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Erzsébet krt. 39 [map]
Pest Centre, VII, Király utca (T4/6), 3 min

In comparison to say, the British Film Institute's plush cinemas on London's South Bank, the Örökmozgó Filmmúzeum feels like something of a tin-pot operation.

Housed in what was once the 'Matra Mese és Ifjúsági Mozi' (which roughly translated means a 'children's picture house' specialising in 'fables'), the premises were taken over by the Hungarian National Film Archive in 1991. With its small café, narrow auditorium, and a couple of members of staff who seem to sell tickets, coffees and man the projection booth, it's clear from the outset that Örökmozgó isn't necessarily going to be a polished cinema-going experience.

At times, it's extremely ropey. In the past couple of years, I’ve seen Dustin Hoffman get sliced in half as he crossed the street during a showing of Midnight Cowboy. Only four minutes later, when the print was repositioned, were Dustin’s upper body and legs happily reunited. On another occasion, a copy of Buster Keaton's The General had four false starts before it was finally able to leave the platform. Perhaps most disappointingly of all, I turned up to a screening of Labyrinth to find that, contrary to what was advertised, the entire cast - trolls, goblins, David Bowie - would be speaking in French.

And yet, in spite of the damaged prints and occasionally misleading advertising, it’s really rather easy to ignore Örökmozgó’s flaws. Because of its connection to the archive, it has by far the most eclectic programming in the city. A single day might throw up a Claude Chabrol thriller, followed by a series of early shorts from D.W. Griffith, topped off with the film adaptation of Catch-22. And as disorganised as all that sounds, films are usually shown as part of week or month long seasons, such as 'America at War', or John Huston at 100.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best cinema in Budapest. It isn't often you get to see films as diverse as Last Year at Marienbad, Apocalypse Now and Touch of Evil on the big screen. A monthly schedule is available here, films generally start at 4.30, 6.30 and 8.30 and tickets are inexpensive. Bring your own popcorn.
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Get off the tram at Kiraly, and walk towards Blaha on the left hand side of the krt. Örökmozgó is on the corner of Dob utca.

Andy T.