Why does Adelaide get such a bad wrap?

[Alex99]

i think its fantastic that there are alot of cinemas to choose from
out my way i have either Tea Tree Plaza, Salisbury or Elizabeth and they are all fantastic cinemas

just on that i highly recommend people check out Avatar in 3D.... absolutely amazing movie and the 3D will blow you away

Does the air conditioning work in Salisbury yet?

We went and watched Michael Jackson – ‘this is it’ a few months back in the beginning of summer and the Cinema was boiling hot as the air conditioner wasn't working and in the words of the usher, the air conditioner was ‘ ****ed’ and not likely to be fixed for months.

 

[tribey]

^It was probably just the residual warmth of Jackson's blotchy genitals when they caught wind of the innocence of children in the first few rows.

CGI can do anything these days.

 

[Spadge]

Does the air conditioning work in Salisbury yet?

We went and watched Michael Jackson – ‘this is it’ a few months back in the beginning of summer and the Cinema was boiling hot as the air conditioner wasn't working and in the words of the usher, the air conditioner was ‘ ****ed’ and not likely to be fixed for months.

i bloody hope its working... i was going there thursday night to catch a movie.... and its gonna be 39 degrees

 

[Damon_3388]

I can understand people wanting a wider range, however what would be better - 0 vs 1/2/3?

I know they weren't doing business, but in the CBD? I just cant get my head around it still.

People go to the CBD for leisure all the time. Cinemas = leisure. Surely at least one of them could've maintained business...

Either way, I feel a bit embarrassed that as a major city we can't sustain a cinema complex in the city.

I remember going to each of the Rundle Arcade, The Academy (Hindmarsh Square) and Hindley Street cinemas in what turned out to be each of their dying days (around 2004-2007). Apart from myself (and whoever I was with) and the staff, there was never usually more than one or two other people there at most to see a film. It wasn't unusual for there to be nobody else there. I used to go at all different times - during the day, at night, weekdays, weekends - so it wasn't just that I was going at unusual times. I used to really enjoy going to the city cinemas when I was a kid (it was an exciting change from the Piccadilly, (which used to be my local cinema), but even back then (early '90s), those cinemas were hardly packed out as far as I remember. I do remember the carpark next to the Hindley Street cinemas having Crocodile Dundee and Star Wars posters in plastic cases They were still there as recently as 2004 I think (which was the last time I was in that carpark), but I'm not sure if they're still there though.

I always thought that the basic interior of The Academy would have made for an awesome multi-room, multi-floor nightclub, but I didn't have the cash to buy it and see that idea to fruition once it closed down

Come to think of it, apart from Noarlunga, Salisbury, Elizabeth and West Lakes, I think I've seen a film at every cinema (both larger chain and smaller independent) in the Adelaide metro area at some point over the years.

Even though there's a nice new cinema complex near where I live at Mount Barker, I usually go to the Palace/Nova or to Norwood to see a film these days, mainly because I'm often already down that way with people when I decide to see a movie. The times I have been to the Mount Barker cinemas though (usually a Thursday or Saturday night), it's always been packed.

 

[Magpiespower]

Loved 'going into town' as a kid.

Day usually consisted of a trip to Johnnies toy department, Downtown and a movie at The Academy or Hindley St.

Even though it was pretty busy in its early days, the 'new' Hindley St cinemas was in a pretty bad location.

Went past that complex when I was back home recently and it was a ghost town...

 

[Damon_3388]

Went past that complex when I was back home recently and it was a ghost town...

Isn't it one of those hip modern churches now, similar to Paradise Community Church? I think I saw a sign as I went past a little while back about it. Kind of an unusual/humourous place to put it anyway

I always thought those shops and offices that surrounded the Hindley St. were severely underutilised. Most of them were always empty/unmarked, and ones that were there (that movie memorabilia shop seems to have lasted the longest) were always closed. It's kind of an odd location though, and they wouldn't really have gotten any foot traffic besides people going in and out of the cinema. Still, they could have used the space effectively for offices or something.

