Quatermass and the Central Line tube extension at Hobbs End

Friday evening was an opportunity for me to watch one of my favourite cult films, Quatermass and the Pit in the fantastic setting of a Victorian Gothic revival church in Islington.

It’s one of those “marmite films”, as being based on an earlier TV series there are often passionate arguments about which is better. Personally, I prefer the film, but it isn’t an issue that really bothers me as much as it seems to bother other people. Frankly, I prefer the film largely because it is set inside a tube station as part of the Central Line extension, which would have been recent history for many of the people watching the film at the time it was made.

It satisfies my tube geekery in a most satisfying manner.

Arriving at the main entrance, the organisers had put up a Hobbs End tube sign outside, and the warning signs about building works on the scaffolding for the church tower actually seemed to suit, even if they warned of works above instead of below.

Inside the main stage was also laid out with a mock up of the famous spaceship from the film and some actors recreating the excavation works. Having been in the venue before, my friend and I took the option to find our way up into the upper pews, which offered a very steep row of seats and a quite incredible view of the church in the gloaming.

I have always enjoyed the film, and while some of the special effects are more Dr Who than Hollywood, I can’t actually say I have ever found the film funny. However, when you are in a church full of people laughing at some of the horror scenes, it is difficult not to join in and appreciate that the early horror looks somewhat silly to our modern more cynical eyes.

Like many films, Quatermass has some product placement, but the most visible one was a company that had put up some posters along the finished sections of the tube station. As the event was laid on by Irish Whisky brand, Jameson as a free night out to boost their brand awareness, it was possibly unfortunate that the adverts in the main tube locations was for rival product, Johnnie Walker Red Label.

Opps!

This is the second time this year I have attended an event involving a tube station called Hobbs End, as the model railway used by London Underground staff to learn about signalling problems is made up of tube stations from fiction – including a Hobbs End station.

A few more photos from the Union Chapel at my flickr account.

Also, thanks to the Twitter guys for plying me with more booze than most people would have got, and inducing a noticeable hangover the following day. They’ll be back in February with some more films, and booze.