In the heady days after the release of the first Star Wars film, Darth Vader actor David Prowse delighted fans at a convention in California with news of a sequel.
The British star – perhaps more recognisable at the time as the Green Cross Code Man – got carried away with the excitement in the room.
“And get this,” he said (I’m paraphrasing). “It turns out Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s long lost father!”
Cue more whooping and hollering.
It was probably the biggest spoiler in movie history, but the audience didn’t seem to mind.
Back then, “spoilers” were never really an issue but now they seem to be everywhere.
My heart goes out to the Avengers fans at a cinema in England who settled down to watch the recent final instalment in the 11-year franchise, only to first get a trailer for the upcoming Spider-Man film – a trailer that fully reveals the shock finale of the film they were just about to see.
But you know what will really spoil your enjoyment of a film? Not being able to see it in the first place.
Perth comic book fan Josh Chalmers was desperate to see Avengers: Endgame but, living with autism, a darkened picture house seemed like an unsettling and even terrifying prospect.
His mum checked for local autism friendly screenings and was disappointed to find there were none at times suitable for families.
But instead of giving up and disappointing her son, she approached bosses at Perth Playhouse and explained her dilemma.
The staff at the cinema turned out to be the real heroes of this story: They not only agreed to arrange a birthday screening for Josh, but they decided to rearrange their autism friendly showtimes to make them far more accessible.
Now other cinemas, including big chains like Vue and Cineworld, must follow Perth’s example.
It’s great that screenings for people with additional needs are happening, but they need to be at times that are convenient, particularly for families.
Cinemas flourish when they at the heart of a community – and vice versa – and a city without a cinema is a very sad place indeed.
To continue to make them inaccessible to large swathes of the community is becoming more and more unacceptable and inexcusable.
The ultimate aim needs to be screenings that are inclusive for all, so that people with disabilities don’t feel pigeonholed or labelled, or continue to miss out on huge cultural phenomenoms like Avengers.
We need to reach the day when the only thing filmgoers need to worry about is who Luke Skywalker’s dad is, and if Bruce Willis really was a sledge all along.