For older posters, did there used to be another cinema before the Greater Union in Hindley St.? I remember there was an old building that was unused for years in between the Woolshed and K-Box (it's been made into student accomodation and a KFC now) that always looked like a cinema. I always wanted to buy that and make it into a multi-court indoor basketball complex for public use, kind of like they have in various places around the US. Just a place for you to come with your friends and play a bit of unorganised basketball or just shoot around. I'd also make room in there for a bit of a community/youth centre and some accomodation, and use basketball as a means of getting homeless/at risk youth's lives back on track. I was considering approaching the local government for funding (because it'd be utilised for a community service purpose), but seeing as I was just a kid in high school at the time, I didn't think they'd be too enthusiastic. With this and my unfunded nightclub idea for the Academy, I think I've got some entreprenuerial similarities to one Cosmo Kramer

 

[Power King]

Day usually consisted of a trip to Johnnies toy department, Downtown and a movie at The Academy or Hindley St.

haha i remember that... what was its proper name?

also remember the 'old' david jones which looked completely different to how it does now... never liked going there as a kid as it seemed to grown up and i dont recall any toys section there

 

[Quadzilla]

haha i remember that... what was its proper name?

also remember the 'old' david jones which looked completely different to how it does now... never liked going there as a kid as it seemed to grown up and i dont recall any toys section there

DJs was the up market store and Johnnies for the 'people'. DJs bought out JM first, then closed 'em down and then moved into their store.

Johnnies = John Martins department store ... I remember going to Cox Foys rooftop amusements and having a pie and chips in their cafe (I'm talking 1960s) every school holidays. Cox Foys was where the Toys r Us building is now.

 

[Magpiespower]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Martin_&_Co.

 

[Burningleviathan]

They used to have food in department stores, i use to like that. I remember Kmart use to have them (I'm pretty sure) I guess it's all food courts now.

 

[Janus]

Adelaide!
Parkland jungle is why the city's dying
But there's nothing you can do
Now your in Adelaide
The council and residents will deny you
Make you feel like moving to Timbuktu
Let's hear it for Adelaide!

(apologies to Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes)

 

[MP_]

they need to bring downtown back to hindley street so i can go roller skating again and play that cool ice hockey game they had there

 

[Damon_3388]

DJs was the up market store and Johnnies for the 'people'. DJs bought out JM first, then closed 'em down and then moved into their store.

Johnnies = John Martins department store ... I remember going to Cox Foys rooftop amusements and having a pie and chips in their cafe (I'm talking 1960s) every school holidays. Cox Foys was where the Toys r Us building is now.

My dad used to work in menswear at Cox Foys in the '60s

I remember David Jones used to be pretty upmarket when I was a kid. They had a guy playing the piano in there and everything. They also had staff manning the lifts who'd press the button for you and tell you what was on each floor.

 

[magtrev]

I can understand people wanting a wider range, however what would be better - 0 vs 1/2/3?

I know they weren't doing business, but in the CBD? I just cant get my head around it still.

People go to the CBD for leisure all the time. Cinemas = leisure. Surely at least one of them could've maintained business...

Either way, I feel a bit embarrassed that as a major city we can't sustain a cinema complex in the city.

Why on earth would anyone waste there time by going in to the city .... for anything? After 4 years of uni on North Terrace I have no desire to go back there for any reason.

 

[Spadge]

they need to bring downtown back to hindley street so i can go roller skating again and play that cool ice hockey game they had there

its now a nightclub and rave venue called "Earth"

 

[240volt]

haha i remember that... what was its proper name?

also remember the 'old' david jones which looked completely different to how it does now... never liked going there as a kid as it seemed to grown up and i dont recall any toys section there

Cox Foys was the pick of all the big stores in the 70's but people would not go there because it was considered to much of a hike . DJ's,Johnnies, and Harris Scarfe's was the big 3 in those days,The Old David Jones was the sort of store you used to fill out of place in unless you was wearing a Fletcher Jones Suit

 

[Damon_3388]

Cox Foys was the pick of all the big stores in the 70's but people would not go there because it was considered to much of a hike . DJ's,Johnnies, and Harris Scarfe's was the big 3 in those days,The Old David Jones was the sort of store you used to fill out of place in unless you was wearing a Fletcher Jones Suit

Too much of a hike? It's a few hundred metres at most from the old Johnnies (now DJs) site! I've heard of lazy, but that takes the cake, especially considering you can usually walk from one end of the mall to the other in about 7-8 minutes

 

[Power King]

I remember David Jones used to be pretty upmarket when I was a kid. They had a guy playing the piano in there and everything. They also had staff manning the lifts who'd press the button for you and tell you what was on each floor.

