As if there wasn’t enough anticipation for the March 7, 2019 release of Captain Marvel already, Marvel Studios is ramping things up with a scavenger hunt in select Canadian cities the weekend before it hits theatres.
Nothing beats the convenience of ordering any movie from the comfort of your sofa — and let’s be honest, while wearing your pyjamas. But there’s still something to be said about the almost lost and nearly forgotten ritual of heading to the local video store to see if the latest new release is still available to rent. Carol Danvers understands. Case in point, have you seen the movie’s throwback website?
Marvel is taking fans back in time to the ‘90s with their very own pop-up video store, aptly named “Stanley Video.” Once inside, customers will have five minutes to solve six clues about Marvel and Disney films. Teams must guess the title and return the correct DVD case to the counter to get the next clue. In addition to becoming “honorary members” of Captain Marvel’s team, successful teams also have the chance to win a collector Captain Marvel pin, premiere screening passes and Garage gift cards.
After watching a brief video, an intimidating five-second countdown starts and then you get five minutes on the clock. The best strategy is for teams to divide the video store to cover more ground, but the store clerks keep the pressure on by announcing the time remaining… or letting you know how long you’ve been stuck on one question. Depending on your knowledge and confidence, you can answer either the easy, medium or hard questions. Having tried the first two levels, there’s a definite jump in difficulty though none of the riddles were impossible to answer if your fans of the studios’ movies.
Most importantly, it’s indescribably fun to run around the store and feel victorious when you present the correct DVD to the clerk… and just as enjoyable when you’re wrong and have to try again. Fans are also encouraged to try more than once as each level has an alternate set of questions so you can do the same level again or increase the difficulty each time.
In Toronto, you can find Stanley Video at 277 Queen St. W. on Friday, March 1 from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They’ll also have an indoor space for lines to form so you don’t have to wait in the cold.
And in Burnaby, head to Metropolis at Metrotown at 4700 Kingsway on the ground floor near Muji and The Bay from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Higher. Further. Faster.
