I was lucky enough to attend the Australian premiere / press event for Backrooms tonight, flying up from Melbourne to Sydney. Dressed in a Backrooms themed Steampunk outfit and carrying my HobbyTown carpet and wallpaper plaque, I was a mixture of nerves and excitement.
Although I haven’t been a Backrooms fan for as long as some, I have still been waiting for this moment for the past year. And as someone who runs this website along with active Backrooms pages on Instagram and Twitter/X, not a day goes by where I aren’t interacting with the Backrooms in some way. One could say that Backrooms are very much a part of my life.
Having done some last minute fixes to my outfit, I walked from the hotel down to Event Cinemas in George Street where the premiere was taking place. I was super early but noticed the staff filling up popcorn bags with the Chevron wallpaper design on them! I’d seen photos of such from overseas events and was hoping we’d get them at our events. Forget all of those crazy and fancy popcorn buckets that are released there days. A simple paper bag with the Chevron design on it is perfect for Backrooms as it represents what they would have had in the 90s when the film is set.
Going upstairs and down a hallway — cinemas always are very liminal places — I could see staff setting up. I didn’t want to get in the way of anyone so I stood back for a while. But eventually the lure of the mono-yellow got me and I slowly inched closer and peeked around the corner.
There was a large media/photo wall which consisted of a Chevron wallpaper backdrop with the “Backrooms” movie logo on one side. In the center was a stack of various chairs and a beige carpet on the ground. On the other side of the area, were a couple of tables with the bags of Chevron popcorn and soft drink bottles.
Instantly I was recognized by the lovely staff from NIXCO, the events company I had been corresponding with. We chatted for a while until the on-site photographer had finished setting up.
I was second to get my photo taken and proudly held up my Backrooms plaque, being the Backrooms fan I am!
(After the movie ended, I ended up staying around the display taking a lot of photos and just soaking in the excitement I had just experienced by being near the mono-yellow wall of the display. In a way, I didn’t want to leave!)
Spending a a bit more time chatting to people (I received many compliments about my outfit), I decided I should find a good seat as the seating wasn’t reserved. I was sure to get a complimentary drink and of course a Chevron Wallpaper popcorn bag (I kept it as a souvenir!). Going into the cinema itself and as up the stairs, I could see the screen that had been at other premieres around the world — the Chevron Wallpaper background and the blue tape door outline. I couldn’t help but feel excited as it came into view! It became very real at that moment that I would soon be seeing the movie I had been waiting so long for!
Those last minutes seemed to drag on forever, a feeling of being trapped in the Backrooms myself. But eventually the lights went out and Kane Parsons appeared on the screen to give a brief introduction of the movie and to welcome us for attending. It is a shame that he wasn’t able to come to Australia in person, but maybe one day that will happen!
So as I sat in my seat, eyes transfixed on the screen as the A24 logo and those of the other production companies came on the screen, I felt an astonishing feeling of joy come over me. For this to have finally become a reality. The waiting for it to happen, the following of the production, and seeing events occur overseas but not being able to go to them myself. Finally the time had come where I would see those mono-yellow walls in a way I never have seen before.
And as the Async logo appeared, I couldn’t help but let out a little scream! And a few other people cheered with me!
For more about the movie itself, check out my non-spoiler review here. But needless to say, I loved it immensely and once it was over, I was left speechless.
Final Words
We are lucky enough to live in an era today where fan content creators and influencers have an important role to play when it comes to the promotion of media online. I come from a background where this wasn’t the case and only commercial media outlets were given these opportunities. The world has certainly moved forward since I ran fan-sites many years ago (only returning to do so due to the passion I have for the Backrooms) . I am grateful to be able to share these experiences with everyone and continue to share all things Backrooms with fans all over the world.
I would like to extend a thank you to both A24 and NIXCO for giving me this unique opportunity! These are memories that I will cherish always!
