Open air cinema returns to The Reader for Halloween

Nine handpicked films will hit the big screen under a giant canopy at Calderstones Park this October half term as national Shared Reading charity The Reader brings Spooky Cinema to the Mansion House.

Liverpool’s biggest open-air cinema returns to the historic Calderstones Mansion for spooky season after a summer of sell-out screenings. 

Nine hand-picked Halloween favourites from children’s storybook animations to top family-friendly picks, an iconic Hitchcock mystery thriller and cult classics will be screened under canvas in a giant canopy during October half term from Tuesday 28 October to Saturday 1 November.

Jen Chapman, Associate Director of Marketing, Communications & Digital at The Reader, the UK’s largest Shared Reading charity, said:

“It’s been a joy this summer to welcome thousands of people to our beautiful garden for our first ever season of cinema. We’ve been absolutely blown away with how successful it’s been, so we’re creating more movie magic for the spooky season. 

“This time we’re installing a giant canopy in the garden to help audiences stay cosy, and we’ll of course be bringing back our gorgeous homemade food, cocktails and hot drinks to enjoy in the autumnal atmosphere.”

This autumn’s film selection has been carefully selected to suit everyone from early years to families and adults and will be showing at three different times during the day: morning for toddlers, afternoon for family-friendly films and evening for grown-ups.

The season starts with a half-hour animation of Julia Donaldson’s beloved picture book, Room on the Broom, about a witch, a broomstick and a jealous cat aimed at the youngest of cinema-lovers. It will be showing indoors in the cosy Mansion House Theatre Room on Tuesday 28 October and Wednesday 29 October, at 11.30am.

Four family-friendly films will each be screened outdoors under the cover of a canopy in the Mansion House Garden at 4pm – Hocus Pocus (PG) Disney’s beloved Halloween comedy starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker on Tuesday 28 October and Friday 31 October, and Hotel Transylvania (U) the first in the animated vampire series will be showing on Wednesday 29 October.

Fans of Netflix’s Wednesday will enjoy the dark humour of witty 1990s movie sequel, The Addams Family Values (PG), on Thursday 30 October, starring Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci.

As we say goodbye to Halloween and start to look ahead to the festive season, the family ‘Spooky Cinema’ ends with The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) – Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion masterpiece on Saturday 1 November.

In the evenings there will also be five films for grown-ups showing under canvas on the big screen at 8pm. The week opens with Hocus Pocus (PG) on Tuesday 28 October, and continues with Practical Magic (12) on Wednesday 29 October, based on Alice Hoffman’s 1995 novel, this funny, mischievous film turned cult classic sees Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters from a line of witches bound by a family curse – with a killer soundtrack.  

See Hitchcock’s classic 1954 thriller Rear Window (PG), for the ultimate masterclass in tension and suspense starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly, on Thursday 30 October, followed by Tim Burton’s offbeat afterlife comedy Beetlejuice (15) with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, on Friday 31 October. 

Dig out your fishnets and get ready to time warp for the grand finale on Saturday 1 November, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (15), which this year celebrates its 50^th anniversary. 

Doors will open 30 minutes before Room on the Broom at 11am for a 11.30am screening in the Mansion House Theatre Room. For all other films gates to the Mansion House Garden will open an hour before screening, except for The Rocky Horror Picture Show when gates will open 90-minutes before the film. 

Doors open 3pm for 4pm screenings Practical Magic and Beetlejuice gates to Mansion House Garden and canopy will open at 7pm for an 8pm screening, and 6.30pm for an 8pm screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Arrive early and soak up the atmosphere with music, food and drinks. Pre-orders will be taken for Hot Dogs (VE available) £8, Nachos with cheese, salsa, and guacamole, sour cream and optional jalapenos, (VE available), £8, and Pizzas (Margherita or Pepperoni, VE available), £14.

Treat yourself to a bottle of fizz for £25 or a bucket of Peroni beers (six bottles) for £20. Book a deckchair for £5 or bring your own picnic blanket. 

Tickets cost £14.50 for adults and £9.50 for under 16s. Calderstones members will be able to save 10% and receive priority booking from today (Thursday 28 August) at 5pm. General sale will open from Tuesday 2 September.

All profits will support The Reader’s charitable work transforming lives through literature in Liverpool and beyond. The new outdoor cinema has been made possible thanks to a grant by social investor Livv Investment, part of Livv Housing Group, based in Prescot.

For the full list of films, more information and tickets, click here.

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