Posted by Rooster on 19th March 2008 03:21 PM:



Eathquake,Rollercoaster,Battle of Midway and Battlestar Galatica were the four movies shown in sensurround.
Earthquake also had a re run at the Barclay in sensurround in 1981.

Posted by Petticoats on 20th May 2008 11:02 PM:



Ok guys.

Since I worked at ALL of the following old cinemas in Sydney here is a definative list.

Forum......... George St West, near Railway Square.
Barclay....... George St West , Haymarket (near Gouldburn st)
Village .........George St West (Near Liverpool St)
Roma...........George St East opposite Village
Rapallo.......George St West , between Liverpool and Bathurst St.
Paramount.....George St West Next door to Rapallo
Century.........George St East Near Bathurst st
Plaza ...........George St East between Liverpool and Bathurst
Crystal Palace......George St East next door to Century.
Regent............Cnr Of George St West and Bathurst St South.

Town........Pitt St west, South of Park St
Liberty........Pitt St east between Market and Park St
Gala.........Pitt St East next to the Liberty
Lyceum......Pitt St east Near The Liberty

Mayfair.......Castlereagh St West between Market and King St
Embassy.......Castlereagh St West nearer Market St

State Theatre....Market St South between George and Pitt st
State Theatrette....In the State Theatre Basement.

Paris.........Cnr Liverpool St South and Wentworth avenue west.

I can tell you anything you want to know about any of these cinemas and other Sydney city and suburban cinemas , just drop me a line

Petticoats

Posted by Petticoats on 20th May 2008 11:21 PM:



I remember those films well Rooster.

The Forum staff actually put a crack in the wall of the milk bar next door while testing Sensurround. There was also an incident where a workman fell through the roof of the cinema during a perfomance of Earthquake. The audience thought it was part of the show...true!!
Other famous films shown there, were Stone and Enter the Dragon.
The Forum was originally a rare 3 tier cinema. i.e Stall, mid lounge, and dress circle. The top level was closed during the 60's.

Do you remember this quote from the beginning of Earthquake.

"" YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE"
Earthquake has been filmed with the multi dimensional sound process called SENSURROUND.

Please be aware that you will FEEL as well as see events such as what might be experienced in an actual Earthquake.

The Management of this theatre accepts no responsibility for the physical or emotional well being of the individual viewer.

Thankyou.""

Seeya

Petticoats

Posted by Rooster on 22nd May 2008 11:38 AM (then edited 11:50 AM):



Ahh yes the Paris cinema,i remember seeing the classic "Bullet Train" there

Posted by Rooster on 22nd May 2008 11:47 AM:



lol,the warning was a classic at the start of Earthquake, alot of people gasped when the announcement came up on screen,if i remember rightly it was in red on the screen.I wish they could have put this as an extra at the start of the movie on the DVD release,that would have been cool.
I had heard about the damage to the milkbar but had not heard about the worker falling through the roof though.Apparently the Chinese theatre in LA rigged netting over the ceiling because the plaster would crack with the rumbles.
Also when i saw Battlestar Gallitica at the Forum one of the rumbles caused a dead pidgeon to fall from the ceiling to the seat in front of me,gave me a fright.

Posted by DHARMA on 22nd May 2008 12:43 PM:


ROTFLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!

Im hurting from laughing so hard............. thats hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Petticoats on 23rd May 2008 01:08 AM:



I have to admit I don't recall a season of the Bullet Train at the Paris, but Hoyts often switched cinemas for movies back then.

I remember its main season was actually at the Plaza Cinema. It screened pretty soon after the season of The Towering Inferno, and around the time of Taxi Driver.

I always remember the corny Japanese to english dubbing on the Bullet Train trailer. Came up good on the BIG Plaza screen though.

Petticoats.

Posted by Bran on 23rd May 2008 01:12 AM:

Ahh, the Plaza, always one of my favourite cinemas.

I loved the Forum, too. The last movie I saw there was "2001: A Space Odyssey".
Three times in one week, as I recall.

Posted by Petticoats on 23rd May 2008 01:17 AM:



The Forum had a few funny stories like that, The oyster shaped light fittings kept falling out of the roof as well, they eventually had to be taken out. I loved the big domed dress circle foyer.
My funniest memory of the Forum was during the season of "Stone". There was always a queue outside for the next session and of course with that came a bikie brawl almost every night. In those days you could park outside, and the whole block became a power struggle as it got ringed with bikes.

Petticoats

Posted by Petticoats on 23rd May 2008 01:22 AM:



Hi Bran

The Plaza was my fave too. It was Hoyts Flagship Cinema before the Complexes opened. My Fave movie to see there was Towering Inferno. I'm a biit young to have seen 3 strip Cinerama but 70mm single strip at the Plaza was still pretty huge.

Posted by Rooster on 23rd May 2008 10:04 AM:



I saw the Towering Inferno quite a few times at the Plaza.Also saw Grizzly there,what a shocker movie.

Posted by Petticoats on 23rd May 2008 10:29 AM:



Good One Rooster

Ah Grizzly...thay called that "the biggest eat em up since Jaws".

Other Movies shown there around that time were.

Juggernaught
The Streetfighter
Deep Red
Mother Jugs and Speed
it's A Mad Mad World in SL Cinerama
and they even did a return of the 5 Planet of the Ape Movies Marathon.

and one of my faves....
All This and World War 2 . This was screened with a slightly watered down version of Tommy's Quintaphonic Sound Unit.

Just another note for the Sensurround enthusiasts. If your wondering whatever happend to it. It was taken out of the Forum, watered down, A LOT, and put in the Rapallo, for Exorcist 2. The it went to The Pitt Centre where it was renamed Devilsurround and used for a movie called "Behind The Door"

Petticoats

Posted by cinema worker on 29th June 2008 02:31 PM:



I thought the Charles Bronsan movie The Streetfighter as it was titled back then was showing after The Towering Inferno? The movie is now called Hard Times on DVD.

Posted by cinema worker on 29th June 2008 02:36 PM:



What memories, I saw The Towering Inferno at the Plaza so many times that I lost count. That massive 75 feet screen really pulled me in to that once ornate theatre.
I remember the 70mm print showing there had an intermission and since the screen was so large, the curtains closed in advance slowly before the intermission logo appeared for part one to finish.
Those were the days, now we have cinemas with walls and a screen, that is all, nothing ornate about the cinemas now. Pity there are no photos of the Plaza and other old cinemas that once stood in Sydney.

Posted by cinema worker on 29th June 2008 03:06 PM:



Yes, that was the Roma cinema. It screened PATTON there as well after it moved from another theatre.