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WORLD'S LARGEST SCREEN TO CLOSE (1 Viewer)

cinemiracle

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The world's largest screen is about to be demolished. On 25th September Sydney's Imax cinema will close and it will be demolished. It will be rebuilt on the same site but will be smaller - 430 seats as against the current 520. It will still have the world's largest screen when it is rebuilt in 3 years time. Imax didn't come to Australia until more than 20 years after the USA. It is still the second most profitable Imax in the world. This is one cinema that has superb presentation and all the staff are very friendly and helpful - a rarity to-day when visiting a cinema. Sydney will still have an Imax in another cinema complex in the suburbs but that screen is very, very small.
 

Tony Bensley

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The world's largest screen is about to be demolished. On 25th September Sydney's Imax cinema will close and it will be demolished. It will be rebuilt on the same site but will be smaller - 430 seats as against the current 520. It will still have the world's largest screen when it is rebuilt in 3 years time. Imax didn't come to Australia until more than 20 years after the USA. It is still the second most profitable Imax in the world. This is one cinema that has superb presentation and all the staff are very friendly and helpful - a rarity to-day when visiting a cinema. Sydney will still have an Imax in another cinema complex in the suburbs but that screen is very, very small.
If it's so profitable, why is it even being torn down, especially in favor of a smaller capacity Imax? It seems like they'll be making less money, which flies in the face of today's maximize profit mentality!

Every once in a while, I run across something that makes absolutely no sense to me, and this is definitely one of those! A real head scratcher!

Has anyone involved come out and stated why they are doing this?

CHEERS! :)
 

cinemiracle

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If it's so profitable, why is it even being torn down, especially in favor of a smaller capacity Imax? It seems like they'll be making less money, which flies in the face of today's maximize profit mentality!

Every once in a while, I run across something that makes absolutely no sense to me, and this is definitely one of those! A real head scratcher!

Has anyone involved come out and stated why they are doing this?

CHEERS! :)

The building was sold a few years ago and a new bigger building (20 stories) will replace it. This will include a 588 room hotel ,shops, restaurants and an Imax cinema that have larger seats than what they have now. It will be a much more comfortable cinema. The screen will still be the world's largest so I guess the cinema will be the same size roughly, just with bigger seats and 90 gold class seats where you can dine while you watch the film. It is situated in one of the most popular tourist and main convention areas in the city. The current cinema is not sound proof from the sound of music that occurs from a bar on the ground floor outside the cinema. It used to be most annoying.
 

nara

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...where you can dine while you watch the film.

I can't think of anything more distracting than trying to watch a film while having a meal. It would be even worse than having to contend with someone near you using a cellphone!

Madness! :thumbsdown:
 

Tony Bensley

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The building was sold a few years ago and a new bigger building (20 stories) will replace it. This will include a 588 room hotel ,shops, restaurants and an Imax cinema that have larger seats than what they have now. It will be a much more comfortable cinema. The screen will still be the world's largest so I guess the cinema will be the same size roughly, just with bigger seats and 90 gold class seats where you can dine while you watch the film. It is situated in one of the most popular tourist and main convention areas in the city. The current cinema is not sound proof from the sound of music that occurs from a bar on the ground floor outside the cinema. It used to be most annoying.
I assumed that the building consisted only of the IMAX cinema, itself. With your fleshing out of the additional details, the tearing down and rebuilding makes a lot more sense to me now! This should be a fantastic setup, once completed!

CHEERS! :)
 

cinemiracle

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I can't think of anything more distracting than trying to watch a film while having a meal. It would be even worse than having to contend with someone near you using a cellphone!

Madness! :thumbsdown:

I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunately people eat small meals and snacks in gold class (or similar class seats) today in many cinema complexes. Some people even take glasses of wine to their seats. This is a safety risk if someone happens to walk on the glass if left on the floor. I also find it most annoying to sit next to a person munching popcorn. I never heard of popcorn being sold in cinemas until I visited the USA for the first time. At least one cinema complex where I live, refuses to sell popcorn.
 

cinemiracle

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I assumed that the building consisted only of the IMAX cinema, itself. With your fleshing out of the additional details, the tearing down and rebuilding makes a lot more sense to me now! This should be a fantastic setup, once completed!

CHEERS! :)

The current Imax does have small function centre on one upper floor as well as many food outlets on the ground floor but outside the building. I once spent a few hours in the projection room before they had digital.That was an amazing experience.
 

nara

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I never heard of popcorn being sold in cinemas until I visited the USA for the first time. At least one cinema complex where I live, refuses to sell popcorn.

It really is disgusting messy stuff, but it seems to be ingrained into the USA cinema experience. Certainly here in the UK the better independents don't sell it.
 

Worth

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The TIFF Lightbox in Toronto has a film by film policy on popcorn. It's not allowed in screenings of "serious" films, but is for Hollywood blockbusters and other "entertainments".
 

cinemiracle

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If cinemagoers in the USA knew what their popcorn was coated with, I am sure that they would not buy it. It is purely junk food
 

Kevin Hewell

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I couldn't imagine going to the movies without popcorn. It's been sold in the cinemas here since the earliest days of silent films.
 

cinemiracle

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I couldn't imagine going to the movies without popcorn. It's been sold in the cinemas here since the earliest days of silent films.

Did they really sell popcorn in cinemas during the earliest days of silent cinema.? Selling popcorn in cinemas used to be strictly an American thing. It is junk food nowadays
 

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