Page 4 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

Letters • NEWSREEL •
•• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • • •
••
••
•
•
Australia •• CINEMA, THEATRE & ••
•
ABN 37 195 378 179 •• SHOWBUSINESS NEWS •
•
Reg A0020747R • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• • •• •
The aims of CATHS are: to record the Raycophone Memories INTERNATIONAL
history of cinemas and theatres, and to I enjoyed the scope and detail of No-Go Zone For Popcorn?
promote interest in theatre heritage and Tim Armstrong’s The Magic Box (CR
architecture, and other related areas. Increasing numbers of British
59). I first came across Raycophone
Patrons: projectors when I was 13 years old! cinemas are banning popcorn.
Frank Van Straten OAM Peter Smith OAM It was 1953 and Hoyts were still According to Daniel Broch, owner
Philip Brady of the Everyman cinema in London's
running movies in the Coburg Town
Committee: Hall. upmarket Hampstead district, who
President: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 recently bought 17 more venues, “I will
Vice President: Peter Wolfenden 9744 2570 Somehow or other, I managed to de-popcorn every new venue I acquire.
Secretary: Mike Trickett 5278 1986 wheedle my way in as an unpaid It has a disproportionate influence in
Treasurer: Barrie Wraith 9435 9785 assistant for one night a week. (I think terms of its overwhelming smell, the
Rodney Bendix 9563 2927 my mother organised it). The
Shane Moore 9859 5126 projectionist was Charlie Griffin (he is cultural idea of it and the operational
★ still with us - I know his son Mark), and problems created by the mess it
produces”.
Qld. Convenor: the regular assistant was Keith Harwood.
Steve Maggs 0413 805 320 This went on for a few months The Picturehouse Cinema, a chain
★ while I was at University High School. of 19 cinemas across Britain, will trial
popcorn-free screenings in September.
Archivist: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 Years later I would work a Raycophone
Events Co-ordinator: unit again - amongst others - in my But other cinemas which tried to go
Brian Miller 9557 7446 own right (See story page 26). popcorn-free, including the Curzon
Film Buffs Group: chain, found that customers demanded it.
Mike Trickett 5278 1986 Harold Aspinall, Mt Martha - Brisbane Times, 10 August
Publications Sales:
Garry Saunders 9812 7227 Tui Sound Heads Village Moves In USA
Membership Secretary: Peter O’Reilly The article on sound and projection Village Roadshow is opening a
PO Box 476 Bentleigh Vic. 3204 equipment in CR59 was excellent, and I
CinemaRecord Editor: learned a lot. On the New Zealand front luxury cinema in the affluent Chicago
Ian Smith there was one error unwittingly copied suburb of South Barrington.
iansmith8@bigpond.com In October comes a Gold Class
CATHS website: from an incorrect NZ reference. Complex at the Redmond Town Centre
www.caths.org.au Cinema Supplies Ltd. did not
Postal address: manufacture the Tui soundhead; they in the Seattle area. The company is said
PO Box 476, Bentleigh 3204. to be planning to invest more than
sold and distributed them under the
★ name Realtone. The Tui was made by $200m. to open 50 cinemas across the
Membership Bettany Engineering Ltd. of Wellington. USA in the next five years.
Annual membership subscription is $40, David Lascelles, Wellington NZ -Internet sources
(overseas subscribers $50) and AUSTRALIA
members receive four copies of Producer’s Representative
CinemaRecord, notification of events, I was most interested in the story Imax and Hoyts Joint Venture
and copies of the agenda and minutes The Producer’s Representative: An IMAX Corporation and Pacific
of all meetings. There is no joining fee. Overlooked Player In Film Distribution Equity Partners the owners of Hoyts
Meetings (CR 59). The situation for smaller film Cinemas Ltd. have announced an
Meetings are held on the last Sunday of production companies was exactly the agreement to install four IMAX(R)
February, April, June, August, October & same in New Zealand, as most NZ theatres in Sydney, Melbourne and
November. Perth. This will be the Company's first
Archive rights were sold ‘bundled’ with the
The Archive is located in the Prahran Australian rights. international joint venture deal
Mechanics’ Institute, 140 High Street David Lascelles, Wellington NZ featuring the Company's new IMAX(R)
Prahran, 9510 3393. The Archive will Bass Hill Drive-In Digital theatre system and doubles the
be open between 9.30am and 12.30pm IMAX footprint in Australia.
on the Saturday before each meeting The Newsreel item on the closure of World-wide, IMAX has signed
(see above), and at other times by Bass Hill Drive-In (CR58) reported that contracts for more than 180 IMAX(R)
appointment with the archivist. the site will become a residential Digital theatre systems, with
Publications development. approximately 50 scheduled to be
Back issues of CinemaRecord, other Greater Union, which owned the installed by the end of 2008.
publications, CDs and videos are drive-in, are behind the housing project,
available at meetings. Items are also possibly through a subsidiary company IMAX and Hoyts will share in the
available by mail. Please contact Garry formed for the purpose. cost and profitability of the new
Saunders on 9812 7227 for details. theatres. The first three will be installed
William Gray, Sydney
at the Entertainment Quarter 12 in
4 2008 CINEMARECORD