Small screen

IT SHOULD have been like a scene from a horror movie. Two hours in the company of Catherine Zeta Jones (shudder) surrounded by bawling babies (aagh!). Forget Freddy Kreuger, this is the stuff of nightmares. Or so I thought, until I spent the morning at The Big Scream at City Screen, York in Coney Street.

This film club for parents and babies meets at 11am every other Wednesday. It was launched at the City Screen in Clapham two years ago and opened for business in York at the beginning of September.

The club gives parents with children under one year old a chance to see the latest films - all movies are taken from the main programme - without having to put up with the stern stares and shushing of other cinema-goers if their baby so much as peeps during the adverts.

"Babies can cry as much as they want - this is a very tolerant audience," said Olivia Gore, City Screen communications manager, as we waited for the house lights to fade along with the 20 or so parents and their still quiet babies.

"We don't bring the lights down very far because people like to see what they are doing, for feeding and changing, that sort of thing. The last thing you want is parents stumbling about in the dark with a baby under their arm."

The 11am start time is flexible, which is good news for anyone who has ever tried to get themselves and a baby dressed and out of the house before lunchtime. Coffee is available for mums and dads, plus feeding, changing, bottle warming and pram parking facilities.

"So far the feedback has been great," said Olivia. "I think people regard it as a service. They seem genuinely grateful. They don't have to get a babysitter, they get to see all the latest releases and they can relax because everyone is in the same boat."

Kate West and her eight-month-old son Loki were enjoying their first morning at the Big Scream and had bagged a couple of seats - one for Kate and one for all Loki's bags and baggage - on the front row.

"I heard about this from some other mums and thought I would give it a try," said Kate. "It's such a good idea. When everyone has got a baby you don't get stressed if yours starts shouting. It's very liberating."

Sitting a couple of rows back are teachers Simon Bissett and Tim O'Neill, both nervouslooking "Big Scream virgins" taking advantage of the half-term holiday to accompany their wives, Catherine and Liz, and children, Martha and Freddie, born on the same day 13 weeks ago, to a showing of the latest George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones film, Intolerable Cruelty.

"We used to come here all the time, but since Martha came along we never get the chance to go to the cinema any more," said Simon.

"Yeah, to be honest," said Catherine, "we thought that was it for the next five years."

But that was before they discovered the Big Scream club, which now boasts some 37 members here in York.

"Out of all the mum and baby stuff we do, this is my favourite," said Liz. "Maybe it's because it's not just about the babies. It's for us."

"I was quite nervous the first week I came," Catherine added. "But it is all made so easy for you. There are loads of other mums all feeling the same as you, so there's no stress at all."

"And it's great for breast-feeding," said Liz. "It's nice and dark so you can whip them out without anyone being any the wiser."

The first scream of the morning came with the pre-film adverts. It was short lived, but what it lacked in longevity it made up for in decibels.

I assumed the ads themselves would be targeted at the captive audience of mainly mums - all nipple shields and nappy bags - but I couldn't have been more wrong. After four car ads, two for lager, some deodorant, Lucozade, Malibu, Nivea For Men, a quick look at Linda Barker's sofas and a fast and furious few seconds with the Royal Navy, complete with gunfire, we were ready for anything.

Apart from Geoffrey Rush. His singing of a Simon & Garfunkel classic during the opening scene of the film set a couple of the babies squealing, but his rendition was a bit patchy, so who can blame them.

As the movie progressed, a baby would occasionally be launched into the air above the seats, giggling and wriggling, or would be marched rhythmically around the auditorium to stave off a screaming fit. Eventually, however, the inevitable had to happen and half an hour in, the first full-blown shouts began to ricochet off the walls. But they tended to be short and sharp, soon remedied with a drink or a quick diddle on the knee, and didn't detract too much from Gorgeous George and whatserface Jones.

In between babies' yodelling, the air was filled with the sound of rattles, burps, wet sneezes and, on one slightly worrying occasion, choking.

Generally, the atmosphere was quiet and surprisingly relaxed. Even when the babies were put to the ultimate test - Tom Jones exercising his vocal chords at full throttle - their reaction was muted and no more off-putting than the usual cinema soundtrack of sweet-wrappers, crisps and teenagers snogging.

As a bonus, there was no bruising dash for the doors at the end of the movie, so I managed to catch Kate while she packed her rattles, bottles and other baby bits and bobs into her buggy.

"I've had a great time," she said. "The film was a bit rubbish, but that didn't seem to bother Loki very much. He had a lovely long sleep."

The next Big Scream showing will be Spellbound at 11am on Wednesday November 12. Tickets are £3.80 and babies go free.

Updated: 09:38 Tuesday, November 04, 2003