The nostalgia-sodden world of Back To The Future was always going to be the company’s greatest challenge, and the scale here has previously been unseen with Secret Cinema. But rather than getting lost in the sheer scope of the project, the attention to detail here is both precise and attention grabbing as a spectacle. Based within a car park in Hackney Wick, East London, the tall and imposing sight of Westfield Stratford City shopping centre and the remains of the Olympic legacy looms large over the production. Yet rather than distracting from the recreation of Hill Valley’s town square (complete with the infamous, pre-lightning struck Clock Tower) there’s something both comforting and delightfully unusual about this. It’s like the audience is almost hermetically sealed in that cinematic world. If you’re lucky, you may be privy to catching Marty McFly’s first interaction with his father from the booth you’re sitting in. Hill Valley High School, though considerably downsized here, does offer plenty of space to jive around during the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, with its mix of classic numbers being spun by a DJ and a young rockabilly wannabe hitting the microphone. In order to create a fully functioning town experience, the square has many other additional spaces unseen in the film, but carved out from the kind of classic Americana tropes and iconography which seem so alluring to a non-US crowd. The makers have also taken care to build a loose narrative around the evening itself before the screening, where willing audience members are selected to take part in a parade around the square. Period vehicles whizz by (a vital component to the evening which no doubt gave the organisers a massive headache and may very well have contributed to the delay) and even though you’re cognisant of the artificial world around you, there’s a huge urge to enthusiastically wave your Hill Valley flag at the passing school bus. Make no mistake – your wallet may take a severe pounding once you’ve put down that initial ticket fee. Food will set you back a fine penny, and refreshments aren’t cheap. Word of advice – make sure you bring money with you. Aside from a couple of cash machines, there aren’t any card transfers on site. After a shaky start, Secret Cinema has really come up with the goods. Film still exists as a communal experience, and however much that has evolved, these kinds of events are there to happily remind us of the shared joy of witnessing entertainment on a grand scale. Hearing the thundering applause and cheers of hundreds of fans as George McFly offers a grateful wave to his son, Earth Angel swelling up on the soundtrack, is just about as touching a cinematic experience as you can get. Back To The Future: The Live Cinema Experience runs until the 31st August. Main image courtesy of Al Overdrive.
