Jaunted

Even after purchasing tickets, you do not know what film you will see, where it will be shown (rather, a tube stop meeting point is provided), and certainly not the specifics of the venture on which you'll embark. Leading up to the screening, you're sent cryptic e-mails hinting at which film has been chosen and perhaps an assignment to prep you for the night. For instance, we were told to memorize the lyrics to Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence," only to be ordered into a sing-along at the event itself.

Still confused? Don't worry; even after attending a screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest last fall, we're slightly baffled as to what transpired that chilly night. Elaborate set pieces are built around the evening's chosen film—in our case, a makeshift mental hospital—with live actors working the slightly dazed crowd while recreating scenarios from the movie.

Then comes the film itself, revealed only as the lights dim, though obviously by this point most people will have figured out what they're about to see. We left after a six-hour experience feeling flabbergasted and elated. How many people can say they've traded barbs with Jack Nicholson's character from Cuckoo, at least in the form of his London doppelganger? Other past staged events include Blade Runner and, most recently, The Battle of Algiers.

The best way to keep up-to-date about when the next Secret Cinema will be held is to keep tabs on their website and get on their mailing list. Attending is a must for cinephiles whose travels happen to coincide with the events. Be forewarned that tickets sell out quickly, so there's really no hesitating once they go on sale. And once you do attend, don't you dare breathe a word—or a status update—about the antics you've borne witness to.

[Photo: casaroger via Flickr]