Food and cinema go hand in hand, and we don’t mean dustbin-sized buckets of popcorn and enough sugary soft drinks to keep you awake for a week. We’re thinking Audrey Hepburn nibbling a croissant outside Tiffany’s; Micky Rourke and Kim Basinger’s sexy snacking in 9 1/2 Weeks and, errr, that apple pie in American Pie.
Guillermo Del Toro’s fairy tale masterpiece ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ might not be the first film that springs to mind when it comes to gastro-cinema though. However, this will be the first film shown at The Electric Cinema’s new series of foodie films, Edible Cinema. For those unfamiliar with the film, it tells the tale of a young Spanish girl during World War II who is forced to live with her sadistic stepfather, a captain in the fascist army. To escape her hellish experiences, she creates a magical fantasy world that leads her on a journey of exploration and realisation.
What makes this showing of the film unique is that on entering the auditorium, patrons are handed a series of numbered packages containing assorted foodstuffs. At designated points throughout the film, placards will be held up indicating which package to open and consume. Details of the contents are a mystery, but we hear that pine-scented popcorn will be served while the characters are in the Spanish woodland, and the organisers have developed a carbonated red grape, although we’d be concerned that this could wake the hairless, eyeless monster…
Bombay Sapphire have also developed a special cocktail exclusively for the event that will be served on the night which will help heighten the sensory experience along with the food. Pan’s Labyrinth kicks off the series of films on May 13th, with further titles to be announced. Tickets are available now and cost £22.50 each.
Electric Cinema, 191 Portobello Road, W11
www.electriccinema.co.uk