New arthouse cinema (Pálás)

FouxDaFaFa

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

Well yes, but the Eye isn't an arthouse cinema. I'm not suggesting the new cinema show operas, I'm just saying that there is a cinema in Galway having some success with things other than blockbuster films.

As for why the bar at the Eye is failing, it's never open and it's in such a bad location that I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don't even know it's there. They tend to herd people right past it.

The bar used to be open quite a lot but people were never all the interested in it. A lot of people won't go to the cinema in time to have a few beers before a film and few want to hang around after. While the Eye may not be an "arthouse" cinema they always seem incredible proud of boasting about their "arthouse" screen. Between the Eye and the IMC those looking for something a little less main stream are being well catered for.

The IMC has had quite a lot of success and show a lot more than just blockbusters. They screen a lot of small independent films, foreign cinema and rereleases of old films. Sadly none of these are ever well attended. When I saw Ain't These Bodies Saints on a Friday evening there was only 2 other people there. Likewise when I saw the Wicker Man and on more than one occasion I have had a screening to myself. Surely if Galway was in such desperate need for an "arthouse" cinema then these screenings would be better attended?

serfboard wrote: »

IMO it's because people don't expect to find art house films there.

Ah come on now that's ridiculous. Do people not look at cinema listings and surely having been open for nearly a decade the "arthouse" cinema fans in Galway have to be aware that a lot of non-mainstream fare is shown there. Or is it a case of them not being bothered to acknowledge the fact as if they did they wouldn't be able to complain about how Hollywood is ruining cinema.

I saw an intereview with one of the women behind the new "arthouse" cinema and she repeatedly stated "that all you can see in the cinemas in town are trash like Transformers" or words to the affect. At the time there were two non-English language films playing in the Eye and 3 independent film.

An "arthouse" cinema could be a great thing for Galway but does anyone really see it being anything other than another social gathering for all the lovlies who can go there and feel superior to everyone else.

serfboard wrote: »

Oh - so cynical! Unfortunately, there is an element of truth to what you say ... However, if you were to look back on the early films of some directors, some of them were crap too. Everyone has to start somewhere ... we can't all be Orson Wells ...

Not cynical at all. The vast majority of Irish cinema is trash. For every What Richard Did we get two dozen King of the Travelers. Hell the director of the latter just released his third film and he's actually regressed from film to film. You can look back at the early work of all the masters but you won't find as ineptly made cinema as what our filmmakers are churning out. There's a reason that so much Irish cinema doesn't even screen here and it's not begrudgery.

serfboard

Deleted User wrote: »

An "arthouse" cinema could be a great thing for Galway

Agreed. And I'm sure we all hope that it will be a success.

Deleted User wrote: »

does anyone really see it being anything other than another social gathering for all the lovlies who can go there and feel superior to everyone else.

Surely you mean luvvies? Although some of them might be lovlie as well!

I don't care who goes to it so long as they pay their way. You could make the same argument for a theatre-going audience as well. If you earwig on conversations during the interval in any show in the Town Hall Theatre, you will hear some awful pretentious crap, but most people aren't like that.

spinandscribble

A pretty good model to look at would be the filmhouse in Edinburgh. It's only got three screens, 1 large, two small but its always busy. It has themed seasons which stand every year and show older films with new releases. Its success is built on having a wide range of world cinema and not just focusing on their own nations output. Its about quality and diversity above all else.

it's bar and cafe is successful in its own right and they don't serve popcorn. They might show a handful of blockbusters a year but they tend to be on the acclaimed side of things and are moreso used as a catch up for people who missed the earlier screenings in the year. They run workshops for adults and children and offer really good friday afternoon deals. I the filmhouse *sigh*

Mikey23

What I've always been jealous of when talking to friends in Edinburgh and London (and I know, bigger catchment areas etc) is what spinandscribble just mentioned - themed seasons. I don't know if either cinema in Galway has done horror seasons around Halloween, or singalongs (not my cup of tea, but tremendously popular for some) or retrospectives of master directors, or movie marathons such as Lord of the Rings, or Marvel movies or what have you. I couldn't care less about a bar or a café: I just want an experience I can't get at home.

