Our kaiju celebration kicks off with one of the greatest films of the genre, a battle royale between the two most beloved giant beasts – a rampaging Godzilla against monster-God Mothra.
When construction on a housing development rouses a dormant Godzilla, leading to the destruction of the cities of Yokkaichi and Nagoya, humankind must call on the aid of benevolent monster-deity Mothra, the first female kaiju. Mothra is ageing and may not be up to the task, but she is humanity’s only hope against the mighty foe.
Mothra Vs. Godzilla was the last of the early kaiju films to depict Godzilla as a villain rather than a hero, and features some of the best special effects work by the incomparable Eiji Tsuburaya and a rousing score from Akira Ifukube. Fun, fearsome and surprisingly moving, this is quite simply a delight from beginning to end.
Japan 1964 dir Ishirō Honda 89 min, in Japanese with English subtitles
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Booking fees
£1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction.
No fee when tickets are booked in person.
Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events. Members do not pay booking fees.
Jasper Sharp
Jasper Sharp is a writer, critic and filmmaker and the co-founder of the website Midnight Eye, specialising in Japanese cinema. He is the joint author of The Midnight Eye Guide to Japanese Film (2004) and The Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema (2011) and co-director of The Creeping Garden (2004), a documentary about plasmodial slime moulds, and The J-Horror Virus (2023).
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Cinema 1
Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.
Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.
Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you over the road to the venue.
Address
Beech Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Nearby public transport
We are within walking distance from a number of London Underground stations, the closest being Barbican, St Paul’s and Moorgate. The nearest train stations are Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Bus Route 153 runs directly past the Barbican along Chiswell Street
Car and bicycle parking
We have free bicycle spaces and paid car parking spaces available
We’ve plenty of places for you to relax and replenish, from coffee and cake to wood-fired pizzas and full pre-theatre menus
Access
Level access from the Pit floor foyer only to the two boxes (see Mobility below). All other seats lead off stepped aisles.
Mobility
Two boxes at the rear of the auditorium each have space for one wheelchair user and a companion. Please book early and ask for these seats.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the cinema – please tell us when booking, to ensure your seat has enough space. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the foyer staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
There is an induction loop in the auditorium. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.
Access
Cinemas 2 & 3 are located at Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican Centre’s main Silk Street entrance. There are a couple of steep, dropped kerbs and an incline to negotiate between the two sites. Level access from Beech Street.
Mobility
Each auditorium has three permanent wheelchair spaces (two in the third row and one in the front row) and 153 fixed seats with capacity for a further three spaces in the front row. Access to each auditorium is up a ramp. There are also a number of seats with step-free access.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the cinema – please tell us when booking to ensure your seat has enough space. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the foyer staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
An infrared system for hard of hearing customers is provided in each auditorium; headsets or neck loops can be collected from foyer staff. The ticket desk counter is fitted with an induction loop.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.
