‘We're a group of film fans putting on films for film fans - by any means necessary!’

Cult Manchester exclusive: what’s next for CULTPLEX?

Rob Jones of CULTPLEX. 'We're not fancy. We don't have reclining seats and things like that. It's all a bit duct-taped together...'

Tucked away on the outskirts of Manchester city centre past Victoria Station, for several years now CULTPLEX has been building a reputation as an exceptional indie cinema venue (and more). It opened, initially as 'Chapeltown Picture House', on a temporary site near Piccadilly just prior to the pandemic, but now it's definitely found its feet and thriving fast. Back in March, Rob Jones joined up as the new Cinema Manager & Programming Lead. Here, Rob tells Cult Manchester's Andy Murray what CULTPLEX is all about, what he'd like to bring to it and the changes that might lie ahead...

Cult Manchester: How would you describe CULTPLEX to someone who hasn't been?

Rob Jones: I think it very much does what it says on the tin - we're not just a cult film venue, we're a cult everything venue, whether it be games, TV, even music, but mostly film.

We're a bit like a church. I've always thought of cinema as my church. It's my place of peace, my place of worship. All my gods, be it the Scorseses, the Lynches, the Ramsays, this is where I come to worship them, and I think that's what a lot of people in Manchester, certainly in the film community, come to do as well.

CM: If it's like a church, are you seeing regular faces amongst the congregation?

RJ: We are, and we love the regular faces. If people are returning, it's because they enjoy the venue, but also it's like a big old pat on the back for myself and the programming team - like, 'you guys are doing a good job, because we want to keep coming back here', which is great.

CM: Where did you work before you came to CULTPLEX?

RJ: I did the film festival circuit. I started off worked in some indie cinemas in London. For my first big festival job, I was the events coordinator for London Film Festival. They took a chance with me on that. I was like, 'this is mad, going from a little indie cinema to London Film Festival...' After that, I learnt that there were loads of film festivals I could work at all around the country. I tried to get into Glasgow Film Festival because I'd heard amazing things about it, but the only position available there was volunteer coordinator, so I did that. Then I just jumped from festival to festival, ideally doing events kind of stuff, but also being able to do a lot of the other roles as well. So, I've done guest coordinator jobs and some projection and things like that. I had a taste of all the elements that make a film festival.

CM: When you moved to Manchester, was CULTPLEX something that you were aware of?

RJ: When I first moved here, I was like, where's the indie cinema? But in one of my previous jobs, I'd been lucky enough to work with [outgoing CULTPLEX programme manager] Greg Walker and he mentioned that he was doing a Succession screening at CULTPLEX. I was like, 'what's CULTPLEX?' and he was like, 'Dude, that's the indie cinema'. That's literally the moment I heard about it. I went online and saw the website. I was like, 'yeah, yeah, this is going to be my church. This is where I'm going to go all the time'. And then, specifically, I was like, 'at some point, I would like to work there'.

Over the last couple of years, more and more people have been starting to learn what this place is and where it is. We're just slightly out of the way - but also, that does kind of work in our favour, because it feels like - not a secret, we don't want it to be a secret - but the people that should come here and want to come here know where we are. That kind of vibe.

Let's use kebab shops as a reference, right? There are so many kebab shops in the Northern Quarter that are exactly the same. There are many, many pubs that, again, are exactly the same. They're like templates of each other. And I think that being slightly out of the way kind of helps us be a little bit individual.

CM: It sounds like CULTPLEX might be driven more by your audience and what they want, as opposed to other places that are driven by what's coming out and when?

RJ: Yeah, exactly. I guess one of the downsides of being this kind of rep cinema is that we can't always get new releases. If we had more screens, we'd be able to do that. But that does mean that our programme is very much what we want and what our audience wants.