I remember him, he was awesome haha

 

[finbarr]

Why on earth would anyone waste there time by going in to the city .... for anything? After 4 years of uni on North Terrace I have no desire to go back there for any reason.

You've obviously never seen the middle aged bloke with the bad hair weave & electric blue suit who spends his day smoking cigarette's & strolling from Hindley Street to Rundle Street and back again. He is worth the trip to town alone.

I have a theory he may be Con Polites' brother-in-law.

 

[Quadzilla]

You've obviously never seen the middle aged bloke with the bad hair weave & electric blue suit who spends his day smoking cigarette's & strolling from Hindley Street to Rundle Street and back again. He is worth the trip to town alone.

I have a theory he may be Con Polites' brother-in-law.

I dont know him ... I'm not a city worker anymore ... I better head into the mall this week

... back in the day you checked out Glyn Nicholas (before he was famous) doing his busking in the mall after lunching at the Charles Sturt Tavern then later yearsn Johnny Haysman the hotpants and his koala back-pack! Memories of the city!

 

[Magpiespower]

... back in the day you checked out Glyn Nicholas (before he was famous) doing his busking in the mall after lunching at the Charles Sturt Tavern then later yearsn Johnny Haysman the hotpants and his koala back-pack! Memories of the city!

Anyone remember the early-90s Rundle Mall turf war between two clown buskers?

Can't remember their names but one was a surly SOB who smoked cigarettes while making balloon animals for kids.

The other was a fat bloke who always did a magic show near the silver balls.

One day things got so heated, Surly clocked Fatty on the nose.

The Council ended up unofficially giving them half of the Mall each with neither allowed to venture into the other's 'turf'.

Funny story about it on Today Tonight. Never forget when the reporter asked Surly what he thought of his nemesis:

"He's a fat pr!ck".

Of course he said this with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth while making a balloon animal for a kid...

 

[PowerKat]

I dont know him ... I'm not a city worker anymore ... I better head into the mall this week

... back in the day you checked out Glyn Nicholas (before he was famous) doing his busking in the mall after lunching at the Charles Sturt Tavern then later yearsn Johnny Haysman the hotpants and his koala back-pack! Memories of the city!

Glynn was superb and the best regular busker I've ever seen in the Mall. Don't know how many times I was late back from lunch break because I didn't want to leave his 'show'. Pate Biscuit was a fave along with his shadowing of innocent passers-by.

btw - for those that mentioned it, I'm pretty sure DJ's still have the piano, but it's not played all the time and I admit I haven't noticed it in recent months. I remember the days of the lift operator - not sure if they still exist - can't remember the last time I took the lift. I might check it out next time I'm there. Too young to remember Cox Foys (small mercies...).

 

[Papa G]

btw - for those that mentioned it, I'm pretty sure DJ's still have the piano, but it's not played all the time and I admit I haven't noticed it in recent months. I remember the days of the lift operator - not sure if they still exist - can't remember the last time I took the lift. I might check it out next time I'm there. Too young to remember Cox Foys (small mercies...).

...And all the staff in the menswear section were raging homosexuals, a la Mr Humphries....

 

[PowerKat]

^ still are pretty much - but they tend to have an eye

 

[Quadzilla]

Glynn was superb and the best regular busker I've ever seen in the Mall. Don't know how many times I was late back from lunch break because I didn't want to leave his 'show'. Pate Biscuit was a fave along with his shadowing of innocent passers-by.

yea --- he was classic imitating mall passers-by in his 'show'