Page 30 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

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NEW ZEALAND NEWS
Around The Towns - Tony Froude
The mini-cinema concept remains
popular. The Lighthouse Petone,
already with four screens (including
Cinema 4 with a curtain), has opened a
ten-seat cinema lounge for small parties.
At Fielding, a small cinema called
Focal Point is linked to a coffee lounge
and wine bar.
The Coehaven at Otaki, a DVD
operation, is closed for a major upgrade
by its new owner. Revamp at the Embassy Amalgated takes on Sky City
The boutique cinema at Waikanae, Wellington’s Embassy Theatre Australian hotel and cinema owner
which opened last Christmas with two received a spruce-up in December ahead Amalgamated Holdings is working on
screens, one with 35 mm projection, of the New Zealand premiere of Peter an agreement to buy the New Zealand
has apparently forced the change, as Jackson's “The Lovely Bones”. SkyCity based Sky City Cinema business for
predicted in CR61. Cinemas also took the opportunity to $47.3 million.($NZ59million) This
replace the Simplex/Stong 35/70mm 4 business is the leading circuit in New
Christchurch Odeon seeks
Saviour. speed projector with a Kineton unit and Zealand with more than 35 percent of
platter system which came from another the NZ box office revenue.
The magnificent 132-year-old Tuam
SkyCity house that had recently gone The deal may include up to 14
St building is up for mortgagee sale,
digital. The Simplex/Strong machine cinemas (106 screens) as well as an
but if no buyer came forward it is
was installed new in 1997 but in later interest in Rialto Cinemas (16 screens)
hoped that a tenant could be found to
years gave poor power output, would and 10 screens in Fiji. The sale is
use the building as a theatre.
overheat then freeze. expected to be finalised and completed
The building was offered to council by
property developer David Henderson for New Cinema Opens by mid Februaty 2010.
$1.03 million when it bought five other Hamilton’s newly named cinema,
properties from him for $17m last year, The Lido, built on the remnants of the
however they resolved not to purchase the old Rialto opened at the beginning of
building due to the cost of refurbishment. December 2009. The independent
cinema has a number of interesting
The theatre was bought by
shareholders, including a leader
Henderson for $1.335m in 2006 and
exhibitor chain and a major film
first mortgagee Allied Nationwide
distribution company.
Finance has ordered the sale. Funding Re-Opens Town’s Cinema
Balmoral Capitol restoration
Tokoroa’s Cinema 3 re-opened on
Early in 2009 owners of Auckland’s
3rd December 2009 after the South
Epsom’s Lido Cinema added the famed
Waikato District Council allocated
Capitol Balmoral to their stable. The
funding to bring movies back to the
theatre has been restored to its former
town. The $10,000 spent by council
glory - a single screen luxury theatre
getting the venue up to scratch should
with 100 roomy plush seats which now
be returned over the holiday period. It’s
occupy the cinema’s old balcony.
hoped that with ticket prices at $9
3D at Hokitika Regent adults and $6 children, that the cinema
Mighty Civic Celebrates 80 Years Only two weeks after going fully will eventually become self funding.
Mid December saw the Civic digitised the Regent Theatre at
Theatre Auckland celebrate its 80th Hokitika has installed the new modern Newsreel Reporting By:
birthday with a party organised by 3-D system. The XpanD three- Colin Flint; Brian Hunt: Peter Jackson;
“Friends of the Civic”. The Mayor; dimensional system is the best available
local Councillors; Industry people and says trust spokesman, Bruce Watson, David Lascelles; Roderick Smith;
the public of Auckland attended. Guest and would pay off in the longer term. Kevin Adams: Ross King; Ian Hanson;
of honour was American Film The independent community run theatre Tony Froude & Correspondents.
Historian/Author/reviewer, Leonard was expected to be ready for James Unless credited otherwise, Images are from the
Maltin. Cameron's “AVATAR” release. Kevin Adams collection

30 2010 CINEMARECORD