How many times do you go to a multiplex, like a big Vue or an Odeon, and experience anything other than watching a film? I think that's what's important here: that with time - and with the kind of team that we have - we're able to build something a little bit better, a little bit more exciting.I think a lot of my favourite screenings of all time have been - not obscure, but like, there'll be a live score with the film or there'll be some kind of stop motion class beforehand. Or again, it's the audience. I think one of my favourite ever screenings - this isn't necessarily my favourite ever film! - but I saw Cocaine Bear on opening night on a Friday night in Glasgow Cineworld. It was a nine o'clock screening, it was full and there was literally a chorus of cans of Tennent's being opened as the film started. Everyone was a little bit drunk, but no one was talking and the laughter and the joy of it was just great.

I think we have that kind of atmosphere here as well. It's like a celebration of the film. So, we don't want people on their phones. We don't want anyone talking. It's just about watching a film with your friends with a hundred people in the audience. That in itself is electric, right? It's a really fun experience.

CM: Do you think you might do things differently at CULTPLEX to how they've been done? Have you got certain enthusiasms of your own that you want to bring to it, maybe?

RJ: I do want to use my events experience to bring more, bigger things here to complement the films that we show and the sort of like the screenings that we have. Also, I really do want this to be more of the kind of place where people hang out. I would love people to come up here and not always necessarily watch a film. I just want it to be a fun place to be. A lot of the time, you go to the big multiplexes and, well, you just go in to watch a film and then you leave. That's not as welcoming. We're like, 'no, stay around, hang out for a while'.

So, I'd like to expand the screenings, just bring more people in here. It's early days, but I want more people to talk about CULTPLEX. A big part of that is maybe even bringing CULTPLEX to other people as well. There's been a conversation about potentially doing some outdoor screenings, bringing CULTPLEX out and about, rather than just always being on this hill. Almost like 'CULTPLEX Presents', doing things outside of just this one venue, which I think would be really exciting. There are a few things cooking.

This is what was passed on to me, the first thing that my predecessor, Greg, told me when I started: he was like, 'here's the ethos of CULTPLEX - just do cool shit'. I feel kind of like Greg has left me his child and I'm the awkward stepdad. I need to win the trust of the audience. Over the last couple of months, seeing the numbers and getting compliments about the programme, I'm like, 'OK, I think this child is finally accepting me!' So that's quite exciting.

CM: Looking into the longer term, is CULTPLEX in its present form here to stay?

RJ: We are looking at building the space up and making it a little bit more accessible to things outside of film. Broadly, though, we're still a cult cinema. We'll still show kick-ass movies and weird stuff and invite the sickos and all this kind of stuff. I feel like we do need to be a bit bigger in terms of screens as well. There's always been talk of maybe changing venues, just so we can do more - I think that's the most important thing. And bringing it a little closer to town would be exceptional. From when I first started here, we've always had that in our cards.

CM: It's tricky, but how would you define 'cult'?

RJ: For me, it's about finding your people. It's shared rituals, quoting your favourite films, always watching Groundhog Day on 2 February, or returning to the same places every year with a group of friends for a pint. It's a safe, shared space, free from judgement, where whatever weird little passion you might have is understood and celebrated.

CM: So, what would you say is an example of a quintessential CULTPLEX film?

RJ: One of my all-time favourites and a film that we screened early on this year - Harmony Korine's Gummo (1997). I'm obsessed with that movie. It feels like a dirty poem on the back of the toilet door. Like, it stinks. The film stinks. It's visceral. It's poetry, it's funny, it's dark, it's controversial. Every time I see it, it feels like a brand new experience. It's like nothing else.

Or, another one might be John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). Straight off the bat, it's a cult classic by an incredible auteur. Some people love it for its special effects. Other people looking at the special effects now might say they're not very good, but it's the fact they look like that which make it even better. The Thing is a little bit like that, and so are we. We're not fancy. We don't have reclining seats and things like that. It's all a bit duct-taped together...

CM: But duct-taped together with love, right?

RJ: Exactly! That's what gives it character. We're a group of film fans putting on films for film fans - by any means necessary! The blood, the sweat and tears that went into The Thing - that's what goes into this building as well.

Find Rob on Letterboxd: TVSRJ.

For more details, see the CULTPLEX website