Scala Cinema: Dirty Movie Theatre

"It was a thrilling experience. Part of that thrill was that you walked out [of the station] into the badlands of King's Cross. You then quite quickly found your way to this palatial building, like some sort of bonkers white castle that you see on the logo of Disney. Going up the marble staircase led you into this massive space. The rake was very steep, the seats bolt upright and I think you sat there for a moment with a sense of incredible anticipation. In addition, the auditorium was dark and, at times, illicit. There was a frisson. A lot of the films were quite explicit, so there was a sexuality about the place that was unusual in cinemas. It all added up to an incredibly potent combination."

London's late night, licensed, licentious alternative cinema remembered in The Guardian.
A friend of mine used to work there an an usher in the 80s - oh the stories he could tell you...

• A celebration, Scala Forever, showing some favourite films from its heyday, takes place at cinemas across London from August 13th. Not sure if they'll allow wanking in the aisles.