This event, with its cult classic film and live band score, was a tension-filled thrill with the audience on the edge of their seats.
Every seat in The Tivoli Theatre (26 September) was filled; the rafters were packed for this one-night-only gothic neo-western, on the big screen and backed by a live band.
The score of ‘No Country For Old Men’ was performed live by Tropical F... Storm (who themselves have quite the cult following), and – it’s unclear if this is a compliment – they performed the score so well and so faithfully that you could completely forget they were there. It sounded just like the film’s original score.
The film itself is a multi-award winner, with Oscars and BAFTAs and Golden Globes a-plenty. Twelve years after its release, it remains ground breaking and unique. The audience was enthralled, the gothic atmosphere of The Tivoli was a great match for the film’s neo-noir feel.
And this was the best part of the evening – the atmosphere. Perhaps like drive-ins a few decades ago, there was a sense of community that is somehow missing from the modern cinema experience, even though for all intents and purposes it is the same – a group of people sitting in a dark room, watching a film.
Maybe it’s the fact that it was a once-off, and people were looking forward to a special screening with the additional magic of the live score. Maybe it’s the fact that booze was being served.
Either way, it was a very special performance and a darn special night.
