Backyard Theatres: A death knell for multiplexes

I rarely go to the cinema now unless it is under duress. I attend the BFI Southbank fairly regularly because my knowledge of film history is not comprehensive enough to bully other film critics into submission… yet. But even this bastion of cineastes has been penetrated by the Benugo-bar media hipsters who burst out of Soho and Clerkenwell on sunny evenings and descend on our humble National Film theatre. The cowering remnants of European film lovers are therefore forced to pick their way carefully through a heaving mass of colourful shirts, leather satchels, and thick-rimmed glasses to reach NFT2 (which now shares an entrance with the men’s toilets).

The Curzon cinemas and Picturehouses of London are bearable in the afternoon, when most people are still at work, but the likes of Cineworld and Odeon cinemas are the filmic equivalent of a night out at Yates’ Bar and I really don’t understand how anybody can enjoy themselves there. You pay around £11 for a ticket, and the extortion not only continues but is actually elevated to eye-watering levels when you get into the foyer and try to buy a bag of M&Ms and a paper tankard of some bright-orange sticky fluid for about £9.

People often refer to the advances in ‘Home Cinema’ as providing the foundations for a revolution in cinematic exhibition. And it is certainly true that DVD sales and other subsidiary markets have eclipsed theatrical revenue to such an extent that a film’s theatrical release is now seen as part of the marketing campaign for the release of the DVD. But all these Blu-Ray players, surround-sound systems, and giant Plasma screens are not fulfilling their potential because 90% of us are cramming them into living rooms and damaging our eyes and ears.

The real revolution is underway, however, and it is time to get involved. The movement in Backyard Theaters (I’m spelling it their way because they started it) has swept across the US – just visit www.backyardtheater.com if you don’t believe me – and I feel certain that the trend will continue in Europe. Whether you drag your dad’s old projector out of the attic and point it at the side of your house, or invest your children’s college fund in a state-of-the-art HD projector, popcorn machines, and a giant tarp screen that eclipses your house and leaves your neighbour in a permanent shadow; this is the summer for turning your garden into a private cinema.

Invite your friends and family round, have a barbeque, and settle down to watch a film of your choice (although I would suggest starting with some old Drive-In classics just to set the mood… maybe Gun Crazy or It Happened One Night) in the comfort of your own garden. The advantages of choosing your own films, making your own food and drinks, and inviting your own audience, must surely outweigh the initial investment of a cheap projector and some white paint!