THE END OF OUR CINEMA

Our local Cineworld in Castleford is closing on January 19th. Its one of a handful the chain are shutting next year in Blighty. Poor sales, fewer films, home streaming and Covid are no doubt the reasons.

Its a shame though. My mate Mark and me have been going to watch films there for 25 years I reckon. Somewhere I've got most of the ticket stubs [yep, sad I know].

I even once applied for a job there as a projectionist. I didn't get it.

We must have seen hundreds of films over the years, greatly boosted by the old Orange Wednesday offer of two for one. The day that ended was when it got expensive for us, averaging nowadays at around £15 per film each.

Over the years Cineworld added vibrating chairs, deep recliners, panoramic screens, super loud sound, water vapour, shaking seats, Imax and Pic'n'Mix.

Pic'n'Mix was welcomed but Mark and I didn't need all those gizmos. It was the films that drew us in.

And what films! the later ALIENS, each one as they came out; the later STAR WARS - again each new one, All the X-Men, the whole new Godzilla and Kong franchise, Blade Runner 2, each Marvel and Avengers and many many more. I remember us seeing one horror film, Creep, completely alone in an empty screening one night! 

Seeing the films was just half of the experience too. Then came the critique over a KFC or a Burger King. We picked them clean, praised the good bits and panned the bad. But we always appreciated the effort it took to make a movie and get it in the local flicks.

We haven't seen as many films in the last few years it has to be said, the tale end of a long stint. ALIEN Romulus was the last one. Even Gladiator 2 didn't entice us back this winter. Maybe the glory days really are over.

We've agreed to see one more film before Cineworld closes in mid January. For old time's sake really. Whether we do is another thing but there it is. The next nearest Cinema for me is Wakefield - a pain to get to - but its a major pain for Mark to get too from Leeds. Cineworld was just off the motorway.

It really is the end of a cinema-going era.

Do you go to the cinema readers?

A L I E N : R O M U L U S

I went to see the new ALIEN film ROMULUS last night at the local flicks. I'm always excited by a new ALIEN film.

Will you be going readers?

Cinema-going can be quite dear these days and the entrance fee now for adults is £11.99 in my bit of Britain. I used to go every week for years, when it was discounted but nowadays its only for certain movies. The last one I saw was Despicable Me 4 with my Grandson during the summer.

I've kept the ROMULUS ticket as I have for all my cinema visits many years. Somehow they seem important to me but I'm unsure why. Somewhere I've got my old ALIEN ticket!

Will you be going to the cinema readers? What was the last film you saw there?

I really enjoyed this film but I'll not say anything about the film in detail as its still doing the rounds. Needless to say. ALIEN fans will like it because its more of the Giger, Scott, O'Bannon and Schusset ALIEN mythos that we love. Like all flicks it has its good points and bad points but for now ...

the ship's hull is melting so I have to go!

CHRISTMAS WITH THE KING: GODZILLA MINUS ONE

There's a new big screen Godzilla coming to town, a Toho original called Minus One. He stomps into UK cinemas in mid-December.

Minus One refers to the state of play of the post-war Tokyo in the film i.e. not good at all and Godzilla is not feeling the love either.

Like the previous Shin Godzilla this is a new film from the original makers of the 1954 debut, the 33rd Japanese film and is already garnering good reviews.

Could be a Christmas cracker for fans of the King.

Will you be going to see Godzilla this holiday?

Here's the official trailer to wet your whistle.

DO YOU STILL GO OUT FOR A DRINK?

Being Sixty plus now I don't go for a drink as much as I did when I was young. I've never been a huge pub fan and I'm not really bothered about drinking but I do appreciate the social side of it.

I went to a bar tonight with the Missus and some mates, another couple. We are all of the same age and the drink was a pre-cinema drink. I had half an IPA, which was very nice. The Missus had lime and soda. We went to see the Miracle Club in an old fashioned cinema in Penistone celebrating 100 years of being open, a huge achievement for a small town picture house these days. Can you imagine the films that have been shown there over the last century!

En route the Missus and me noticed various pubs closed along the 30 minute journey. Shut on a Saturday night! Maybe shut permanently!

So, I wanted to ask two things. In your neck of the world are pubs closing? And do you still go out for a drink?

MJ'S SPIDEY COMPETITION CAPER

 

Here's my new custom action figure short Woodsy, a Mego Spidey. Its totally original, apart from the dash of paint on his face and hands.

Enjoy!

The story of how I came to have him could be straight out of the book from that Plaid Stallions fella. The Spiderman film (that was actually a TV series) was on at the cinema and my local paper had a competition to win some Spidey merch.

