Now that the fuss over Cineworld’s takeover of Picturehouse has died down slightly, it’s perhaps worth reflecting on the aftermath.

I must admit being slightly cynical in the wake of the announcements of ‘business as usual’ (or ‘unconvinced’, as I put it on twitter), especially when we all heard of changes to the programming at the Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge (if TAKE ONE has a home turf, this is it). Some of the best events are one-off runs or screenings. The 70mm screening of Kurosawa’s DERSU UZALA or the preview of Bela Tarr’s THE TURIN HORSE being recent examples.

Some healthy scepticism is probably the order of the day, but we can maybe breathe a bit easier for now.

As it happens, the short term fears are largely unfounded. Madeleine Mullett, whom I met to discuss TAKE ONE with before Toby Miller interviewed her (see ‘Interviews’ above) for Cambridge 105, seems to be a safe pair of programming hands for those who take pride in the quality and diversity of programming at the venue. It certainly seems unlikely to become quite as homogenised with other Picturehouse cinemas, and the worst case fears of Picturehouses, Cambridge in particular, becoming some sort of extended implementation of the cinema listings London Cineworlds offer seems unlikely. Although Cineworld undoubtedly offer a better range than VUE or garden-variety Odeons (the Cambridge branch screened THE MASTER and THE SESSIONS, for example), this continuing autonomy should come as a relief.

Only time will tell how much of an effect the takeover will have in the long-term however. What happens to programming, projection and various other factors remains to be seen. Some healthy scepticism is probably the order of the day, but we can maybe breathe a bit easier for now.