METROPOLIS CINEMA PLANNED FOR Woolston, Christchurch Metropolis, a new two-screen cinema at The Tannery shopping centre in Woolston, will open early next year and heralds the return of arthouse cinema to Christchurch. Charlie Gates reports. When Paul Stewart first bought a video player in 1983, he instantly saw it as a way to bring arthouse movies to the New Zealand masses.He shelved his dream of a chain of arthouse cinemas and opened Alice in Videoland, the movie rental store that still thrives in central Christchurch nearly 30 years later. Now, Stewart and his son Jeremy are returning to that dream and using new technology to once again bring arthouse movies to Christchurch. Two years ago Jeremy Stewart opened a small digital cinema, called the Cinematique, in the Alices building on the corner of High and Tuam Sts and early next year will open a new two-screen cinema at The Tannery shopping centre in Woolston. It is a dream coming true, says Paul Stewart. It is the same philosophy as before. I have been a cinephile forever and day. The freedom Alices had with videos we can now transfer to the big screen. The two-screen cinema will be fitted with the latest digital technology, opening Christchurch up to a range of movies and film festivals that would otherwise not get a release here. The new Woolston cinema will have 55 seats and a 34-seat screen. The cinema will be named after, and themed around, the 1920s film Metropolis. The foyer will feature a life size sculpture of Maria, the iconic female robot from the German Expressionist masterpiece. Metropolis is one of Paul Stewarts favourite films and images from the film have been used in Alices promotional material since the place opened in 1985. A handdrawn version of the films poster has been on the wall of Alices since the mid 1980s. He says The Tannery is the perfect place for a new cinema as it has a large catchment area and is located between the Hollywood cinema in Sumner and the new Academy Gold cinema on Colombo St. Tannery owner Alasdair Cassels believes the cinema fitted well with the arts theme of the shopping centre. We see The Tannery as being about arts and culture and that is part of the offering we have here. I have known Paul for 30 years and I really wanted his business here because he is very dedicated to the film industry and has a lot to offer. Alices maven Nick Paris says the new cinema will be a return to a Christchurch urban tradition. This is a return to the tradition of the 1940s and 50s where Christchurch had a lot of locations in the suburbs.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 06:17:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015