his licences on other upcoming potential movies.

It appears the future of the DIY movie scene is in good hands with people like Tom at the forefront. Providing experience and above all complete devotion and love for an art style that is popular amongst so many fans. With so much effort having to be implemented to even have the opportunity to put on these features it shows that there is so much more than meets the eye. The perfect experience however, is providing the audience with something that looks to them effortless but letting them know that there are so many turning cogs in the machine that they can’t see. Not a detail is missed, and it seems that there is so much potential to be tapped in this developing scene in Sheffield, time will tell though, to the extent.