The Safer Alternative to Cinema

It is that time again – the sun is shining, and the beer gardens and beaches are packed. The last thing even a cinephile like me wants to do is sit in a dark room for two hours. Not when it is so gorgeous outside and we have been stuck inside for too long. But I have found an incredible, brilliant, and amazing solution with the Luna Cinema company in the form of the drive in cinema.

It has been a life-long dream of mine to experience the romantic drive-in cinema experience that is so reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The idea of watching an all-time-classic in an open top car is amazing! And its even better in real life. When I saw the Luna Cinema Company were recollecting this special viewing experience, I settled for going in a little old Yaris with my editor/girlfriend. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at Knebworth House was a dream come true and showed just how stupid we were for giving up on this iconic manner of watching a movie.

Ferris (Matthew Broderick) has a simple dream: to be released from the classroom for one special day off school. Bueller in all his brilliance devises an elaborate and fiendish plan! Involving clammy hands and unsuspecting parents - a recording of himself and a faked death that gets his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) off too. With best-friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) this terrible trio head into downtown Chicago for the best sick day ever. Hot on their tales though is principle Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) who is determined to prove that Bueller’s absence is one in a long line of sickies. The result is wonderfully charming! The three teens have the time of their lives doing what all of us have dreamed of.

This film is the epitome of the classical Hollywood movie! The wonderful mix of charming plot, beautiful shots and witty acting create one of the most enjoyable big screen experiences ever. John Hughes (Director) is the mastermind behind the wonderful and wacky creation that is Bueller. This fantastic character fires off sarcastic but charming speeches to the camera drawing the audience into his escapades with a wink or two at the audience. It is so refreshing that the film is not bogged down trying to comment on society or politics. It does not try to be bigger than it is. This tale is meant to entertain and lift you out of the dreariness of everyday life - and it does this perfectly!

Was the drive in everything that I had ever hoped for? The simple answer to this big question is yes! It was exactly as I dreamt and then so much more. Ferris Bueller’s day off was brilliant on the big screen which made for an utterly surreal experience as we sat in my little car with crepes and hundreds of other people parked around us. The experience felt strangely intimate as if the film were just for you especially as it went dark and all the other cars disappeared. It was almost festival like with this sea of cars on the hill surrounding the big screen and set against the backdrop of the beautiful Knebworth House.

This is a once in a lifetime experience that I fell in love with. It was not only amazingly fun but also safe with great social distancing and no contact food delivery. It is a great alternative to the cinema and scarily not that much more expensive. I would highly recommend checking out Luna Cinemas and booking yourself a spot.

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Written by George Marshall and Isobella Norman

Edited by Isobella Norman