Right, further to the brief moments mentioned before, let’s do a
a recap. #All_IsTrue2019 style. ( TwiLink= https://wp.me/p1ZDR7-6D to @Crow_TLJ0NG )
The morning angst of starting a no-prep impromptu security role, requested by my maternal connection to ‘Save the Rose Theatre’ campaign, had evolved to seeing the gathering of worldwide celebrities that normally would never-ever be seen together , amid tourist’s and all those bit-part players from far flung countries.
Soon those imperfect streets enabled seeing my first ‘Red Indians’ with Clint Eastwood’s arrival, my first ‘Maori’s, due Gregory Peck’s brief speech along with ‘Moby Dick’, cast and several first’s of tribal African and traditional Japanese actor’s due ‘Brandon Lee’s family link to ‘Fist of Fury’, and Ron Ely’s ties to ‘Tarzan’. The surviving ‘Magnificent 7’, cast had supplied with ‘The Medicine Man’, many Mexican & Peruvian-Indians, tourist’s of majority the other European countries, USA, India, Australia & Russia simply mingled enjoyed a brief moment amid prop’s or greeted TV star’s then after quarter of an hour (average), they carried on walking their own tour’s of the Southbank.
Now’s a good stage to disclose one of those spine-tingler moment’s,
The almost barren nature of our small protest site appeared to simply be that day’s morning short cut for a couple of coach’s of European tourist’s, all who gawped like goldfish at volunteers attempts to engage with them in abject confusion.
Then after ‘The Bay City Rollers’, brief set everything went quiet again., I met my first proper ‘Swayze’, linked star, then moments afterwards the old projector that was temporarily near back of street showed early scene’s from our morning ‘Angel’s backstory. Documentaries upon unique super model ‘Twiggy’s 1960’s rise to national prominence.
In the short 20 minutes montage phase a significant crowd had formed coming from both directions, and amidst them ascended the lady herself ‘Twiggy’, with a rather embarrassed expression took audience cheers to heart and began a short speech of delicate wonder at how historic the ‘Rose Theatre’ site and campaign was. It simply couldn’t have had a better first speaker. I’am sure that once the audience dispersed and spoke to others that day it made many from other local events want to check for themselves what the street event was about, our foundation audience. The ‘Twiggy’, style still had that captivating quality even decades after it had begun,
If I found the impromptu screening of those ‘Omnibus/Arena’ , mixed short’s of the ‘Twiggy’ show’s being suddenly inspirational to their muse herself to get on stage for a brilliant speech, or the patriotic ‘The Great Escape’, reenactment as bizarrely-beautiful, with the ‘Grease’, fun-fair after 15:45gmt as surreal hilarity. The next revealed segment ranks alongside association to the ‘Project Blue Book/Quatermass/Dr Who/The Outer Limits’ ,grade of deeply unnerving.
The true lead up to this can only be explained by the supurb range of horror/supernatural themed movie tributes done by their attending cast’s.,
I am not just linking the shock value of witnessing several alien nationalities, Vulcan’s , cossack’s, Ferrengi, Mongol’s, Critter’s and Gremlin’s being in full costume.
Scale model’s used during earlier animation for Sinbad and ‘Clash of the Titan’, films monster’s , both the dancer’s from ‘Return of the Jedi’, The Rancor, The cajun actor’s from ‘Southern Comfort’, many Ewok’s, Viking hordes and Zombies actually walked the street that day.
But it all truely kicked off from the arrival of those early ‘Hammer’ actor’s moment’s away from ‘Alien’, and ‘The Omen’, back in 1989, James Cameron’s cast choice for the follow up movie joined the parade just after tribute’s to films such as ‘The Howling’,.’Silver Bullet’, and ‘An American Werewolf in London’, amidst their arriving props.,
However, while they all have unique intrinsic vibrations to instill foreboding and ranges of fears, only 2 franchises really hit that level nearest it’s peak.
Just before 3pm (gmt), I turned my eyes upon the next low-deck float to pass beside me to see laid out several kinds of ‘Stakes’ with the full set of ceremonial daggers, and the back projected scenes switched from ‘Dracula 1972A.D’, to the original trailer to ‘The Omen’.
Gregory Peck, (returned from interlude from morning visit), got on stage this time along with ‘Lee Remick’, and did their well honed schtick upon the making of that epic. Meanwhile below them, from the dark crowded bridge strolled and mingled almost every cast member, simultaneous to each member’s demise in that movie.
My blood pressure spike, almost caused a burst ear-drum, when the actress ‘Nanny’ played by ‘Holly Palance’ , (Yes, *mC2F Jack’s Daughter), stepped down to begin walking a huge pair of Black Bull-Mastiff’s ahead of her, the crowd tightened, making withdrawl impossible when ‘Sam Neil’, took the stage flanked by many Satanic-Cowled figures, talked of several career highlights ( in an amused ‘Dead Calm’ tone), while the fateful combination of the actual ‘Market Cart’, Glass panes and dusty jeep trundled slowly towards me, the other cast & TV media people starting murmur’s in appreciation for the passage of ‘David Warner’, (The ‘Tron’, ‘Desperado’, from ‘Mr North’ & ‘Time After Time’), gallows humor bubbled from the crowd’s chanting approach of prop railings surrounding diorama of coffins, as the actor shook hands beside my slender barricade; the projected decapitation scene screened sent the second most chilling tremble up and down my spine.
My eyes were darting around, and I felt distinctly dizzy, the deadly wall prop was next approaching with ‘Billy Whitelaw’, amid flanking Nun’s, so I took the advantage of crowd re-parting gap to swiftly cross southward onto the lip of ‘Rose Alley’, to compose myself.
