Having run the Bristol Bad Film Club (BBFC) for the past two years, screening terrible movies to hundreds of eager 'so bad it's good' film fans, Bristol cult cinema purveyor and event programmer Ti Singh has embarked upon yet another big screen adventure. Only this time, with the Bristol Sunset Cinema, the films are so good they're the stuff of fairytales.
With several pop-up outdoor cinema events on the schedule this summer (like the Floating Cinema and Two Wheeled Drive In), we find out why the setting sun makes such a great backdrop for cinema entertainment.
It was after BBFC sold over five hundred tickets to its one year anniversary screening of 'Masters of the Universe' that Singh decided to embark upon the his new adventure. After all, if that many people would turn up to see what he calls "a not entirely great Dolph Lundgren film" then what would happen if he actually screened popular films?
For Bristol Sunset Cinema's first outdoor screening, Singh has set the bar ambitiously high: he plans to screen romantic comedy adventure classic 'The Princess Bride' at Blaise Castle.
Blaise Castle Angi Nelson
Having negotiated screenings in a variety of venues – from theatres to planetariums – Singh has plenty of experience hiring and setting up in non-standard cinema spaces.
Fortunately, the council have been nothing short of supportive when it comes to his plans. In fact, Singh accepts that their patience has extended far beyond the realms of regular admin, even in the face of his "dubiously filled out paperwork."
20th Century Fox
Another major challenge when putting on outdoor events is access and film ratings. Unless the area is entirely fenced off then the film must have a PG rating.
While the restriction rules out some of the more "not entirely great" films BBFC would screen, in this instance it actually opens up a new space for film culture in Bristol to flourish.
Outside of the multiplex, Bristol is a city that celebrates cult and classic film. Unfortunately, the success of such niche cinema can also be a failure for inclusivity. For all of its fantastic offerings, there are in fact very few screen opportunities in Bristol that invite film lovers of all ages to engage.
Still, Singh maintains that the Bristol Sunset Cinema hasn't been created with money in mind: "I just do this because I'm a big film geek and I love the shared experience that cinema provides, whether it's popular blockbusters or cult shlock," he says.
For Singh, the shared experience is what it's all about. So, even if the generator runs out of petrol and if there's a scramble to get things going, or if the skies open above us, it won't ruin the collective experience.
As the sun sets on Blaise Castle, August 29, and that big screen family fairytale favourite, 'The Princess Bride' gets underway, so too does a new chapter in Bristol's collective film-going memory: finally, a film event that's big, fun, atmospheric, and, open to all.
Bristol Sunset Cinema presents: 'The Princess Bride', Blaise Castle, August 29, 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children (under 10).
Alternatively, why not find out more about the forthcoming Floating Cinema, heading to Bristol this July.