Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Bournemouth Imax Closure

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Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 02-28-2005, 04:15 PM:

The Sheridan Theatres Owned Imax Theatre in Bournemouth on the south Coast of England was closed last night and all remaining staff were made redundant.

Ever since the Imax was opened in 2002 has seen some local controversy in the press over the delays in opening and the siteing of the building in the town.

For the past year, the Imax has not changed it's programming and has seen a fall in admissions and no doubt with the high running costs and poor admissions was a reflection on the owners to close the Imax Theatre.

They do indend to reopen the Theatre sometime in the summer after refurbishment and restructing, but many local people doubt it will ever reopen by this company in Bournemouth.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 07-12-2005, 09:34 AM:

Any news on this reopening?

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 07-12-2005, 07:58 PM:

Hallo there to you all.

I’ve been out of the game for a few years now, but doesn’t say I have forgotten about this technical medium.

Anyway I’ve been wondering myself about the very same question, is the IMAX ever going to reopen its doors the negative Bournemouth folks, as it was so far behind schedule before it did open.

And the simple fact that I know is there is no refurbishments going on within the IMAX cinema I’ve gone by it in the day and in the late of night and there is no crews there at all.

It’s true what Ben says about admissions falling, the simple fact is if there manager had kept to there promise and got some regular 70mm Dolby films in like “Blade Runner” for the late night shows this may have made some remarkable comeback, as well as IMAX 70mm versions of Star Wars Episode 2” “The Matrix Reloaded” “Space Station.”

But this was not going to happen, and they where putting a noose around there own necks, basically going down like the titanic and there manager doesn’t know how to spell SOS … --- … with no new films coming in they where doomed, there was however this young lady, who was doing her best at trying to get this place going for the best and all her hard work was in vane, with the ship close to sinking and no life line, nor do the people of Bournemouth care for that which blocks the sea front view off as you walk down Bath Road.

Anyway I’m saddened it will go if there is any cinema in the Bournemouth area in need of refurbishments that will be the Odeon and the ABC of Westover Road with a rugged and sticky carpet that sticks to your shoes, as if you where Spiderman him self, it’s not funny it smells as well, and I don’t think its had a carpet wash in many years.

And the sound system which is Altec A4 behind the screen, no I’m not kidding there is so much bass distortion within 20Hz and 40Hz at the high SPL levels due to the narrow venting of those old voice of the theatre loudspeakers from the 1960’s there hay days are long past, and the need for the classic THX approved 4675-A or there newer JBL 5674 with today’s films the mixers are using the dynamic range to its fullest potential, given what is on the screen the sound must be true to the images with fierce conviction.

Well I’ll leave it there for now, “I’ll be back”

SIGNATURE DELETED

[ 07-13-2005, 01:08 AM: Message edited by: Brad Miller ]

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 07-21-2005, 05:47 AM:

Waste of time and money too…

I have woken up, and now realize the Bournemouth IMAX is total waste of time, get rid off it.

Err, looks horrible that building does tasteless too, why a 5 year old child can design a drawing of equal proportions…

And clearly IMAX are total children running it hehehehe, there all unemployed arr, well the ships sunk, and you should have kept to the promise of regular 70mm shows there.

Well haven’t the time for IMAX now, bye…

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 07-21-2005, 08:14 AM:

Andy just to clear up a minor point.

The Bournemouth IMAX is /was run by Sheridan Cinemas here not IMAX Corporation

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 07-21-2005, 01:13 PM:

Hallo there

Dick,

Sorry, Sheridan IMAX, is total Waste of time and money too…

Err, they need to get there act together hear, Sheridan, sounds like a France cream soda…..

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 07-21-2005, 02:27 PM:

Sounds like the son of Hyacinth and Richard [Big Grin]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 07-21-2005, 04:07 PM:

Andy the more you post like the above the more of your character is revealed and I wonder if that is why you are not employed [Smile]

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 07-21-2005, 04:51 PM:

Gordon

Not at all, I care a lot in presentation, and there some that don’t care, at all in my home town.

