Cinema theatres are no longer as attractive as they used to be and are feeling the pressure as a result. To catch a movie we already have Netflix or HBO at almost no cost, all in the comfort of our pyjamas. But what if cinemas were to offer a whole new experience? I’m not talking 3D or the ill-fated smellovision (a wacky concept if ever there was one), this is much more dramatic and yet refined. No, we suggest going old-school and watching your favourite movies to a live score performed by a dedicated in-house orchestra! It’s awesome. The next one on offer is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with further titles coming to Sydney soon.
Your favourite wizard Harry Potter will be more magical than ever with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) performing the score of Oscar winning composer John Williams at the Sydney Opera House, in synch with the movie screening. The company behind the concept, CineConcerts, has selected the third instalment of Harry Potter saga to get the party started. The movie-concert screens in Sydney from the 18th until the 22nd of April, before continuing on their Australian tour. You can get your tickets here!
This retro approach to watching movies gives cinema a completely different feel, shifting the focus from the high quality of the imagery to the pure sound and emotion of live music. I feel like this kind of event and performance takes people back to watching movies in theatres like they did back in the days when Chaplin was king, and reintroduces the cinema as a community experience felt in real-time.
As a matter of fact, there is a burgeoning trend in the movie-concert form all around the world, especially in Europe where they have the highest number of offerings; but Australia is not that far behind. Downunder we can find these music events in all major cities, especially Melbourne where two concert sessions have completely sold out. Not surprising really, given these concerts are a compilation of Studio Ghibli studio’s main titles, all with the magisterial touch of Hayao Miyazaki and the music of Joe Hisaishi.
Hey but don’t worry, Melbourne is not the only town with cool stuff like this going on, Sydney will strike back with live concerts of Star Wars and also live concert screenings of Planet Earth volume II, part of the legendary series of documentaries by the BBC.
Are you up for a totally rad sonic-session at your next movie night? Tell us in the comments section below!