 I entered not expecting to win. Then 2 weeks later I get a letter saying I had, my prizes were to be presented to me by Spiderman himself (a bloke in a costume!).

 Unfortunately I couldn't go, so although I had won and received my prize through the post, the Newspaper still did a piece with a random kid receiving the prize.  The photo was with the kid and some laughable costume on a member of staff from the Paper!

MJ

Southcoast Base

UK

AN ETERNITY

I went to the pictures this week. I've not been to the cinema for ages. Hard to believe I used to go every week.

As always I went with my cinema buddy, this week to see super heroes, the Eternals. The screening we went to was a 5pm showing at Cineworld, so we had time to get a bite to eat beforehand. The current KFC TV ad campaign where gravy is poured over everything had worked his magic on us so we ate the Colonel's chicken.

We settled down for the film, which at 2 hours and 40 minutes was a long one. As soon as the lights went off I fell asleep! Going to the flicks after work is always risky!

Thirty minutes later I woke up and tried to get into the remaining 2 hours + of the film. I really struggled and I don't think my sleep was the reason.

The Eternals is a an extended spandex mess and really quite boring. Its hard to say why but for me it just was. I wasn't alone. My buddy thought so too. Not even Angelina Jolie could rescue it.

I imagine Jack Kirby's original super hero comics were much much more exciting.

Despite the movie being a let down I enjoyed getting out a lot.

Have you seen the Eternals or been to the cinema recently?

KONG CAPERS

Kong is on my mind at the mo. 

I know some of you have seen Godzilla V Kong already and I'm gearing up to. It'll be strange to go into a cinema again. Part of me still doesn't want to, which is scary in itself. The last time was probably February 2020, although I've no idea what I saw now.

Are you going to the cinema soon?

In the meantime I found this old King King game in the attic. Its based on  an earlier incarnation of the movie, the Jeff Bridges Jessica Lange 1976 version. The box art is the same as the cinema poster although the Empire State building has been ditched for the tallest buildings of the age. Despite the use of the Twin Towers, now a symbol of tragedy, I quite like it. Do you?

Only this morning reader Paul Adams sent me a picture with a different take on this iconic scene that fits in well here. I'll let Paul take up the story.

Hi, 

Not being a fan of heavy metal music, I have only just discovered this album cover by the British group Tygers of Pan Tang (never heard of them). Crazy Nights was released in 1981.

It features a truly great cover painting of a tiger atop the Post Office Tower in London, fighting off a pair of Tiger Moth biplanes.

Is this taking off King Kong, or the Kitten Kong episode of the TV series The Goodies ? What a great model this would make. The picture is from Amazon.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

THE CINEMA'S CLOSED

Its the end of an era for me. Cineworld has closed all its UK and US cinemas due to Covid.

I have been going to to my local Cineworld with a friend for years - maybe 15 or 20 - and during its orange Wednesday period we went every week. There was hardly any fantasy, horror and sci-fi we didn't see.

I'm really quite gutted its all over. Oh I know its meant to be a temporary closure but it feels like Cineworld has shut forever. The end of cinema-going with my film buddy.

Is the cinema near you still open?

CINEMA AL FRESCO

I recently watched a movie on DVD called Cinema Paradiso.

It was the story of an old and small Italian cinema, a young boy who loved film and the old cinema projectionist. A beautiful film all round and one which captured the sad fall of small cinemas everywhere I imagine.

One of the many memorable scenes was where the projectionist projected the film onto the side of a large white building. It looked superb!

I know people have projected films onto white sheets in gardens - I even have a vague memory of seeing King Kong on cine-film like this as a kid - but I haven't seen a film projected onto a wall.

I've been thinking which flick would do justice to a huge white wall and I reckon I know: Thunderbirds Are Go!

I think Zero-X would look great zooming round on a huge scale outdoors. If only I had a projector and a huge white wall!

Have you done anything like this readers? Which films would you watch on a wall or a sheet?

PS. there is a reference here online about old reel to reel Thunderbirds of such a size that they could be projected onto a wall!

https://thunderbirds.fandom.com/wiki/The_History_of_Thunderbirds_on_Audio_%26_Visual

FIRST MOON

There are so many TV programmes and movies about the Moon Landing I'm getting dizzy.

There was First Man at the cinema, then there's ARMSTRONG in the cinemas for one night only tomorrow on the 9th and then there's 8 Days to the Moon and Back this Wednesday 10th on BBC 2.

Did you see First Man?

VENOM

I've just seen Venom at the flicks.

Its stars hard man Tom Hardy.

