Pathé Will Hypnotize Movie Fans So They Can See The Matrix Fresh Again
There is no spoon. Probably.
Everyone has a movie they wish they could watch for the first time again. A European cinema company is actually trying to make that happen. Pathé is teaming up with hypnotist Victor Kraemer to hypnotize 30 movie fans so they can experience a classic movie fresh, and it's calling the event Pathé Rewind (IGN).
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How does Pathé Rewind work?
Registration is already closed. Pathé picked its 30 fans based on their movie tastes, their reasons for wanting to take part, their availability and their consent to be part of the promotion (IGN).
Each person gets a one-on-one online session with Kraemer first. Then, right before the screening, he hypnotizes them again, and the movie plays on the big screen. The experiment takes place on Monday, November 9, at Pathé Buitenhof in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
Which movies could they see?
Pathé is choosing from four movies, and the list is The Matrix, Se7en, La La Land and Interstellar. The final pick depends on which one the 30 fans know best, so the hypnosis has the most to work with.
That's a strong list, because every one of those movies has a moment you can only experience once. Think about Neo waking up in the pod, the box at the end of Se7en, the "what if" ending of La La Land or the docking scene in Interstellar.
Will it actually work?
Pathé isn't promising anything. Its disclaimer says the company "accepts no liability for the outcome, the effect, or any other consequences of the hypnosis sessions," and that it "makes no claims regarding the effectiveness of hypnosis as a method" (IGN). In other words, this is part science experiment and part marketing stunt.
My read is that it's a genius stunt, even if nobody's memory actually gets wiped. It taps into something every movie fan feels, which is that the first viewing of a great twist can never be repeated. If it works even a little, other theaters will copy it within a year. (We'd volunteer, but somebody has to remember what happens in The Matrix.)
If you want to relive these the old-fashioned way, both of these look incredible in 4K.
Which movie would you erase from your memory so you could watch it again? Tell us in the comments.
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Header image is an official still from The Matrix, from Warner Bros. Pictures. In-article images are official stills from The Matrix, from Warner Bros. Pictures, and Interstellar, from Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.
