In the last few weeks I’ve been to see two of my favourite films on the big screen: The Thing and Ghostbusters. They were being shown as part of a season of classic films at cinemas in Manchester. These films, among many others, are gems of entertainment that I’ve only ever experienced on TV, VHS, DVD or more recently Blu-Ray because I was either too young to see them during their original cinema releases or I hadn’t been born. So I always jump at the chance to watch classic films when they are re-released to get that true cinematic experience.
For me, The Thing is one of the greatest sci-fi horror films of all time. And not just because it has got the legend that is Kurt Russell in it, but because of its tension, pacing, story, setting, characters and grotesque special effects (that still hold up to this day). When I saw it in the cinema it was screened in full high-definition digital quality and looked outstanding.
Ghostbusters meanwhile was screened using what must have been an original print: there was a grainy quality to the image, muffled sound, scratches all over the place and the occasional missing frame. But oddly enough, I kind of enjoyed the dusty, aged reel of Ghostbusters more than the super sharp presentation of The Thing. Not because I’m a technophobe but because it had a charm to it. And the whole experience was like stepping back in time 25 years. The showing was sold out, the ticket price was dirt cheap and everyone there was a childhood fan of the film eager to get a bit nostalgic and re-engage with the 80’s.
Evidently there’s still quite a market for nostalgia and for experiences that people were denied originally because they were before their time. And in an era where we think of nothing but driving forward into the latest technologies and the most detailed, immersive experiences (something that marketing and advertising play a central role in) it might be an idea to stop for a minute and think about who might want to experience the old, the obsolete and the inferior, and how they can be catered for.
