How many Minis can you fit into four car parks? These Hawke's Bay club members managed seven. Photo / Dave Murdoch
Memories and nostalgia came flooding back recently when the Dannevirke Regent Theatre screened Goodbye Pork Pie.
Close to 50 filmgoers, some of who had come from afar, travelled to view the classic Kiwi movie in Dannevirke on May 28.
The idea came to local Mini owner Alex Rowe who loves the movie and thought other owners and those into the cult movie might like to see it on the big screen at the local Dannevirke Regent Theatre.
Members of both the Hawke’s Bay and Wellington Mini Car Clubs made the journey to Dannevirke, arriving in time to grab some lunch on High St and pose for photos before settling in to watch the movie.
The Hawke’s Bay club has more than 50 members and regularly enjoys a Sunday drive – this venue in Dannevirke being “just the ticket.”
John and Karyn Glew are typical of the club having participated in the Pork Pie Charity Run which retraces the route of the original movie and also the North Island and South Island Mini-Cross safaris which go diagonally across each island from corner to corner. They have done all three and their yellow 1974 Mini-Clubman nicknamed Mr Bumble because it looked like a bee, has all the signage.
For Alex it is a dream come true. Most members have a DVD of the iconic movie but they say the scenery and the crazy action is much more spectacular on the big screen and sharing the experience with like-minded Mini-lovers is extra special.
For many in the audience including a lot of Dannevirke folk, the nostalgia generated by the very tortuous trip down memory lane, seeing the New Zealand of 1979, was very powerful. Reliving the car chases and characters of that time brought back the experience of seeing the movie back then for the first time.
For the Dannevirke Regent Theatre Trust that is exactly what it wanted to happen. The trust wants the theatre to be a place where groups can hold a social occasion with very little hassle and a lot of enjoyment.
President Trevor Moore says the weekend had been very successful for the theatre with two showings of Goodbye Pork Pie attracting more than 80 patrons and another group holding an evening with a different movie on Friday evening which attracted 53 more.
He says other groups wanting to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or a common interest like the Minis can get in touch via Facebook to request a movie and “there is a pretty good chance the trust can find it”.
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