8mm Forum: Waikari Cinema

This is topic Waikari Cinema in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 20, 2012, 06:07 PM:

Last Sunday I went with forum member Pat Walsh to a small North Canterbury town where he has set up projecting films in the Memorial Hall. Its the first time films have been shown in that town since the 70s. Waikari is a small country town with a population of around 800. Pat had bought the Kinoton from the cinema where I last worked, so I was most interested in seeing that projector back up and running again. The town is about one hour drive north from Christchurch. At the moment he only shows films on the Saturday. The support from the locals has been very good, anyway nice to see something like this back up and running. Although I was thinking it might be an idea for the locals to bring along more comfortable seating for a long movie, as the hall does not get a lot of use the seats could be left there. Also at Waikari there is the Weka Pass Vintage steam railway which runs every so often on a Sunday.

Popcorn machine on the left I understand is very popular.

Pat operating the masking from flat to Scope...turn of a wheel. [Smile]

The Kinoton.

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on May 20, 2012, 06:26 PM:

How awesome Graham! Keep those stories and pics coming.

PatD

Posted by Wayne Tuell (Member # 1689) on May 21, 2012, 08:47 PM:

<<<insert clapping hands here>>>

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on May 21, 2012, 09:02 PM:

Is the projector permanently installed or temporary?

And how Pat can deal with film's copyright owner?

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 21, 2012, 10:35 PM:

The Kinoton is there for the time being as his Rangiora cinema is closed due to that building needing to be strengthen.

The prints themselves come from the film distributors the usual way.

Graham.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on May 21, 2012, 11:11 PM:

Graham, if this is not part of the trade secret, could you tell me how the business can be going on with the population only 800? say that the theatre is full packed (by 100 people?) and ticket price is $5/show.

What about the cost of bulb, fuel for driving one hour or two hours v.v, copy rights, etc.

Is this some kind of charity or sort of?

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on May 21, 2012, 11:11 PM:

Awesome!

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on May 22, 2012, 01:08 AM:

Hi Winbert
The prints he is getting are not the latest releases. With "second release" prints that have done the run as we call it, the take from the film distributor is very low. It will be interesting how things go in time. With small towns like that, with one pub and a pie shop [Smile]

they need something a bit more. As its rural its something farmers and the kids can go to as its a long drive to the city.

Lamp wise the Xenon on the Kinoton will last for a very long time. I used to change it about once a year and thats with the projector running 12-14hrs a day every day of the week, so what Pat is doing to clock up those hours will take years.

Graham.

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on May 22, 2012, 01:52 AM:

Thanks for posting the pictures Graham!, the projector is a Kinoton FP20A running 7000ft reels, so I have an intermission which is good as people come out and buy up large at the candy shop!, Just sitting here working out next month's schedule, I am running on Saturdays only at 2,5 and 8pm.
[Big Grin]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on May 22, 2012, 03:32 AM:

Graham,it sounds like my kind of town,a pub,a pie shop and a
picture house,what more does anyone need.Great pictures,and
it really must be nice for to be able to view older films in the cinema
like it used to be in this country.Even in the '70s the films weren't
always the most recent that were shown in the UK but folks still went to see them.The folks in that little town are fortunate to have a cinema
that caters to them instead of the corporations,most excellent.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on August 18, 2012, 02:56 PM:

My wife and I paid Pat a visit at Waikari early Saturday afternoon and it was a real joy, he even let me press the start button on the Kinoton [Smile]

Later I talked to a local family who attended the kids screening and were really pleased that Pat was running films for the community. It was nice to hear positive feedback like that. The evening show on 35mm was "The Artist" we were gone by that stage, but well done Pat good programme.

Graham.

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on August 18, 2012, 04:41 PM:

Hi Graham, had about 30 odd in for THE ARTIST and what I great film!, there is only 3 copies in the country so I have had to wait to screen it for about 5 months!

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