Great Scott!! My first Secret Cinema Experience

Hello!!

Apologies for the extreme delay in posting.. I have been a very bad blogger but have been very busy these past couple of months! I can’t believe it’s already August and the end of summer is looming ahead 😦

With all the amazing things that have been happening this past summer, I thought I best write about my Secret Cinema experience while it was still relatively fresh in my head!   I’m not lying when I say it was an unforgettable night and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Back to the Future and feeling like a kid playing dress up 🙂

For those who don’t know, Secret Cinema is a company that puts on elaborate recreations of iconic films, making the movie-goers feel as though they are a part of the movie rather than just a spectator, creating a real-life experience that is unlike anything else.  While I can’t comment on previous movies they’ve put on as I haven’t been, I have a lot to say about Back to the Future!

While Secret Cinema experienced a bumpy start to this event, having to cancel the first four dates due to not being completely ready, I can understand how this could have happened as the scale of this production was huge!

Some tips on what to bring that do not give anything away:
– disposable camera (they were sold out by the time we got there)
– blanket to sit on
– cash
– jacket or sweater (it gets chilly when the movie starts)

 

** SPOILER ALERT **

For anyone who is planning on going and does not want to know what happens, STOP READING NOW! I do not want to spoil the experience for anyone and know that I was trying to avoid reading and seeing anything that involved Secret Cinema’s presentation of Back to the Future before going last Saturday.

The experience started as we rocked up to Highbury & Islington station to catch the Overground to Hackney Wick.  After a few strange glances from strangers on the bus journey in our 50’s attire,  we were greeted by a sea of vintage dresses, high wasted pants, slicked back hair and other fashions synonymous with that era all waiting to catch the next train to Hackney.

While it was a pretty cramped train due to the majority of us girls wearing pouffy petticoats underneath our dresses and skirts, no one seemed to mind too much as we were all so excited to see what the night had in store for us! And it was a fairly short ride to Hackney Wick which was the recommended stop to get off at.

Once at Hackney Wick, there were guides all dressed up as students from the high school directing us to the “secret location”.   It was a bit of a walk but it was a sunny, summer afternoon and it just added to the excitement of where we were going.  To see literally hundreds of people all dressed up, those who weren’t going to the event and just walking by in normal clothes seemed out of place amongst the poodle skirts and suspenders.

And then we arrived!! After a short line up that moved quite steadily, a quick bag check and surrendering our “communications devices” at the door,  we were walking up to Hill Valley, and what a site to see!!! Vintage cars, an old school bus, and a complete recreation of the town square, complete with clock tower from which we would be watching the movie.  Secret Cinema outdid themselves in allowing us to step back in time to life back in the 1950’s.

What I loved the most about going to this event was how every single person there fully immersed themselves in the 50’s era.  99% of the crowd was dressed in 50’s style clothing, hair styles and accessories. And those that weren’t dressed in the 50’s style of clothing, were dressed as Marty McFly, my favorite being the little kids in their red puffy vests and high top sneakers.  Personally I LOVED wearing my polka dotted dress complete with petticoat underneath.  There’s something about full skirts and dresses that just make you feel pretty! I think it would have been amazing to have a closet full of pretty dresses to wear every day.  I feel as though people made more of an effort back then, whereas today I am very guilty of throwing on jeans and a t-shirt and calling it a day.

The only frustrating thing about the night was not being able to take photos.  While it was nice to be smartphone free for an evening and I understand their need to prevent people from posting photos on Facebook and keep things a secret,  it is a little sad to not have pictures to remind us of the night other than the official photos they take at different places within the fair.  They do sell disposable cameras but they were sold out by the time we got there 😦 boo!  But I do have to say it was pretty cool to see everyone really enjoying being in the moment rather than making sure they had “checked in” on FB and uploading the perfect selfie onto Instagram.. which, let’s be honest, had i had my Iphone on me I would have been doing just that!

Anyhow, back to the show.

After dancing to “Rock Around the Clock” and other classics at the highschool dance, we headed to Lou’s Diner to have the ultimate diner meal, burgers and fries.  Sponsored by Byron Burger, prices were pretty reasonable and their Chuck Berry drink packed an alcoholic punch!  Overall I’d have to say prices at the event weren’t over inflated as I had expected them to be. While 4 pounds for a can of Budweider is definitely pricey, it wasn’t any more expensive than going to a bar in the city.

While eating our dinner we had the opportunity to see some of the actors reenact some classic scenes from BTTF.  George McFly was standing at the counter with Marty McFly next to him, while Biff and his crew come in to harass George about getting their homework done.  It was awesome!! And then Goldie came by our table to ask if we’d vote for him as future Mayor!  It was GREAT!!!! 🙂

After our meal, we wandered around the different stalls and checked out the fair that was on the other end of the grounds.  We were excited to try the ferris wheel but the lineup was huge and the movie was about to start.. so we took our spot on the grass and got ready for the movie.

At 9:00 sharp the movie started and everyone stood up and cheered! Scenes from the movie were recreated in real time by the actors as they were happening on the screen which was amazing!! And the first time the Dolorean made an appearance I think there was a collective gasp and then cheers from the entire audience as it raced around the square! It was spectacular!!

During one of the slower parts of the movie we snuck off to get on the ferris wheel which now had no line up (score!).  It was one of my favorite moments of the night!  the view from the top of the ferris wheel, while being able to still see the movie screen in front of us was magical.  It was amazing for other reasons as well 🙂

I can honestly say I did not want the night to end.  Once the credits rolled it was time to collect our photos and Iphone’s and head back to the present and reality.

Secret Cinema went above and beyond exceeding all expectations I had for the night and I can’t wait for them to announce their next endeavor! I will definitely be queuing for tickets as soon as they come out!

Until next time… which is hopefully sooner rather than later

Thanks for reading!

krismas x