Future Cinema – bringing films to life
A whole new cinematic experience
Standing in stiff penitentiary clothes while a warden yells at me to get down on all fours, I can’t help but wonder – why on earth did I agree to this?
“You heard me. Get down on your knees,” he growls. I had accidentally stumbled into his office and mumbled how I thought the standard of the prison cells was a little sub par. Now I was going to pay for it.
Fortunately, it is all part of the Future Cinema experience, the events company behind Secret Cinema, who stage surprise screenings across the UK in equally surprising settings. The aim of Future Cinema is to “bring the concept of ‘experience’ back to the cinema-going world.”
Previous Secret Cinema events have included screening Lawrence of Arabia at Alexandra Palace in London, complete with a souk marketplace, and transforming London’s Wood Wharf into Los Angeles’ futuristic China town, Blade Runner style. Now the latest immersive experience is a screening of Frank Darabont’s jail house classic The Shawshank Redemption in East London.
Part of what makes Future Cinema work so well is the incredible attention to detail for each event. The Shawshank experience begins with a sentencing at the State of Oak Hampton Court House – a transformed Bethnal Green Library. While some of my fellow audience members weren’t so lucky, I got off easy with two years for bigamy. After the sentencing, we are transported in rundown prison vehicles to the Cardinal Pole School by Victoria Park, where we are greeted by more prisoners calling out obscenities and whoops of “Fresh fish, fresh fish!”
The transformation of the building into Oak Hampton Prison is so convincing, that I can’t help but feel sorry for any former students of the school that lends itself so perfectly to a prison.
I manage to make friends with some of the actor inmates inside, and using the library card I had purchased from my lawyer, I procure some ice-cold suds to get me through the evening.
In the prison cafeteria, we’re served cold beans on metal trays. Thankfully, two inmates lured the warden out of the dining hall and provided us with some more substantial fare – burgers, hot dogs and popcorn. Fellow inmates whoop and shout and there’s music and fighting and plenty of time to explore the grounds.
Before the screening begins, audience members are invited to experience prison life, not unlike (but much more pleasant than) Andy Dufresne’s nineteen years at Shawshank. Without revealing too much, expect to be entertained, learn a few new skills and be thankful you do not have to do any real time by the end.
The Future Cinema experience isn’t for everyone. Of course it helps if you like the film being screened but above all, an open attitude and a curious spirit will enhance your experience. And when you’re paying close to £45 for a cinema ticket, you really should aim to get your money’s worth.
Tickets are available from Future Cinema.