For instance, I watched the Final Cut version of Blade Runner in New York in 2007 - easily one of my favorite nights out in a cinema. I'd seen the original & Director's cut many times but hearing that theme boom out in the darkness was something else. I'd love to take my youngster to Spielberg's 'family' movies, or bring my wife to a Billy Wilder season. One can dream.

irisheddie85

The hoarding has been removed from around the building so the 2 lanes are pen again. The building is looking a bit rough to me at the minute hopefully it will look nicer when finished

dinneenp

When I lived in Cork the Kino was a great cinema.
Showed a lot of films that the main cinemas wouldn't.
I think it can only be a good addition.
Just take a look at the arthouse cinemas in Dublin and there's a lot of good films that I've have gone to see if they were in Dublin
As it's bang slap in town center people should be more likely to go for pints before/after.

maki

Going to drag this thread out of the depths again.

Does anyone know what's going on with the cinema now?
I recall it was supposed to be open by May. As far as I can tell there's been no work done on the building at all since they took all the hoarding down last November, and from the photos I've seen the inside is just a concrete shell right now.

maki

maki wrote: »

Going to drag this thread out of the depths again.

Does anyone know what's going on with the cinema now?
I recall it was supposed to be open by May. As far as I can tell there's been no work done on the building at all since they took all the hoarding down last November, and from the photos I've seen the inside is just a concrete shell right now.

Supposedly is looking to be at least two to the years before if it's ready to go. That's what someone involved told me recently when I asked what was happening.

I mentioned this earlier this evening to someone who knows those involved in this and from what he said it would appear that little if no work has occurred over the past number of months. There was a lot of talk made about how this would be open for this years Film Fleadh but it's looking like it's going to be a number of years before it's ready.

You really have to wonder what is going on, they've been working on it for over four years at this stage and it's still nowhere near ready. It'll be interesting to see how much it all costs in the end and I really can't see it lasting all the long, if it ever opens.

Das Kitty

Last I heard, they were looking for someone to take over the management of it. I've been to a few fundraisers for it.

A couple of years, darko? Has there been no internal fitting out done yet?

Das Kitty

Das Kitty wrote: »

Last I heard, they were looking for someone to take over the management of it. I've been to a few fundraisers for it.

A couple of years, darko? Has there been no internal fitting out done yet?

It's what a few people who would know told me. It seems that little if nothing has been done over the past number of months. It just seems like a waste to have it sitting there half completed with no sign of an opening date.

distraction

Das Kitty wrote: »

Last I heard, they were looking for someone to take over the management of it. I've been to a few fundraisers for it.

A couple of years, darko? Has there been no internal fitting out done yet?

Nope nothing done internally yet, I was filming in there not to long ago..hope they pull their socks up

Arghus

Does anyone have any information about whether this thing is ever going to be completed?

The website and facebook etc give nothing resembling information about what's happening with the place. I know there's funding issues or what have you but there's been a building site on pause down there for an awfully long time now.

what_traffic

There was a piece in yesterdays Galway Independent about it.
http://galwayindependent.com/20141105/news/solas-the-reel-deal-S46449.html

Aerohead

If its ever finished it will be another white elephant, the one in Dublin closed down two years ago as it was not getting the numbers, if they cant fill a theatre we wont.

Robbo

Aerohead wrote: »

If its ever finished it will be another white elephant, the one in Dublin closed down two years ago as it was not getting the numbers, if they cant fill a theatre we wont.

The Lighthouse? That closed very briefly, more for reasons to do with NAMA and a legacy lease.

It's pretty busy, especially considering there's 2 other arthouse cinemas within 15 minutes walk of it and the nearby Goliath of Cineworld runs a lot more "arthouse" stuff than you'd think for a multiplex.

charlie_says

I emailed them there several months ago and they said opening in Autumn 2014.

Don't think the internal fit out has event started. I like the building however.

Robbo

A further €735k of central funding allocated to complete the cinema. Here's hoping they get straight to spending it on construction.

Arghus

Well that's surprising news. I'd more or less completely given up on the project ever being completed. I'm surprised the advertiser didn't refer to the place as beleaguered.

Still though, I won't be holding my breath waiting for the actual opening.

joeKel73

That brings the funding to €2.635 million.

