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 Page updated Monday, March 31st, 2025 |
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  Rocky Horror Picture Show 1MMERSIVE cinemaInteractive screenings with cards | |
 So, Stephanie and I were invited on Sunday 30th March 2025 to a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening with a difference. 1MMERSIVE Co. are a start up company that specialises in doing what they call "Sensory Screenings" of popular movies. We found that out later as all we got on their original email was the invitation to central London for the screening and a cryptic message of "I hope you don't have a cold!" Probably one of the weirdest messages we've had for a while, and we get a few. And that is a "1" at the start of their name, I haven't done another typo. Anyway we headed up to town to what turned out to be an film industry screening room in Soho. We met Ron Plaisanteries, head of marketing for 1MMERSIVE and he escorted us in to some of the most comfortable seats we've ever sat in for the movie, plus it was nice to see the movie in a much smaller venue to normal. We chatted to a couple of fellow guests before the screening to see if they knew any more about it but most had a similar invite to us. In fact one of the major newspapers had sent along an intern (Hi Carole!) to the screening as the invite was so vague they weren't going to send their regular movie reviewer. When we were all in Ron did a little introduction chat in front of the screen and said they were developing their idea and wanted to launch with RHPS as it was the 50th anniversary of the movie this year and they thought they could get a lot of publicity because of that fact. He then went on to explain what a "Sensory Screening" involved. As he was talking an assistant handed each of us a plastic envelope with some cards in. Each of the cards had five scratch panels on and Ron explained they were a more modern version of traditional "Scratch and Sniff" cards where you scratch the panel to release a smell. These ones need you to scratch each panel with your fingernail as the embedded smells react with the skin on your finger to produce the correct odour. In fact there is a little note on each card to say don't use anything metal, such as a coin, as that messes their process up. Ron explained that during the movie there would be a small "nose" icon in the corner of the screen to let us know when to scratch each panel off. There were five in all throughout the movie. After a quick question and answer the movie rolled (I did ask if I could take some snapshots on my phone for this review and he said yes, see below). It was a little weird watching the movie without the usual shout outs, sitting in a room with press people we didn't really want to do them as it felt strange enough already watching out for parts in the movie where we had to scratch the cards. Ron had not said which scenes it would be in, even when asked in the Q & A. I think they wanted to keep the surprise element. I've listed the bits under my photos with the onscreen logos below. Did it work. In a word, yes! Really strange, I know I keep using that word, to have an extra element to the movie screening, but also it really does add to the experience. Each of the scratch offs worked, some more that others. The flowers were really nice, but I didn't like the Chlorine one at all. It reminded me of school swimming trips of my youth as it seemed a little overpowering. We had a form each to fill out at the end so we could give feedback and both Steph and myself filled it in eagerly. Also very pleased to report there was a little drinks reception afterwards. Ron said they didn't want to do it before the screening as too much alcohol might have dampened the experience (I like to think he meant the members of the press rather than us). They are looking at doing some screenings in mid August when the actual anniversary of the movie takes place. And I am talking about the screenings in the UK on the 14th August 1975, I know it didn't screen in the states until September that year. There is a QR code further down the page that will take you to their YouTube channel and we will of course update the page as soon as we get some screenings. I think I will need to add yet another extra section to the  Tour Dates page as well when these start.You are in for a treat! Review by  Dave Freeman 31st March 2025
  Nose One: Scratch the numbered panel and you get a smell of Janet's Bouquet. This one worked really well.  Nose Two: Scratch the numbered panel and you get the smell of the Criminologist's Cigarette. This one worked OK, but as a non smoker I didn't really like it.  Nose Three: Scratch the numbered panel and you get the smell of ...... Wet Dog! And yes that really did bring back memories of when we had a pet dog and it would come back from a walk soaked through.  Nose Four: Scratch the numbered panel and you get the smell of what I am hoping is meant to be Roast Beef. Again I am not a meat eater myself, but Steph is and says it wasn't too bad a smell.  Nose Five: Scratch the numbered panel and you get the smell of the Pool, to be exact, a Chlorine type smell which comes across really strongly. Not a fan of this one, but it does give you the sense of where they are.  We managed to get a some extra (unused) cards for the screening for the collections, they are under the cards we used at the screening in this photo. Yes, I did just post one to Rob Bagnall.  Scan of one of the cards. You can see the message about only using your fingernails, nothing metallic. Sized at 135mm x 95mm and quite stiff card. (It's a slightly soft scan as the Scratch panels themselves have some depth to them which is holding the card off my scanner glass.)  Scan the QR code to visit 1MMERSIVE's YouTube Channel for more information on their Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings and all their other upcomming Sensory Screenings.
Happy April 1st by the way. Updated Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 |
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