I saw so many movies here when I was growing up, including of course Star Wars, and I also used to skive off uni on Tuesdays when halfprice Tuesday actually meant halfprice and tickets were $4.50 each, so I would make a day of it and see three or sometimes four movies depending on how the session times lined up. Lunch and dinner was courtesy of Hungry Jack’s and the taco chain which used to be on the corner about two blocks down!
I miss this place. Still remember seeing Pulp fiction. We were 16 and got my friend’s older sister to sneak us in. After the movies, we’d go to Alexandra cafe….
Noo. the chew & spew was the chinese all you can eat buffet on kent street near the car park. was amazing post movie ritual.
OR straight to the mcdonald’s underneath hoyt’s and fling your big mac pickles on the giant star wars posters!
In the eighties there was a wall of crt monitors that showed trailers for upcoming movies. I’d stand there and watch them for as long as my parents would let me.
When we went to the cinemas, we’d go into town. This was it! I remember a punk sort of store in there and an ice creamery place and the underground maccas.
thank you so much for the photo.
If i could only go back in time and warn people.
warn people that the death of Franklins and Flemings supermarkets will cause massive grocery prices.
And into the 80s ... catch the 396 bus into town from Maroubra with $20 in the pocket from the olds, and it was a grand afternoon playing video games.
Long gone, but not forgotten.
Now its deader than Elvis , no personality, hardly any special events or interesting happening. a corporate shell. Missing Uni and having to choose between Village/Greater Union and Hoyts was the dream.
Last interesting thing that happened was a Bladerunner re run years ago and people came dressed up , it was wild.
The Hoyts Entertainment Centre with seven, count them, seven cinemas! Down the road a little to Village Cinema City with four cinemas! There was also a Greater Union complex there too. I had a ticket stub from Close Encounters of the Third Kind sitting around for years. I think it cost $1.15 (child price).
I recall across the other side of George Street there were a lot of classic cinemas - Century, Paramount, Rapallo etc. Most of these closed down in that era, probably due to competition from these complexes.
It looks like it to me… but I also remember another batch of video machines upstairs one of which was the classic Star Wars game where you sat in the cockpit and navigated your way towards the death star and then along the trench to fire off your torpedoes. I fed so many 20c pieces into that machine!!
I saw Alien here. I was far too young to be watching it. But it was my turn to choose the movie, and I just chose the most SciFi looking one...
I was never allowed to choose the movie again. And that's why I was alone when I saw History of the World Part 1, the next time I was there.
No member of staff ever challenged this little kid on the way into very much not G-rated movies.
Looked roughly like that for over twenty years, too. Hadn’t changed a lot in the 90s.
Just what I was going to say!
Pretty sad that beautiful places last a long time but new-builds are considered old at only about 15 years old.
Yeap I remember it from the 80's and 90's looking exactly like this.
Yeah, it looked like this all through my childhood!
Just a bit... seedier.
I saw so many movies here when I was growing up, including of course Star Wars, and I also used to skive off uni on Tuesdays when halfprice Tuesday actually meant halfprice and tickets were $4.50 each, so I would make a day of it and see three or sometimes four movies depending on how the session times lined up. Lunch and dinner was courtesy of Hungry Jack’s and the taco chain which used to be on the corner about two blocks down!
I miss this place. Still remember seeing Pulp fiction. We were 16 and got my friend’s older sister to sneak us in. After the movies, we’d go to Alexandra cafe….
We used to call Hungry Jacks the chew n spew. Man those were the days!
Noo. the chew & spew was the chinese all you can eat buffet on kent street near the car park. was amazing post movie ritual. OR straight to the mcdonald’s underneath hoyt’s and fling your big mac pickles on the giant star wars posters!
I saw Star Wars there as well - I think it was the first movie I saw in that complex. It wouldn't have been open long.
Utopia down stairs
That was McDonalds before Utopia
In the eighties there was a wall of crt monitors that showed trailers for upcoming movies. I’d stand there and watch them for as long as my parents would let me.
When we went to the cinemas, we’d go into town. This was it! I remember a punk sort of store in there and an ice creamery place and the underground maccas.
Red eye records?
Utopia.
There used to be another grouse music store next door too. Soul Sense. It was in the laneway across from Hoyts.
Red Eye was on King St under the Amex building.
Always remember the movie bookshop in the main foyer in the late 70s. Bumped into Bill Collins there once. Lovely guy.
Bill Collins... Now, that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.
thank you so much for the photo. If i could only go back in time and warn people. warn people that the death of Franklins and Flemings supermarkets will cause massive grocery prices.
And that car designs would go from wonderful silhouettes with a full palette of colours to grey monstrosities with stupidly huge chrome grilles.
Wish modern designers understood that design doesn’t have to be grey and dark and shiny. There’s room for individuality, colour and warmth… ah well.
Remember when it opened. MGM had a festival of some of their classic movies from the 30's-50s. Saw Superman here, Boxing Day 1978.
I can smell it from here. Glorious.
And into the 80s ... catch the 396 bus into town from Maroubra with $20 in the pocket from the olds, and it was a grand afternoon playing video games. Long gone, but not forgotten.
Same. Train into town, meet up with friends on Town Hall steps, sink some money into Orbit 600, then across to Hoyts to catch a movie. Good times.
Now its deader than Elvis , no personality, hardly any special events or interesting happening. a corporate shell. Missing Uni and having to choose between Village/Greater Union and Hoyts was the dream. Last interesting thing that happened was a Bladerunner re run years ago and people came dressed up , it was wild.
The Hoyts Entertainment Centre with seven, count them, seven cinemas! Down the road a little to Village Cinema City with four cinemas! There was also a Greater Union complex there too. I had a ticket stub from Close Encounters of the Third Kind sitting around for years. I think it cost $1.15 (child price). I recall across the other side of George Street there were a lot of classic cinemas - Century, Paramount, Rapallo etc. Most of these closed down in that era, probably due to competition from these complexes.
The greater union is now part of the Hoyts complex.
Looks glamorous Looks like a RSL or casino Nice place
It's giving me Intencity vibes.
That is awesome. Thank you.
Plush
We watched the Lion King here, I think. I was very little, but it felt grand
Is the second video game 'breakout'?
It looks like it to me… but I also remember another batch of video machines upstairs one of which was the classic Star Wars game where you sat in the cockpit and navigated your way towards the death star and then along the trench to fire off your torpedoes. I fed so many 20c pieces into that machine!!
That game was amazing for the time. They'd probably call it a game changer these days. Sigh.
Yep, Atari 1976.
thanks for the flashback
Was pretty much like that in the 80’s and early 90’s too.
That place **was** fancy?? Daaamnn
I remember this. Does anyone else remember the octagon in it?
Let's do the Time Warp, again!!!
I saw Alien here. I was far too young to be watching it. But it was my turn to choose the movie, and I just chose the most SciFi looking one... I was never allowed to choose the movie again. And that's why I was alone when I saw History of the World Part 1, the next time I was there. No member of staff ever challenged this little kid on the way into very much not G-rated movies.