Have you ever been to an outdoor cinema? Well, up until October last year I'd never been to one - but it's something I'd always wanted to do. Yes, you could just download the film and watch it at home, but there's something so fun about watching a great film outdoors with your friends. My first experience of this was when I went to see Halloween with Jenna and Yuna last year, in Kirkstall Abbey; the film itself wasn't scary (In fact, it was quite laughable) but the atmosphere that was created around the film was brilliant and I had a fantastic time. Since I went to that event, I've kept my eye on the Sneaky Experience Facebook page to see what films they are showing in the abbey next. When I saw that they were planning on showing one of mine and Martin's favourite films, Shaun of the Dead, we knew that we had to go!





As the date drew closer, the event pages were updated to include a "Zombie Experience", as well as showing the film. Sneaky Experience do this with every film they show; they create a fun event that is based around the film, so that you don't just turn up, sit down and watch the film, then leave. It's probably a way of getting more money about of people, but it's always good fun! If I remember rightly, at the Halloween event there was a ghost walk, which was silly yet fun - very much like this "Zombie Experience"! We were queued up outside the Abbey gates to begin with, where they unleashed the zombies and some actors dressed up as the characters started to lead us through the storyline. We started off with Liz, who was telling us all about how she was having trouble with Shaun and their relationship, before being led into a "safe zone" where we met Dianne, who gave us a lesson in how to act like a zombie! We also met Shaun, who taught us how to stand still when the zombies came near, and run when their backs were turned; and finally a doctor, who gave us some kind of potion to repel the zombies! We spent most of the time giggling as we were led around the course, but it was all good fun and everyone played along. Also, how much does the actor who played Shaun look like Simon Pegg?!




Once we had made it through the course, we were released into the final "safe zone" - The Winchester! Well, it was a stall selling beer and other alcoholic drinks, but it made me chuckle none the less. We grabbed a bottle of beer each on the "2 for £5" deal, and had a wander around to decide what we wanted to eat as we were pretty hungry! We decided to go halves on a hot dog from Smak! Sausages, and a grilled cheese toastie from Meltworks (Click here to read more about them in my Kirkstall Deli Market post!) We knew that they were going to be good choices, and we certainly weren't disappointed - they were as fantastic as ever. We also grabbed another pint of beer each from the Kirkstall Brewery stall (Including a raspberry one which nearly blew our heads off), and a few Canadian Nanaimo Bars from Fayre By Alley to have whilst watching the film. These were absolutely fantastic and unlike anything I've ever had before; a solid dark chocolate top, with a custard filling in a variety of flavours, on top of a biscuit and coconut base. My favourite by far was the Chilli Ginger one, which packed in one hell of a kick!




Soon enough, the cinema started to fill up, and it was time to watch the film. We managed to get some decent seats near the front as we were one of the first to head to the screening area, which worked in our favour as the seats went quite far to the back of the abbey. An actor who was playing a "zombie killer" of sorts took charge, and told us things like "Take yer shit with you when you leave", which when written down doesn't seem very funny, but he had us all in stitches! Just before the film began there was a reenactment of a famous Shaun of the Dead scene, where Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" plays and the characters all take out zombies. It was brilliant to watch and got us all in the mood to watch the film, which is exactly what you want! As for the film itself, it was as brilliant as always and the quality of the screen wasn't bad either - it was certainly loud enough for everyone to hear, although I'm not sure how much you'd see sat right at the back. We were lucky enough to avoid being rained on like we had done earlier, but you are advised to dress appropriately as the event will go ahead regardless of the weather!



As a whole I would really recommend Sneaky Experience; if you see a film pop up that you like, make an effort to go and see it as it will be unlike any other showing of it you will have seen! The grounds create a beautiful backdrop for mystical and scary films alike, and it's great to see Kirkstall Abbey being used as a space for people to enjoy instead of standing empty for the majority of the year like it once was. Tickets were a bit pricey at £16 each, but they do vary depending on the film and the activities that they put on. Some events are aimed more for children (For example, Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland), whereas some like this one is more for adults - although there was quite a few kids at this event. I'm already keeping my eyes peeled for the next film, and hope to enjoy Sneaky Experience again some point soon!