Basically the prior build up, had triggered a top level panic attack. The likes of which I hadn’t experienced since my last school play.
I used some solid Tai Chi Chuan, Qi Gong, to get the blood flowing more to pace and stepped out from the corner to return to the crowd-celebrity stewarding duties. Only to have ‘Patrick Troughton’, step around myself as the concluding montage of ‘Spire’ with that prop go bolting swiftly by.
‘Gregory Peck’, said more upon the comparable themes between ‘Moby Dick’, and ‘Shakespeare’s plays before they were overtaken cast for cast by the complete ‘Macbeth’ of brutal ‘Hugh Heffner’, vintage proceeded to trumpet fanfares. Both ‘Gregory Peck’, and ‘David Warner’, would return for later years events.
What then of the most utterly terrifying experience? Well, I continued escorting those actor/actresses thru the crowd, brilliant sunshine over all, more chills occured when ‘Inseminoid’, cast strolled in just as ‘Khyber-Jungle-Camel-Camping-Sergeant’ Carry-On’s veteran actor’s mingled with several pop-stars, Oompa-Loompa, ‘Kate Bush’ sung again with ‘Peter Gabriel’, but after a surprising cast & tourist lull occurred post ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’ after 16:18pm ( simultaneous cast’s averaged ~ 7 each 9minutes), where flow dropped back to it’s pre-Suzy Quatro/Happy Days pace.
No, this was an all-encompassing deep chill of terror that occurred shortly after several moments of blissful musical royalty from America, followed the ‘Burb’-‘Lost Boy’s’-‘I dream of Jeannie’, series attendee’s with ‘The Blue’s Brothers/Big Easy/The Cotton Club’, phase other side of when ‘Barbarella’, made transition to ‘Chaka Khan’s set.
As the audience delight ranged from ‘Chubby Checker’, ‘Aretha Franklin’, ‘Stevie Wonder’, to ‘Ray Charles’, followed by the 18:03pm performance by ‘The Jackson’s, the light had barely faded and ‘Grace Jones’, strode pass for may be 5th time leading others around the embankment route from cast of ‘Conan The Destroyer’.
A new big vehicle approached , in an old grey-green livery. It blocked the view of what was going to parade in minutes., first I steeled myself for a further ‘Longest Day/Bridge to far’, moment slightly hopeful for a return of any cast from ‘Hi-De-Hi’ and ‘Allo-Allo’ who’d had huge appreciation from tourists earlier.
I saw old crates, stacked close to its tarpaulin flapping sides. The truck had no one ahead for at least 15ft, and got sped up to sharply slew to a 35° full stop., there began some marching behind, and the 5th session of jack-booted military re-enactments began.
No, not the humorous prank-pun laden return of ‘Allo-Allo’, this was an entire patrol of ‘Desert Rat’ confronting WWII attired German’s in full gear, machine guns on shoulder, side-car motorcycle, anti-air half-track, in parade ground fanfare as scenes began on the back projector again for ‘Raider’s of the Lost Ark’ trilogy. Seemed just having one led by ‘Denholm Elliott’, on stage wasn’t enough!
I couldn’t match names, but many of the same stuntmen from the desert chase, truck climb, were amongst them and they brought props ahead, just the same way from the canyon scene. Crates of German grenade’s, rifle’s , and bazooka.
Laid carefully either side of the front stage steps, several large night-search lights placed near the road’s building wall sides.
I stifled a mild chuckle of glee, at prospect that finally ‘Harrison Ford’, might return, then the air grew very still, as the Chinese club contingent from ‘Temple of Doom’ cast followed the vintage car that crimson wonder driven by ‘Short-Stop’., who returned briefly after his ‘Goonies’, parade. The evening gowned dancers, tuxedo gentlemen, gradually moving beyond the stage and bridge, vanishing to who knows where.
Both the audience, and weather seemed to change mode after that huge bronze gong was man-handled through, a deep grey cloud begun to hang overhead, and everyone seemed to unconsciously part to the edges,
More, re-enacting extra’s, now near faceless in the dimming light, were ushered in with a sharp breeze, and I began to wonder if the rain poncho’d extra’s from the ‘Blade Runner’, segment who had remained after ‘Rutger Hauer’, ‘Daryl Hannah’, departed weren’t clued in to the itinerary.
Soon, all the adventurous elements had been trailed, two last props were brought through. Three uniformed Germans set up the camera prop. (Ironically, where the mornings first projector had stood), I took a few steps closer and confirmed it matched in design to the movie one, cables of [Un-Powered], electricity were linked to the relay of standing lamps, and the sky turned almost midnight black. Cap’s of the German’s, turned to follow the approach of four more, holding an object of glittering wonder. Yes, the Ark (prop-version), itself got solemnly carried to centre stage front.
Actor, ‘Paul Freeman’, had returned in full ancient robes, (not with Ronald Lacey – a replacement), beside looking grim in character the sound system, keeping taut parallel to the chant that ‘Raider’s of the Lost Ark’, gives before.., yes before Pandora effect gets unleashed.
Let’s face it, after such a well-staged., almost motion to motion re-enactment, if anyone in the crowd that slowly crept closer to witness this act had not felt the same creeping expectant dread, as I did, then they are clearly not born of this earth.
I won’t, spoiler the film’s ending for anyone wishing to re-watch but I was riveted to the spot, wondering just what form of special-FX was going to be employed during the final seconds, and those hair’s stood up .., all over with several shudders of post-climactic terror., moments after the body of ‘Belloq’, returned to the living and very ecstatic applause.
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