Event Horizon
Jordan Farley takes a trip to Hill Valley for a very special Back To The Future screening
Want to know what happened when we finally made it to the Secret Cinema Back To The Future gig?
Since its inception in 2007, Secret Cinema has hosted almost 20 classic film screenings in top- secret locations, complete with theatrical elements designed to heighten immersion and offer something your multiplex can’t. The latest was its most ambitious production yet – an elaborate recreation of Back To The Future’s Hill Valley ( c1955) in support of a screening unlike any other.
Only it proved too ambitious. Undisclosed “difficult issues” forced Secret Cinema to cancel the first four shows, with little over an hour’s notice on opening night. It was a disastrous start that won’t be soon forgotten if the tidal wave of complaints on Secret Cinema’s Twitter and Facebook pages are anything to go by.
When the show finally premiered on 31 July, however, it was an evening well worth waiting for. In the shadow of the Olympic Stadium Secret Cinema constructed a dazzling, spacious replica of Hill Valley. Every guest was assigned a new identity. I was Michael Young, a student. On arrival I was ushered aboard a yellow bus and driven to Hill Valley High School, where I was greeted by a typically grumpy Mr Strickland. Inside the Enchantment Under The Sea dance rocked to some familiar tunes. Outside the streets were filled with familiar storefronts, from the Texaco gas station to Lou’s Diner, all populated with performers who never broke character and made simply walking around a pleasure. You could get a ( real) ’ 50s haircut, play pinball in Gaynor’s hideaway bar, watch Cattle Queen Of Montana in its entirety in the local cinema, send a letter to a resident of Hill Valley, visit Doc Brown’s house and try on his mindreading headgear, shop for a state- of- the- art CRT television, take an English Lit quiz, hitch a ride in a Cadillac and much more.
After several hours spent wandering around this ersatz Hill Valley it was easy to forget that the main event was still to come. The film itself was projected on the front of the
“When the show finally premiered it was well worth waiting for”
Hill Valley’s famous courthouse, complete with clock stuck at 10: 04pm. During the film, actors occasionally appeared to recreate the action on screen, supported by impressive practical effects and enthusiastic audience participation. The Blu- ray will feel so lifeless in future.
There were problems, of course. Some sets were a little underwhelming, queues were everywhere, refreshments and souvenirs were expensive and the toilets were best avoided. But catastrophic start aside, Secret Cinema’s latest endeavour was a Back To The Future fan’s dream event. http:// www. secretcinema. org