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Academy Gold Cinema (Christchurch)

Address:
The Colombo Mall, 363 Colombo Street
Sydenham
Christchurch

Contact Person:  Darren 
Email: art.house@clear.net.nz
Phone: 03 377 9911 (info) or 03 377 9913

Website: www.artfilms.co.nz

Details
Capacity: Academy screen (65); Metro (48); Odeon (25)
Screen: Three screens, DCP and occasional e-cinema. 3D capability.
Sound: Top-of-the-line QSC
Seating: Luxury Fuzi-brand armchairs. Air conditioning.
Snackbar: cafe. with full liquor licence (the Academy cinema in the old Arts Centre was the first cinema to have such a licence)
Accessibility: level access to all screens

​Geoff's Review
In wake of the destruction created in the Christchurch CBD by the 2011 earthquake, many entertainment venues have moved to the south of the city, in areas such as Sydneham which were once rather neglected.
The Cook family used to own and operate three delightful cinemas in the CBD (Metro Gold, Academy, Cloisters), all casualties of earthquakes but they found a new site in The Colombo, a former mall at 363 Colombo Street which has become an interesting shopping precinct.
This is where Academy Gold can be found; a three-screen, purpose-built and well-appointed art cinema complex, which offers both a desirable destination and a wide range of recent art house releases but also school holiday films. Cheap Tuesdays offer $12 tickets.
It has been built to the highest strengthening standards (important for the locals to know), can be found easily and parking is no problem (the adjacent Elgin Street car park (free) can accommodate more than 500 cars.
Christchurch citizens seem to be particularly cinema literate (see Alice Cinematheque) and although there was some drifting away from cinema screens in wake of the earthquakes, locals have returned in earnest, encouraged by the addition of venues such as the Academy Gold.
For this, they need to thank the Cook family (Annette, Darren, Glenn & Rebecca) for their dedication to carrying on the legacy of their husband and father Rodney Cook by providing quality film-going in Christchurch for close to four decades.
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