Its not a straight Marvel movie which I found odd. No flickering marvel comic pages at the start. Venom was a McFarlane creation so that might explain it. Stan Lee does make an appearance though.

An odd super hero-villain Venom is like a Spiderman in black and brandishinga a huge mouth full of sharp chompers. It's actually an alien symbiote that attaches itself to a human host. It eats heads.

But rather than spoil any more Venom for now I wondered if you have been Venomed yourself yet?

What's On At The Local Cinema?

With time off work still ahead of me I'm off to the cinema this week.

There's loads of new films out. What would you go and see? Something not on the list?

*

Rampage is right up my alley. Its full of massive monsters flattening a city. What's not to like?

Ghost Stories is a series of creepy tales. Its described as the best British horror in years. Hype is always a worry.

Similarly A Quiet Place is hailed as the best American horror in years. Let everyone see the film first before throwing a party!

Avengers Infinity War, Marvel's latest boxing match, has Thanos entering the ring.

Ready Player One is a new Speilberg offering and may well just capture the Zeitgeist as he usually does.

Pacific Rim Uprising: more massive monster mayhem.

A Wrinkle in Time: based on a book of the same name about a wormhole.

Black Panther: more Marvel capes and japes.

Unsane: is that a new word? 

Tomb Raider: a tomb remake

Death Wish: a remake of Bronson's classic. Eli Roth directs. It'll be messy.

*

You coming too readers? Who's bringing the popcorn!

Manchester Evening News Saturday November 27th 1982 UK TV and Cinema Listings

I found this old Manchester Evening News newspaper from 1982 in an old family photo chest.

What interested me were the Saturday TV and cinema listings. I was 21 at the time and living in Germany.

In Britain these were the days of just 4 TV channels and countless small town-centre cinemas.

Interestingly they included a Saturday night thriller, which I assume was a TV play, 2 horror films - Fiend Without a Face and The Strange Door, a prime-time episode of Shogun and an episode of Cannon.

TV stations also ended early in the morning for the night as signified by the word 'close'.

What else catches your eye?

The cinema listings are a revelation and reminded me just how many cinemas there were showing both popular and in some 'blue' movies.

Films being shown included Zombie Creeping Flesh, the Warriors, the Entity, American Werewolf in London and Flesh Gordon.

Interestingly The Fall were playing a gig at Manchester's Lesser free Trade Hall. The influential lead singer Mark E. Smith, hailing from Salford, has passed away this week aged just 60.

 The suburban cinemas around Manchester were showing an even more eclectic mix of thrillers and sleaze with films like The Thing, Brimstone and Treacle, Poltergeist and Hot T-Shirts.

They were also showing Wolfen, one of my fave horror flicks of all time.

What would you have gone to see?

is the cinema too expensive?

Last week was significant.

I have been going to the cinema most of my life.

To see the new Wolverine flick Logan I did something I've never had to do before.

I paid over Ten Pounds!

It was in fact £10.20 to get into the local Cineworld.

This was a normal 2D showing for one. I dread to think what 3D IMAX costs or how much a family would have to pay!

Its ironic as on the way my friend and I were just discussing the rise of so-called firesticks, which allow new films to be seen illegally in the home on the day of release in the cinema and sometimes before!

Piracy like this is clearly getting to the film industry. At the end of Logan there was a written plea for people to continue going to the cinema as films provide jobs. 15,000 people worked on Logan for example.

As a die-hard cinema-goer I will carry on going to the flicks because I love the big screen but the admission price breaking through the Ten Pound ceiling is cause for thought.

How much is cinema admission in your neck of the woods?

THE MARTIAN: MATT DAMON ON MARS

Just come back from the local Cineworld having seen The Martian.

Despite everything I said yesterday about Multiplexes its films like this that make the Big Screen the best movie medium in the world.

The Martian is a stunning film. I loved every minute of it and Matt Damon was just excellent. Ridley Scott has done it again!

Think of a cross between Apollo 13, Gravity and Moon and you have an idea of how dramatic this film is. The vehicles and tech are superb too!

Go see!

HAS GOING TO THE CINEMA GOT WORSE?

I go to the cinema about once a month these days. It used to be once a week until a two for one offer was withdrawn in the UK Cineworld chain called Orange Wednesdays.

Its too expensive without the offer, costing around £10 for an adult ticket.

Over the years I have seen the death of the town centre cinema and the unstoppable rise of the Multiplex. At my own Cineworld I have seen the combining of the food counter with ticket sales, a rather cynical move I thought, together with allocated seating, which I can't stand to be honest as I like to choose exactly where I sit once inside. Or at least I did!

