On last Friday’s Five Live film review programme, with Colin Patterson sitting in for Mayo and Kermode, there was a long discussion about event or location screenings of films. The discussion involved Fabien Riggall of Secret Cinema, and David Cox from Film4. They were talking about their respective outdoor screenings.
Secret Cinema has been running for a couple of years now with attendees booking to see films and experience surrounding events without knowing exactly what they’re going to see. I went once and saw Funny Face at the Royal Academy of Arts, and it was an entertaining evening. That said, the room we watched the film in really wasn’t suited to a screening, with a significant proportion of the screen not visible to me from my seat.
Today tickets go on sale for their next production. And while last time out’s Blade Runner might well have been worth going to £27.50 is an awful lot for something I simply don’t know if I’ll like in surroundings that may or may not be suited to a screening.
Meanwhile, last weekend I went to one of the Film4 Somerset House screenings. I’ve been a couple of times before, with some friends. You can take picnics in, but no glass. And of course you have to sit on the hard floor of the courtyard. People bring along cushions and rugs to sit on.
A couple of years ago, we saw Singin’ in the Rain there, and it was pretty good fun. Last year, I was going to see something else, but there was torrential rain and few if anybody stayed to watch the film. There are no refunds.
This year we were seeing Manhattan. Now I’ve hated sitting on the floor cross-legged since I first went to school assembly in primary school, but as I get older, I seem to be spending ever more time sitting down on the floor. Anyway, I decided to try and make it a little more comfortable than before when I’d taken a thermarest inflatable mat. So I brought a Highlander Relax Mat to sit on. It’s basically an L-shaped mat that folds 90%. Using a couple of straps it supports your back, but you’re no more off the ground than any other mat.
But they really didn’t like my mat on the way in. There are always queues to get into Somerset House for these screenings, as security carefully ensure that no forbidden things are taken in. That really means bottles and glass. While you can decant your wines into plastic pint glasses, they really want you spend £20 at the bar for a bottle of £3.99 plonk.
They also questioned my camera. “No professional” cameras seemed to be the rule. I was carrying a Canon G10. I’d argue that it takes pictures as good as, or better, than many cheap DSLRs. But in their world it was a point and shoot, and so I was allowed to keep it (I suspect that I could have taken a Leica or perhaps even a Hasselblad if I’d play my cards right).
However we had a long conversation about my seat. Chairs could only be used at the side it seemed. I was meeting friends who were already sitting in the middle of the square. Having “bagged” a space, they weren’t going to be moving now. I pointed out that this wasn’t a seat that came off the ground (I quite understand not allowing folding chairs that people use on beaches or on camp sites). It was just to support my back. But the unfriendly security guard said no. It was at the sides only. OK, I said, could I just sit on top of it. I’d not brought another mat, and needed something to sit on. At first that seemed to be OK. But then he though I might sneakily unfold it. If I wanted to go into the middle of the courtyard, I’d need to check the seat into the box office. I argued that it was all I had to sit on. He told me I could buy a cushion from them. I told them I was spending another £10 having already spent £16.50 to watch a film with no seats. Reluctantly I checked my seat in, and sat on the ground.
So sorry Secret Cinema – but you’re just too expensive.
And sorry Somerset House – I won’t be going to another Film4 screening. It’s too uncomfortable, and your security too overbearing and frankly unreasonable.
As for the film? It was great, even if Woody Allen going out with a 17 year old isn’t a little disturbing and close to the truth in retrospect.
I see that Somerset House has a series of Glynebourne opera transmissions coming up. Three or more hours spent on that floor is too much to even consider.
Just by way of comparison, a couple of weeks ago I went to Folk by the Oak in the grounds of Hatfield House. As might be obvious from the name, it’s a folk festival, and I particularly wanted to see Emily Smith and the utterly wonderful Bellowhead who were headlining.
If you’re used to the usual sort of security at major festivals and outdoor events, this couldn’t have been more civil. Folding chairs were encouraged, although an area at the front was for people without chairs to sit/stand/dance. Security couldn’t care less what I brought in. Wine in glass bottles? Fine. The alcohol wasn’t priced at an exhorbitant mark-up on site. You could buy bottles of wine for £10 from a wine bar. Pints of local ale were £3.
It’d be easy just to blame the usual stricter rules on licence requirements and health and safety, but I don’t believe that’s always the case. Treat adults like adults, and you get a happy environment.