Lights, camera, academia! Five tips for movie-loving Lancs students

Movies are beautiful things. They can make you laugh, make you cry, excite you. They can make you so frustrated that you’ve no choice but to immediately run to Letterboxd and roast them. And at this time of year, they can scare you right out of your pants. In other words, they run the full gamut of emotions.

And most importantly, catching a movie is just a great way to spend a spare evening. So here are a few tips for any new cinephiles who’ve recently started at Lancaster that, quite frankly, we wish we’d known much earlier.

1. Join the film related societies

Societies can generally be wonderful places to follow your interests, particularly regarding the magic of the moving picture. Any aspiring creatives should definitely check out the Filmmaking Society, which offers workshops where you can learn or refine skills from operating cameras to writing screenplays.

But if you want to experience new movies with a friendly crowd, look no further than the Film Society. While anyone can show up, investing in the membership actually gets you a vote on which movies are shown, and full admission to the socials (including group cinema trips). It’s a welcoming, open community, and you’re bound to make new movie-loving friends in the process.

Swing by the Margaret Fell lecture theatre at 7pm on Tuesdays and give it a shot. You might end up discovering a new favourite. And even if you really hate what’s on, you can discuss why over some drinks afterwards.

2. Take advantage of free library DVDs and DVD players

Ah, the uni library. Most people are very familiar with it as both a study and relaxation space.

But for those who don’t yet know, in addition to a wealth of books and graphic novels, you can also rent DVDs… a lot of them. You can find them on the A floor, to the far left of the front entrance. Granted, not everyone will have ready access to a DVD player. Well, fortunately, you can also access various kinds of playback equipment for both visuals and audio, from Blu-Ray players to CD players.

Now you’ve really no excuse not to at least check next to the bookshelves for your next watch.

3. Speaking of DVDs, check out the charity shops

Most Read

Traitor Maya Jama outed herself at breakfast, and we (and the Faithfuls) didn’t catch it

Former Traitors stars break the illusion of what they eat, and breakfast will never be the same

Mind-boggling flaw makes it ‘obvious’ who the Celebrity Traitors final three will be

Okay, this one might not apply to everyone, but if you’re thinking of either starting or expanding a physical media collection, Lancaster city centre boasts a significant number of charity shops. The charity shops, in turn, inevitably boast a pretty extensive array of DVDs.

Even better, most charity shop DVDs, in my experience, tend to be less than a quid each, making them more than compatible with a student budget. And you’ll be supporting good causes in the process! Everyone wins.

4. Support your local cinemas

On the subject of town, while watching movies at home is all well and good, there really isn’t much that beats a cinema trip. That’s why it’s great that in both Lancaster and on campus, you’re spoilt for choice.

Of course, there’s the local Vue branch on Church Street, where you can catch new releases from £4.99. But there’s also The Dukes, a local independent cinema on Moor Lane that’s always overflowing with theatrical and cinematic events, and often shows some more niche stuff than your average cinema chain.

That said, you don’t even need to venture away from campus for a film night: the uni’s own Take2 Cinema offers a membership that gives you reduced ticket prices and a free film viewing per term.

Right now they’re in their Halloween season that no self-respecting scary movie connoisseur should miss out on.

5. Did I mention all the free streaming?

Right, pay very close attention here. Seriously: Write this down, screenshot it, do whatever you have to so that you remember what I’m about to tell you.

You can access free streaming services with just your university login details.

And there are so many movies there! There’s the BFI Player, which is chock full of classic and world cinema, and Kanopy, which features a massive array of all genres, from documentaries to romcoms. Perhaps the most extensive resource is Box of Broadcasts, an archive of (you guessed it) past TV broadcasts. Chances are, if a movie has been shown on the telly, it’s probably there.

These are all just incredible, vast libraries of content that you can access without spending a penny. So next time you’re considering forking out more money for streaming services, renting an overpriced movie, or messing your computer up with malware from a dodgy site, you should give these places a look.

For more of the latest news, guides, gossip, and memes, follow The Lancaster Tab on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.