The latest efficiency is the reduction in size of the house magazine to a two sided leaflet. This is streamlining gone mad. No doubt the reasons quoted would be the change in peoples' reading habits but I personally think its a sad day when there is virtually no printed material in a cinema.

I have to face it though, as long as I love movies I will go to the cinema no matter what they do regardless of whether I like the changes or not. Only a totally ludicrous rise on price would stop me completely.

What are your cinema habits and experiences readers?

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA PAPERBACK FROM DINNINGTON NEAR SHEFFIELD

Just sorting some old books out, I came across this Battlestar Galactica paperback.

Books often tell you things about the owners and this one is a gem. The previous owner, from Dinington near Sheffield [who has blacked out his name], has not only stuck in a Cylon Warrior from the Action Transfers set but also what I suspect to be the stub from the cinema screening of the film way back when!

The stub says EMI on it. EMI ran the ABC cinema chain and I assume it came from a Sheffield ABC ticket. I can't find any info about Battlestar Galactica being shown at Sheffield ABC - dates, attendance - but I presume it was 1978. It will have looked something like this [taken in 1983]

picture: www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk

The  paperback also contains several pages of colour photographs including some fabulous artwork by the gifted Ralph McQuarrie.

I didn't see Battlestar Galactica at the cinema but I can appreciate the effort that has gone into personalising this paperback. Did you see the movie when it came out readers?

DISNEY'S MALIFICENT

Being a Disney fan of old, I have recently seen Malificent at the flicks. I didn't really know what to expect but within five minutes I was hypnotised. Angelina Jolie was simply mesmerising as the troubled fairy Malificent.

I have seen many modern takes on fairy tales and I suppose up to to press the most popular with the Twilight generation has been Snow White and the Huntsman. But, like its title, that film was a cluttered mess and for me added nothing to the age-old story.

Not so Malificent. Taking a fresh look at the Disney animated classic, Sleeping Beauty, the Director harnesses Jolie's natural grace and morphs it subtly into a truly frightening beauty. Her electric screen presence is amplified by the phenomenal special effects, which are easily worthy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy at its best.

Rather than the sleeper that I thought it was, Malificent has turned out to be fabulous Disney cinema, which I heartily recommend.

Anyone seen it?

First Night

Last night was a night of firsts. The first first was watching two films at the cinema one after the other. It's at least 10 years since I've done this, the last time being a triple bill of Zombie flicks. This time it was a pair of completely different films: When the Lights Went Out and Looper. This was the first time this decade I did the double.

 

 

When the Lights Went Out was a first because it's the only time I've watched a flick in the same town where the flick is set. Now this probably happens a lot in London or Las Vegas but not in Pontefract! The film concerns a famous poltergeist haunting in a council house during the 1960's here in West Yorkshire. It's a sort of Yorkshire Exorcist and the recreation of early 1970's family life is excellent with shelves full of games like Ker-Plunk and Buck-A-Roo, brown curtains and blue glass bottle vases. Watching it with a local cinema audience, knowing that the haunted house itself was within a mile of where we were sat, made for a unique experience, which I, and everybody else, thoroughly enjoyed.

 

 

The second film my mate Marcus and I saw, at around 9.30pm, was Looper, a sort of Time Cop/ Terminator mash up. I won't say anything except watch out for the kid. The second first happened during Looper. I had my first experience of being sat near a new cinema gimmick called D-Box. D-Box is what Fifties shockmeister William Castle would have called Vibrat-A-Vu or something similar: the specially fitted chairs, in the central rows, vibrate and wobble during particularly action-packed sequences. The shaking occupants of these jittery pews had their nachos well and truly tossed and I could hear their iced cokes rattling like dentures! I have got to go D-Box next time!

 

 

 

The third and final first was the sight that greeted my friend and I as we left the cinema near the stroke of Midnight, a time largely reserved for packs of nocturnal young things here in modern Britain. The local cinema is part of a sprawling complex of bars on the edge of town with a synthetic ski-slope at its core. It's late night persona is like a scene from the Rocky Horror Picture Show on ice. Tonight we saw a girl in a blue leotard stood on stilts disguised as huge knee-length black boots, hip dudes with boards searching for witchin' snow, young muscled men rippling in white T-shirts and tattooed biceps stood in the freezing night like sailors in New York and girls in nothing but jeans and white bras. Like Hotel California, it could be Heaven or it could be Hell. In my excited state I might have screamed if a troop of Pennywise the clowns had turned up. As it was, we tut-tutted at the barbarian hordes and scarpered to our geriatric cars!

 

 

What's your local cinema like?