I went to the cinema last week to see a double feature, something I realised I haven’t done for MANY years. In fact, the last time I saw two films back to back in the cinema it was The Little Mermaid, followed by Ghost with my Mum! I actually haven’t been to the cinema, full stop, for a VERY long time. Our nice, shiny flat screen seemingly offers enough to not have to “film out” so frequently. I had completely forgotten what a true cinematic experience is like. I went to see Twilight followed by the sequel, New Moon; I shall make one thing clear from the outset, this is NOT a review! My opinions on the film are too biased and clouded by my love of the books to offer an objective viewpoint. What I want to talk about here is the true charm this “event” had to offer. The films were shown on the cinema’s largest screen and the midnight performance was completely sold out. The hype surrounding the film translated into an electric pre-show atmosphere. People were genuinely excited to see this film, as opposed to the usual air of nonchalance that accompanies a cinema trip. It’s hard to put into words exactly what I mean but normally, even though you may be excited on the inside prior to a film, it’s not something you overtly demonstrate at the cinema. The spectacle of this premier almost gave the audience carte blanche to indulge in the frenzy. I wasn’t a fan of the clapping, whooping and attempts at a standing ovation…but all the other aspects made it a very special experience.

The sense of nostalgia was quite overwhelming. As a child, all my cinema visits held such magic. Cinema’s always seemed packed, possibly as there weren’t 20 screens! The cinema itself felt physically different – it was a theatre, you were there to see a show. The huge velvet curtains of the auditorium were drawn and only began to open when you heard this. The cinema smelt odd – a strange heady mix of hotdogs, popcorn and cigarette smoke (the by-gone age when people smoked indoors, well anywhere basically!!) Last week’s double feature seemed to give everyone in attendance the permission to relive that sort of memory and to act with giddy, childhood enthusiasm. It restored my faith in the true cinematic experience and has etched itself in a nice little niche in my memory.