Quirky Brisbane Cinemas

Once upon a time in the far-off land of Brisbane there was a movie theatre on every corner, (or at least in every suburb). These cinemas of Brisbane were often grand little affairs, with ornate facades, opulent foyers and a charm that has long since been lost to the cult of Multiplex.

Sadly, the likes of the Alhambra at Stones Corner, Windsor’s Crystal Palace, the Boomerang at Annerley, Astor at New Farm, Beverley at Rosalie and the most recent to close, the Gaythorne are now but faded memories, But they were, for much of the population, the hub of their social life, a place to go to on a Saturday for some good reliable entertainment like throwing jaffas down the aisle and yelling Boo! In the scary parts.

This of course, is not to mention all of the drive-ins that proliferated in the 1960s and 70s, where children could experience the joy of going out in their pyjamas on a Saturday night and adults the joy of wrangling with defective speakers and missing half the movie whilst queuing for hot dogs then forgetting where they parked the car while stumbling back food-laden from the kiosk in the dark.

Yet despite the long slow painful deaths that many of these places suffered at the hands of video stores and mega US corporations, like a batch of little cinematic triffids, a quirky bunch of alternative cinemas and drive-in have not only survived but new ones have popped up or even been reincarnated around Brisbane. This means that movie-goers can once again experience going to the cinema as an occasion, an event to be savoured, and best of all they are in most cases are better value than the featureless corporate multiplexes. 

So here, in no particular order, is our guide to Brisbane’s quirky alternative cinemas, all of which are dedicated to putting the fun back into movie-going:

New Farm Cinemas – The Old Village Twin has been revived to its original glory, with layers of history preserved, from the 1920s projector and vintage posters in the foyer to the iconic 1970s Purple Room. See the latest movies here at retro prices for all sessions.

Yatala Drive-In – Just as they have done since the 1970s, the cars still slow to a crawl past the cow paddocks before turning into the entrance gates of Yatala to see take in a double feature. Inside the old Besser Block kiosk dishes out classic drive-in food and lines of cars hook up to the vintage speakers as they did back then. 

Blue Room Cinebar – The business class of movie-going, this exclusive quartet of 4 small state of the art cinemas upstairs at Rosalie Village comes complete with business class lounge style bar, gourmet chef-prepared food, premium drinks and artisan choc top ice-creams.

Regal Twin Graceville – A remnant of the golden age of suburban movie theatres, the Regal Twin in Graceville’s village is both quaint blast from the past and boutique art-house cinema - Brisbane west’s hub for the latest films from around the world and art house offerings.

GOMA Cinematheque – The purpose built cinematheques of GOMA are a fine and intimate way to view a movie, with the majority of films screening here free. This is the place to see silent movies, obscure art-themed films from around the world and Hollywood classics. One of the cinemas has the old Regent Theatre Wurlitzer Organ, which is played as accompaniment on occasions.

Hawthorne Cinemas – Another Brisbane cinema that has survived the wrecker’s ball and ravages of time, the quaint Hawthorne Cinemas (now a Cineplex) date back to the 1940s and show the latest movies at budget prices for all sessions. Featuring a glamorous old world foyer and Cinema 1, which is also the original theatre, has a giant curved screen.

by Jodi Panayotov editor Must do Brisbane