On 24th August 2014 I spent the evening in Hill Valley, California. It was a dream come true for this film fanatic.

Ever wanted to step inside a favourite movie and experience it all firsthand? I certainly have. And thanks to Secret Cinema, this year I got to do just that.

I sat in Lou's Cafe and washed down some fries with a delicious 'chocolate milk.' I went to Hill Valley High School and took a spin around the dancefloor at The Enchantment Under the Sea dance. I got out of the way as Biff and his boys tooled around town in his car. I saw Marty, in the DeLorean, try to outrun a bunch of Libyans. For one night only I lived right inside Back to the Future. 

My adventure didn't start out smoothly. I was one of the unfortunates who booked the show in its opening days, which were cancelled at the last minute. Luckily I was available at a later date, so I still got there in the end. And it was definitely worth the wait. But my heart went out to those who had to miss the show altogether. I know many fans were let down by Secret Cinema. They certainly could have handled the cancellation better, but hey they're only human! And having experienced their Hill Valley, I can't praise them enough. They gave me a night I'll never forget.

The best part about Secret Cinema is the interactive element. Wearing a 50s outfit helped me get in the Hill Valley mood. And I loved being pulled from the crowd to take part in an impromptu cheerleading session, complete with pom poms. :-) Participating in these silly moments, and embracing the 'fantasy', made the whole thing much more real. As did the hundreds of other film fans I shared the night with. Never have I watched a movie with so many like-minded people. The excitement in the air was palpable. The highlight of my night was when every single moviegoer there quoted the best last line ever - "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads" - as Doc himself said it onscreen. 3000 people united by a powerful love for a little thing called a movie. Wow.

Here's hoping Secret Cinema does Back to the Future Part II next year. It'd make perfect sense. After all, 2015 is the year of the future. :-) Bring on the hoverboard!