Comments from Johncine

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Johncine
Johncine commented about Reel Cinema on Dec 11, 2021 at 2:42 am

AIRPLANE holds the record for the longest-running film at the cinema - 53 weeks between 1980 and 1981. Was a popular choice in early 1981 in Screen 4, given that nobody could watch FLASH GORDON. My folks saw DRESSED TO KILL in Screen 2, whilst my brother and I watched it in Screen 4

Johncine
Johncine commented about Cannon Birmingham on May 25, 2012 at 7:43 am

@KavanH. Maybe they should also lobby local councils to put the Odeon Queensway back in order as a rep cinema. That was another great place and one that could play 70mm when it could.

Johncine
Johncine commented about Cannon Birmingham on May 25, 2012 at 7:42 am

One other memory from the BTTF premiere was the DeLorean they purposefully parked in John Bright St.

Johncine
Johncine commented about Cannon Birmingham on May 25, 2012 at 7:42 am

The Futurist does conjure up many memories for me. I attended the 1985 premiere of BACK TO THE FUTURE, which had Rustie Lee as guest of honour. I rather foolishly thought we were going to only get the film, but instead we got the whole programme, including the Kate Bush video CLOUDBUSTING. Other memories are of seeing the STAR TREK 1,2,3 triple bill, in which the film burned during the opening Klingon Battle sequence, plus seeing the likes of BEVERLY HILLS COP, STAR TREK IV, CROCODILE DUNDEE 2, RAMBO FIRST BLOOD PART 2, MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME, CITY HEAT. Other notable films to play here included a reissue of GONE WITH THE WIND with queues around the block, THE GETAWAY, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY. I live and work in London now, but the memories still remain

Johncine
Johncine commented about Grove Cinema on May 24, 2012 at 8:23 am

Also remember seeing THE SPY WHO LOVED ME / THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN in a double bill.

Johncine
Johncine commented about Grove Cinema on May 24, 2012 at 8:22 am

Ahhh, The Grove. For a nine year old boy living just down the road from this cinema brings back glorious memories of watching the likes of SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER / SPIDER-MAN (Nicholas Hammond) in 1977, THE RESCUERS, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS and being allowed to watch this and STAR TREK – THE MOTION PICTURE twice on the same night. Had fine memories of seeing the first FRIDAY THE 13TH poster outside. Bollywood films would play at the weekends. Tended to play CIC / COLUMBIA/EMI/WARNER – DISNEY distributed fair, although on occasion you’d get films like THE EXTERMINATOR playing. In 1980 BRONCO BILLY was playing and we tried to get in, but they had a technical fault with the projectors. Was told apparently that the biggest audiences were for things like GREASE and SOLDIER BLUE.

Johncine
Johncine commented about Odeon Queensway on Jan 10, 2012 at 6:52 am

One of the better cinemas from my childhood – this was the place where I saw STAR WARS on it’s original run in 1978 and on a 70mm reissue in 1979. I also saw the likes of LORD OF THE RINGS, ALIENS, CROCODILE DUNDEE, SHORT CIRCUIT, KARATE KID PART 2. By 1987 though, the audiences had dwindled with the likes of CREEPSHOW 2 and SPACEBALLS not getting the audiences. Much missed by long remembered.

Johncine
Johncine commented about Odeon Birmingham on Jan 10, 2012 at 6:50 am

Ah, the memories. I saw MOONRAKER (1979), ROCKY III (1982), BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987) here when it was a single screen. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS was also the film that reopened the cinema as a cinema only after the last gig in the summer of 1987. I also saw Huey Lewis and The News at their sell-out gig in 1986. Always bizarre that the Widescreen movies played on a bigger screen than the Scope Films. Disney films and CARRIE were also two other movie regulars here.

Johncine
Johncine commented about ABC New Street on Jan 10, 2012 at 6:46 am

The Odeon was bizarre, because it played 1:85 films on a bigger screen than the 2.35, bringing the masking down the screen.

Johncine
Johncine commented about ABC New Street on Nov 9, 2011 at 7:29 am

Some memorable evenings here. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA in SENSURROUND, SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II, FLASH GORDON, HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1 / BLAZING SADDLES. Possibly suffered a bit in light of the fact that it never had children’s prices. Other films notable to play here were the likes of OUTLAND, SHARKY’S MACHINE, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, THE TOWERING INFERNO,DRACULA(1979), BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS, QUADROPHENIA,MAD MAX and PHANTASM. Still memorable as one of the biggest screens at the time alongside the Gaumont.

Johncine
Johncine commented about Cannon Bristol Road on Nov 7, 2011 at 5:59 am

Some great memories here, although by the twilight year of 1987, the cinema was not really getting the custom it used to. Films like INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, SUPERMAN II and BACK TO THE FUTURE was long-runners here. I do remember watching the Charles Bronson movie ASSASSINATION and STAND BY ME and having to watch repeat screenings of the Music Promo for AN AMERICAN TAIL, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE. I also attended a preview of FLETCH in the autumn of 1985 and a double-bill of FIRST BLOOD and RAMBO 2

Johncine
Johncine commented about Gaumont Birmingham on Nov 7, 2011 at 5:55 am

June 15th 1980 is a day long-remembered. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK premiered it’s run here. Two months before, I saw THE BLACK HOLE on opening day here as well and was amongst the audience blown away by the EMPIRE teaser trailer. I also saw STAR WARS / EMPIRE double bill, DRAGONSLAYER and ROBIN HOOD on reissue. A big-screen sadly missed now, but one of my favourite places of all time. ROCKY II replaced THE BLACK HOLE after three weeks.