Mid90s screens at Electric Palace on Friday 25 October

Skateboarding films triple bill at Electric Palace

“Fall. Get back up,” says the encouraging skateboarding mantra on the movie poster for Jonah Hill’s touching debut film triumph, Mid90s, which you can see on Friday 25 October at Electric Palace cinema. The film is screening as part of a triple bill of skateboarding-themed films, including two local short films, one of which spans 35 years of the Hastings skate scene, says Annie Waite.

Electric Palace cinema in Hastings Old town is embracing skate culture this month, with this special film event on Friday 25 October, co-created by the Young Electrics, a group of 16-25 year old film programmers from the local area, who meet regularly at the cinema to learn about film culture. The group has engaged local Hastings seafront skate haven The Source Park to link up for the event, offering discounted tickets for the show to Source Park members.

About Mid90s

Mid90s film flyer

A spiky tale of youthful rebellion with an evocative soundtrack, with well-loved tracks from the mid 1990s era, including Nirvana, Wu Tang Clan, Morrissey, Pixies, A Tribe Called Quest and many more, Mid90s is the story of 13-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic), an awkward Los Angeles teen with ‘hair bigger than his head’. He escapes his bleak home life and violent older brother (Lucas Hedges) by befriending a group of skate punks who take him under their tattered wings.

With great performances all around, Suljic stands out with a particularly touching turn as the film’s uncertain protagonist: ebullient, circumspect and uncannily believable.

Even though its director, US comedy film actor and former child star Jonah Hill, doesn’t appear in Mid90s, you can feel his presence in every scene. Directing from a script he wrote himself, the film feels authentic: an unsentimental time capsule of the sights and sounds of a pop cultural moment that will have an appeal for both younger, millennial audiences and older skater folk alike.

Hastings’ skate culture

Also screening on the night will be two short films about skateboarding, one made by students from East Sussex College Hastings and another by Mark Richardson, spanning 35 years of the local Hastings skate scene.

So all you sk8r bois and grls out there, young or old, airwalk your way to Hastings Old Town and drop in to the Electric Palace for a gnarly night out… no ‘pivot grind’-ing on those comfy velvet seats, though. But sorry, no Grommets allowed – the film is a 15 certificate.

Book tickets for the skate triple bill

Book now for Mid90s triple bill skateboarding special event on Friday 25 October, 8pm. £5 tickets available for under 25s and Source Park members.

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