Video Bazaar presents a special anniversary screening of Threads, the harrowing 1984 made-for-TV drama that left audiences across the nation stunned into silence.

Screening at The Garden Cinema 40 years to the exact day it was originally broadcast on the BBC, this landmark of British television, directed by Mick Jackson and written by Barry Hines, remains one of the most chilling and realistic depictions of nuclear war ever committed to the screen.

Set in the industrial city of Sheffield, Threads follows the lives of ordinary people as the unthinkable unfolds - a nuclear conflict that shatters society and plunges survivors into a nightmarish struggle for post-fallout existence. With its documentary-style approach, the film explores the horrifying consequences of nuclear war in gruesome detail, making it just as relevant today as it was four decades ago.

Commissioned by the BBC in response to growing public anxiety about nuclear war during the Cold War, Threads was first broadcast on 23 September 1984. This anniversary screening offers a chance to transport yourself back to that same evening, to the living rooms of British families during the heightened tensions of the 1980s, when the looming threat of nuclear conflict felt all too real.

This screening will also feature a pre-recorded video introduction by Bob Mielke, Professor of English at Truman State University and author of the 2023 book Threads, which 'examines the film through the lens of history, pop culture, and horror. Mielke’s impeccable research, sharp analysis, life experience, and gallows humor bring new insight into what makes this film so disturbing - and disturbingly enduring.'

This screening is presented by the cult film collective Video Bazaar, this event showcases rarely screened films and is dedicated to bringing the weird and obscure to London audiences at The Garden Cinema. Please note that this event will feature an introduction and carefully curated pre-show material.