White Men Can’t Jump, Clapham

If you suspect that white men are lacking at leaping or, more reasonably, you’ve a hankering to watch Ron Shelton’s cult classic on the big screen then this Thursday is the time. The truly excellent film critic Ashley Clark (Sight and Sound, Little White Lies, Grolsch Film Works) is marking White Men Can’t Jump’s twentieth anniversary with a screening complete with free pizza, a prize draw and a learned introduction, all going down at the Clapham Picturehouse from 7.30pm.

White Men Can’t Jump will be the third film event organised by Ashley who found his stride earlier this year with sold-out screenings of Do The Right Thing and Beats Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest. It seemed like just the moment to take the man they call Permananet Plastic Helmet (his blog name) and make a few polite enquiries.

Why did you choose this particular film? 

‘It’s the twentieth anniversary of White Men Can’t Jump, and it seemed as though that landmark was going to pass without being widely heralded by the film media. I’ve always thought the film doesn’t quite get as much credit as it deserves. It’s funny, sure, and it’s great for basketball heads. But it goes deeper as a pretty honest film about friendship and masculinity. It’s also a really great LA film.’

What prompted you to spread your wings and fly out of the critic’s coop?

‘Moving into events affiliated with the blog seemed like a logical step. It’s a good way to engage readership, put names to faces, and a great opportunity to show films you love! I like the idea of cinema as event and we always look to bring some added value to the screenings, be it music, prizes or free pizza (there will be free pizza).’

What’s the prize or is it a sur-prize (sorry!)?

‘There are a bunch of prizes in the raffle. Previous prizes have included Picturehouse memberships, DVD bundles, and alcohol.’

Is there an overarching theme that links the films you’ve been showing?

‘Not especially, though there has been a retro vibe so far with crowd-pleasing films full of colour and great music (Do the Right Thing, Beats Rhymes and Life). The next screening might continue that trend, or we might throw a bit of a curveball…’

We here at The London Word HQ have two tickets to give away. How do you get your paws on ’em? We’ll be running a Twitter competition on Monday betwixt the hours of 10am and midday. Make sure you’re following @TheLondonWord to be in with a chance…

White Men Can’t Jump is screening on Thursday 6 December at:

Clapham Picturehouse
76 Venn Street
Clapham
SW4 0AT

Chilling begins at 7.30pm, the prize draw and film kick off at 8.30pm

To book, visit the Picturehouse website or call the box office on 0871 902 5727 Tickets: £9, £8 concessions, £7 Picturehouse members.