Together with Fever and Netflix, this incredible project came to life. Most of their projects have been in England, and this concept is based off of a similar experience that was launched last year, close to the release of Stranger Things’ blockbuster third season. Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience was masterminded by Netflix and Fever, with an assist from Secret Cinema, a group know for its elaborate, multimedia experiences that take you into the world of Blade Runner or Back to the Future. It’s also an ingenious way to pass the time before the “drive into” experience fully begins. It’s really charming and immersive and you can tell the way that young kids react to seeing their favorite Stranger Things characters wandering around how powerful this franchise is to people. The actors look just like the kids from the show and they sometimes take the stage upfront to do larger scenes that involve multiple characters. What’s even better is that Lucas is carrying around a chunky camcorder, with the images beamed to the big screen ahead of you. But what’s even more interesting is that there are actors, playing all of the Stranger Things kids, who are roaming around in between cars, acting out scenes from the show (sometimes reciting dialogue verbatim), and further establishing the time and place of the experience. There are also costume contests, in-car Twister (it gets tricky), and commercials for the new shopping and dining complex. There’s a DJ up there, who is addressing the crowd and appears to be a teacher from Hawkins High, who plays music while videos flash on a very large screen. It’s after you get your treats that you can take in the enormity and complexity of this part of the show – ahead of you is the iconic angular entrance to Hawkins’ latest offering, Starcourt Mall. These crew members (really performers) also relay key bits of information - the FM channel you should be tuned into for the whole pre-show experience, say, or the importance of wearing masks, due to a nearby “chemical leak” at the lab. When you drive up to the event, 15 minutes before your scheduled time, you are greeted by employees who also assist in making sure the theme is established - this is, after all, supposed to be the Hawkins High School Reunion, so they’ll say things like “Oh, I didn’t recognize you with your hair different” and Iit’s so good to see you.” We had a lengthy chat with the fellow who grabbed our concessions, dressed in his Scoops Ahoy finery, who told us that he thought this year was the year his band was going to break out, and offered to put us on the list for their gig next week in Hawkins. When you get your tickets, you’re taken to a portal where you and the others in your car can customize your experience, including the character that you’ll be portraying (are they more into heavy metal or New Wave?) While I didn’t witness any of this information being directly addressed at the event, it’s all part of place-setting and gets you and your crew in the 1980s spirit. Your experience begins even before you pull up to the massive outdoor parking lot in downtown Los Angeles.
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