A feast for ALL of your senses! A few pics to tell the tale!

Curated and scent-designed by Jas Brooks and my good self in cahoots with Cinema NOVA, Melbourne Australia. Audiences smelled Jim Jarmush’s Only Lovers Left Alive, experienced Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory as never before and salivated with Les Blank’s Garlic and as Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe. They enjoyed a live score by Peter Dasent while scratch-and-sniffing Nosferatu’s chilling symphony of horror.

July 5^th they entered into the shadowy, poetic world of “Only Lovers Left Alive” (2013). Venturing through the desolate streets of Detroit and Tangiers alongside underground musician (Tom Hiddleston) and his undying love (Tilda Swinton), guided by a symphony of scents from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab presented in a foil souvenir box containing 12 vials. To experience the essence of the film’s characters and settings, including the brooding allure of Adam (leather – lupine) and the timeless elegance of Eternal Eve (honey – myrrh – yarrow), and bask in the delectable thrill of Blood Popsicles. We invited audiences to inhale the very soul of the film, each fragrance deepening connection to the film’s melancholic beauty.

The Best Kind of Prize Is a *Sur*Prise!  On Saturday offered a chance to embark on a journey to the scrumdidilyumptuous world of “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” (1971). To enjoy the whole scent-sory experience, each guest received a magical Whiff & Wonder Box, brimming with scratch-and-sniffables, delectable confections, and a trove of surprises to experience alongside the movie. They experienced sinister whiffs of Slugworth’s bad breath, and peril as the aroma of blueberry hit nostrils! A chance to Smell and Eat the chocolate river’s pull: rich, creamy, yummy. To journey alongside Mike Teevee and be zapped with tongue-crackling teleportation, and float away with Charlie into a realm of pure imagination…

On Sunday afternoon, guests savoured smells at a Scented Buffet with Les Blank and Werner Herzog. Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers (1980) returned to the screen in ‘Aroma-Round’ alongside the unforgettable experience of Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980), bringing the aromas of Les Blanks iconic documentaries to life. They Scratched & Sniffed alongside Werner Herzog as he experiences the tantalising odour of leather softened with garlic, onion and a hint of fresh rosemary before relaxing, sitting back and smelling the result created by Scenting International For main course they sniffed along as Les Blank celebrates the culinary and cultural significance of Garlic. And then Q & A with olfactory tragics and scent designers of the series, Jas Brooks and moi.

Your wife has a lovely neck…Our Scented Cinema Sunday afternoon finale was a hauntingly scented journey into Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), F.W., Murnau’s masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema. Accompanied by a live score by Sydney-based composer and musician Peter Dasent, this silent film experience invites you to look, listen and Scratch & Sniff your way through a landscape of terror and mystery. From the earthy freshness of the natural world to the oppressive dread of Count Orlok’s domain, every eerie flicker, every haunting silhouette, now married to the scent of the unknown. Prepare for an unforgettable evening that marries the visual, auditory and olfactory into a chilling symphony of horror.

Let’s do that again soon!