So please don’t get me wrong, I just starting to side with the Bournemouth folks as the “Sheridan IMAX” is really taking the piss, and its not funny at all…

I don’t think even there projectionists there could have saved the major embarrassment and problems in getting this up and running, and getting regular 70mm prints in for late night shows as well as newer IMAX 70mm films.

As for being not employed at the present time within the cinema industry, well that’s another story.

The issue hear is the “Sheridan IMAX” maybe someone else should take the rains instead, someone that knows film and its place in the community, instead of running it into the ground….

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 07-27-2005, 04:57 PM:

This has been highlighted from the news paper the Daily Echo today Wednesday 27th of July 2005.

AN AMBITIOUS bid to change Bournemouth's much-maligned IMAX building into an attraction the whole town can be proud of has got off to an encouraging start.

Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, said he enjoyed a "very productive" meeting with bosses responsible for the site, at which he aired concerns the building was too big and had the wrong sort of facilities.

And he is hopeful the preliminary discussions mark the start of a radical re-think on the IMAX's future.

Mr Ellwood favours reducing the building in height and transforming it into an open-air swimming pool, an idea he raised with Sheridan boss Peter Holmes and Jim Burgess, property adviser for the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers Superannua-tion Committee, the site landlord.

"We didn't discuss technicalities or costings but just floated some ideas about," he said. "I wanted to make it clear to them that residents are concerned about the building, the loss of the view and the facilities inside.

"They acknowledged that and are very keen to have discussions as to what can be done to heed residents' concerns.

"Nothing was decided, it was just to test the water and see whether there was scope for further discussions.

Clearly there is, they are very amicable to further discussion and we have agreed to have a site meeting in August."
Mr Ellwood said both men were aware of the Daily Echo's IMAX Watch campaign and were mindful of residents' criticism.

"The building lends itself to be restructured," he said. "The outside structure is separate from the facilities inside, which means the inside can be stripped out and replaced quite easily.

"I pressed the point that we would need to take some layers off it for it to be acceptable. I also pressed the point that the idea of a swimming pool would be most welcome considering we have lost the facility at the BIC.

"I want to bring ideas forward and see if we can come up with an idea that's acceptable to the businesses inside and the residents.

"It's a prime site and we want to turn it from something of a carbuncle into something we can be proud of."

Improperly formatted link removed by moderator.

[ 07-28-2005, 03:04 AM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 03-22-2006, 02:28 PM:

Bournmeouth Imax Update:

I was encouraged to hear today on a local Radio Station Wave105 FM news from a local Bournemouth Councillor calling the owners (NILOGS) Landlords of the redundant Imax to reopen.

Despite all the press & TV reports to pull the building down â€“ it still remains unused with all the Imax signage and even the website is still showing the Bournemouth Imax as open!.

There must be a new operator out there to make a fresh attempt to change the fortunes of this Imax with better marketing and perhaps a Art House and Classic cinema programming as well with the Imax programming.

The Imax at Birmingham also closed for a while and did reopen and after a year, reported 2005 as their best year with good admissions.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-23-2006, 06:32 AM:

The Pepsi Lodon IMAX closed permanently, after quite a short life, but there are two others in London, the BFI one at Waterloo, near the National Film Theatre, and the Science Museum one only a few kilometres away. I'm not sure if the Science Museum one opened before or after the Pepsi one closed, I think the two events were quite close together. I'm doubtful that there's a market foe three IMAXs in London, though it did have three Cinerama venues at one time.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 03-23-2006, 09:12 AM:

Pepsi IMAX opened in 1997 and closed in 1999 just around the time the BFI opened . Science Museum opened June 2000. They were taking the Pesi equipment out around the time we did the ScM install in April 2000

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 03-23-2006, 03:31 PM:

This was reported in Today's Bournemouth Daily Echo.

GET your act together - that's the council's message to IMAX bosses one year after the attraction inexplicably shut down.

Bournemouth council leader Richard Smith said he was "sick and tired" of the delays in reopening the IMAX or providing an alternative facility.

And he has accused NILGOS, owners of the Waterfront building, and Sheridan, the original operator of the IMAX, of "ducking their responsibilities" to the town.

