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C IN E MARECORD

Two More Cinemas for Palace Balwyn?

Palace have announced plans to add two screens to their Balwyn Cinemas. Plans include demolition of a building next door
on Whitehorse Rd. for a two story office building. The extra screens would add 420 seats to the existing 784 capacity triplex.

Palace have said that they would provide an extra eighteen undercover car spaces, increasing parking at the cinema from
twenty to \hirty eight spaces. Local residents are up in arms as they say that their streets are "impassable and unsafe and more
seating will make it worse". Boroondara Council stated that "Very clearly the issue is going to be car parking" Closing date
for responses was 26 October, but Council said that it would receive public responses until it considered the application.
Source: Progress Press, 26 October 1998. Forwarded by Ian Williams

Dendy Brighton Expansion
An application has been made to Bayside Council for two additional cinemas at Palace's Dendy Brighton. Plans are to convert
an existing office area at the rear of the building. Present seating is about 850 and the new cinemas would accomodate a
further 510 patrons. By Brian Miller.

Brighton Bay Refurbishment

The Palace Brighton Bay twin cinemas have recently been refurbished with new seats and carpeting. By Brian Miller.

Star Wars Prequels to be Filmed in Austral.ia
Two new Star Wars prequels. parts two and three· are to be filmed at the new Fox Studios in Sydney NSW. Announcing this
in Sydney, Director George Lucas said that not only was Australia very attractive cost-wise for filmmakers, but that the talent
of our production crews was also an important consideration.
The Star Wars project is a huge coup for the Australian film industry. Filming wiJI start in January 2000 and wiU create 1000
jobs. The storyline will include the origin of Darth Vader and what made him the man he is.

The first Star Wars prequel was filmed in the UK and has recently been completed. It is due for release in about six months.
Visit The Official Stars Wars Website http;//www.starwars.com for information on the prequels, including scenes from the
making of Episode I.
Source: 3LO, Report on PM Program, 4tlr November 1998.

UK Multiplex News

Construction of large multiplex cinemas is continuing in the UK. A new multiplex at Erdington will be a Warner Village
cinema with 30 screens and a total of 6,000 seats, due to open towards the end of 1999. Hoyts are building a multiplex in
Dartford, Kent. Most of the new multiplexes are built at motorway junctions.

Classic: .Work Starts on Two New Cinemas

Now that Cinema 2 has opened at the Classic Elsternwick at the rear of the upstairs foyer, demolition work is completed on
the adjoining property in Gordon Street where two more auditoriums will be built. By Brian Miller

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