Unipex! 2024

Film  If you've been wondering why wind has been whistling through this old place lately it's because all of the excitement has been happening on BlueSky where I've been live skeeting (jesus) a read through of Empire Magazine.  All of it.  You can see the story so far here.  Part of the process has included retrospectively catching up on people or places mentioned in articles and while I'd usually do that via a thread over there.  On this occasion I decided to take advantage of having a blog.

From the September 1997 issue (#99), Uniplex! is a piece about single screen cinemas across the country which were still holding their own in the face of the "the explosion of multiplexes in the country (over 70 and counting)" and how that was changing the rituals of cinema going.  A number of auditoriums are mentioned throughout the article alongside interviews with owners and staff and I thought it would interesting to see how many of these establishments have survived and how they've changed.

As you'll see (spoilers!) the results are not great, with only three cinemas still in existence the rest having closed over time due to a drop in visitor numbers which could be attributed to home media or a multiplex opening nearby.  One of the extant venues isn't really a cinema any more although they do show films amid touring stand up comics and some theatre and one of the closed continues in a zombie like state at a local school.  Even in those places, the shared experience endures.

Ironically, The Point Multiplex in Milton Keynes, the first of its kind in the country and highlighted at the beginning of the article no longer exists.  With ownership and leases slipping between AMC Theatres, UCI, easyCinema and finally the Odeon, it currently houses a charity shop, record emporium and youth centre.  The building was purchased by a property developer who wants to demolish the building but as of July 2024 the local planning committee has rejected the proposals put forward.  

Open

Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds is thriving after a recent refurbishment which added a cafe and an extra screen in the basement.  You can compare what the cinema looked like in the 90s via the musical portions of my student film documentary from roughly that period with now, thanks to a MatterPort virtual tour.  Both include a glimpse inside the projection box.

The Kinema in the Woods, Lincolnshire, like the Hyde Park, is thriving judging by the website.  Like the HPPH, it's expanded into two screens and even has a Dalek in the foyer amongst all kinds of film memorabilia (including what looks like the same film poster which was up in my Dad's workplace for many years).  They also have a 2D walkthrough.

Duke of York's, Brighton is now a Picture House Cinema.  They bought it in 1994 and it still remains a single screen venue.

Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy, Fife is now a multi-use facility which includes theatre and the odd film.  All tickets are a fiver and CCed.  Back in the day, the breakfast club included a fry-up.  Now it's a bagel.

Closed

The Cinema Pleasures database reports that Flicks in Deal, Kent closed in December 2007.  Google Street View shows that by 2009 it became the Rivals night club the following year, by 2015 it was the Ocean Rooms Night Club and Bar and by the looks of things still is.  

The Screen De Luxe, Isle of White closed in September 2000 with a screening of Gladiator.  Cinema Pleasures reports "Permission was granted to convert the building into a fitness centre, but this may or may not have occurred. It was last used as a hardware store specialising in floor materials. By 2016 it was a veterinary clinic."  It still is a veterinary clinic.

The Coliseum, Portmadog originally closed in 1983 but was re-opened in 1984 via a committee of local residents and staffed by volunteers.  Sadly it closed again in January 2011 and demolished in 2016.  Apparently the original cash register was found amongst the rubble.

The Ritz, Gosport, Hants closed in 1999, just two years after the article and demolished in 2001.  The local sixth form college now has film screenings every other Thursday night during term time which they call The Ritz @ St Vincent.