I'm all for a bit of culture but don't think you can justify a price-tag like that for a few arthouse films, which can already be shown at the likes of the Town Hall Theatre anyway. For less money they could even subsidise screenings in the general cinemas.

Also, the place looks like a prison.

Aerohead

Biggest waste of money ever in this City, Black Box is the most underused venue in the City or Leisureland theatre, they could have used any of them, the only reason its getting funding is because Galway is trying for the City of culture, crazy money when you hear on the news today about families with kids sleeping in Mountjoy Square and the Phoenix park.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/three-children-and-parents-found-sleeping-rough-in-dublin-city-centre-690555.html

loser2old4board

Does anybody know if this new amount of funding will get the project across the line and opened or is at as the linked article says just " a step closer to completion". It's been going on so long now I'm begining to think it won't happen in my lifetime.
I really would love to see this up and running, not far any high brow notions of art but just a chance for us to see some half decent alternative world cinema in a theater environment.

I wonder how much of that money went to repairing and rehousing the people in the house they damaged severely during construction?

Mrs OBumble

Aerohead wrote: »

Biggest waste of money ever in this City, Black Box is the most underused venue in the City or Leisureland theatre, they could have used any of them, [/url]

The Black Box is the most crazily-placed venue in the city, with horrid acoustics. I don't regard it as a safe place to walk to/from at night, at the sort of times I'd be going to the movies. (And I'm no shrinking violet: I live in town and walk home from the pub at 12 or 1am happily enough, though with an eye out to avoid idiots.)

Didn't know Leisureland had a theatre. I recall going to a concert there once, and it felt like a grotty community hall with pretensions.

Seapoint I could imagine being converted to a cinema - but the type of work required would pretty much stop it being used for other purposes.

And the thing with any of these, is that they'd be one screen, and one large room. The commercial cinemas provide the big rooms already. Arthouse cinema needs smaller rooms, and more of them, to cater for niche audiences.

dinneenp

I don't understand how it can end up costing €2.63 million euros! Eyre Square ended up costing about €12 million or so and now over €2.6 million for the art house cinema!

I can fully understand the want to have an independent cinema and not use a screen from an existing cinema or use Black Box part time. They have 3 screens, don't know would Black Box facilitate this. Also you need a very central location I think.

You have a cafe & shop so it's a place that people can go to for a bite/cup of tea and browse through the shop. The cafe in the museum does fairly well and attracts people into it. might be the same with the cinema.

There's a wealth of world cinema films out there that never come to Galway. The IFI in Dublin does very well as far as I know, hopefully this could be the same. Montage of Heck (Kurt Cobain documentary) was in IMC Galway for 1 night and sold out. Something like that could run for a week and maybe get good crowds. If they play old classics it'd be a nice option for cinema goers.

Asmodean

I'm hoping they'll be putting on a lot of the old classics too. There's some older stuff out there that I'd love to see on the big screen.

Wompa1

dinneenp wrote: »

I don't understand how it can end up costing €2.63 million euros! Eyre Square ended up costing about €12 million or so and now over €2.6 million for the art house cinema!

The NUIG gym cost a fortune too and it's a glorified shed. I forget the story but weren't there a couple of sets of stairs built off the bridge too that cost a crazy amount to build.

We're awful eejits

Wompa1

Asmodean wrote: »

I'm hoping they'll be putting on a lot of the old classics too. There's some older stuff out there that I'd love to see on the big screen.

I often wondered why the Eye didn't do that. Big chain cinemas in the US show classics all year round.

I also went to an Arthouse cinema to see Calvary over here. It was fine...can bet it didn't cost over 2,000,000 to build either!

Asmodean

Wompa1 wrote: »

I often wondered why the Eye didn't do that. Big chain cinemas in the US show classics all year round.

I also went to an Arthouse cinema to see Calvary over here. It was fine...can bet it didn't cost over 2,000,000 to build either!

I've seen the eye do it sometimes, around Halloween. They showed the old mad max trilogy there too before fury road came out.

Robbo

Stumbled across a High Court listing for a matter involving Solas Galway Picture House Teo -v- HCC International Insurance. It seems to have been rumbling on since mid-2012 with no great urgency but will finally be heard on February 25th.

I have no idea as to the nature of the dispute but it may go some way to resolving matters relating to the cinema.