In a bid to end the stalemate, tourism bosses, hoteliers, traders and other attraction owners are getting together to press NILGOS for a meeting to discuss the way forward.

Cllr Smith said: "This joint action is good news for Bournemouth. While the council unfortunately has no control over this legal dispute between independent parties, the closure of the IMAX is a setback that our town just doesn't need.

"I am sick and tired of the companies involved ducking their responsibilities on the Waterfront building.

"It is staggering, given the levels of publicity and public outcry, that no efforts appear to have been made by NILGOS to reopen a major attraction in this building."

He said the council had taken every opportunity to champion the views of local people and said the failure of the IMAX had "let down" the other businesses operating successfully from the Waterfront.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood is due to hold another meeting with NILGOS's property adviser Jim Burgess in the next month.

But he warned that the legal wranglings between Sheridan and NILGOS were complex and a quick solution was unlikely.

"It's clear that we're all singing from the same song sheet but it's a commercial premises, therefore, they're simply not going to hand the building over or make any fast decisions," he said. "It's frustrating because it's in a prime location to promote Bournemouth as a family seaside resort and it's a waste to have such a building going unused."

Jim Burgess said a legal challenge by Sheridan was due to be heard in June. "For the council to say we are doing nothing is ludicrous. The council's statement is rubbish," he said.

"The council officers are fully aware of the position, that the court case is pending. Until that is decided there's nothing we can do about it."

Mark Haslingden, of Forestdale Hotels and the Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association, said: "Either the IMAX needs to be reopened and run properly or they get out and we start afresh and do something else."

Nobody from Sheridan was available for comment.

First published: March 23, 2006

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 06-04-2006, 05:27 PM:

Just an update on the Sheridan Imax Saga at Bournemouth.

After some Web research, the former operators Sheridan are to have their Appeal contested by a Court hearing this Monday with the Building Landlord.

Watch this space.....

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 06-14-2006, 10:42 AM:

Here is as reported in a local Paper the Latest saga on the Closed Bournemouth Imax - and now rumours of reopening...Again!.

IMAX: THE FINAL SOLUTION?
By Melanie Vass

END IN SIGHT: Will Bournemouth's IMAX, shut for nearly 18 months, finally be given a purpose? (Picture: Duncan Lee, with thanks to Gary Ellson, Bournemouth Helicopters)

WE'RE all fed up with it but the end may at last be in sight.

A court showdown this summer could sort out the long-running Imax saga once and for all.

The controversial cinema part of the complex on Bournemouth's seafront voted Britain's second ugliest building has been shut for almost 18 months.

Now a county court case between the pension fund that owns the site and operators Sheridan should see the start of efforts to bring the attraction back to life.

continued...
The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Super-annuation Committee (Nilgosc), which holds the lease, has asked architects to look at other potential uses for the building but cannot make any definite decisions ahead of the court case.

Only if the court rules in favour of Nilgosc at the hearing in August, will it have the option to change the use of the building.

But if Nilgosc lose, the Sheridan group will retain control of the cinema and will be unable to alter the terms of its use for a further six years.

Jim Burgess, Nilgosc's property advisor, told the Daily Echo he was as frustrated as anyone else at the length of time the matter was taking.

“Everyone is calling for action to change this carbuncle on the seafront ..."
Tobias Ellwood, MP

"It's very frustrating but there's nothing we can do," he said. "We are hoping to take over the lease and we need to go through the proper process to do that."

Nilgosc took the site off Sheridan's hands last year months after the cinema closed for a refit and failed to reopen.

Mr Burgess said: "The court case is over a number of things, for example the failure to stay open which they are required to do under the lease and late payment of rent.

"There are other items as well but they are the main ones."

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood, who has met with Nilgosc to discuss the way ahead for the Imax, said he was hoping for a swift conclusion.

"Bournemouth is now known for having the country's most attractive beaches as well as one of its ugliest building," he said.

"Everyone is calling for action to change this carbuncle on the seafront but until this dispute between Nilgosc and the Sheridan Group is sorted nothing can be done."

Nobody from Sheridan was available to comment.

Daily Echo
10:17am today