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​ Hollywood Cinema (Sumner)

Address:
28 Marriner Street
Sumner
Christchurch 8081

Contact: mascinemas@xtra.co.nz
Email: info@hollywoodcinema.co.nz
Phone: 03 326 6102
Facebook: facebook.com/HollywoodCinemaSumner
Website: www.hollywoodcinema.co.nz

Details
Capacity: 169 + 108 + 60
Screen: Three screens, DCP and 35mm. No 3D. Sate of the art HD.
Sound: Very good Dolby-based system
Seating: Fixed + rocker seats (ex Hoyts). Also two corporate boxes ‘for those seeking grandeur’
Snackbar: Licensed bar, with cafes also next door. Good snack bar
Accessibility: Good


​Geoff's Review
On a cold and wintery day, Sumner can feel rather like some run-down British seaside town, especially now that you have to negotiate roads lined with shipping containers preventing more rock-falls in wake of the earthquakes. But there are warm and inviting places to duck into, such as the Hollywood 3. The village also comes alive in summer, with beach life and night life.

Post-earthquakes, the Hollywood was  "the only suburban cinema in Christchurch still standing" and it thus carries a significant responsibility. It has been on the site since 1939 as a dedicated cinema--originally as a single-screen auditorium and now as a three screen venue, with an emphasis on art house offerings. Lang Masters, a long-time figure in Christchurch cinemas, has long been in charge and he can tell you lots about cinema-going in Christchurch--such as how it has changed in respect of older patrons, who seldom went to matinee screenings but do now.

​Film-going in Christchurch has returned to what like it used to be, with the resurrection of long-established cinemas and emergence of new venues, such as the Lumiere. I owe a debt to these older Christchurch cinemas as I had my first acquaintance with important films (from The Life of Brian to Taxi Driver) in Christchurch and it will always have an association with film for me.

​2021 Update:   after a long, long career and more than 60 years of operating  the Hollywood 3 in Sumner,   Lang Masters has passed on ownership to new owners.  It will remain locally owned ( by the Jukes and Kennedy families) , who intend to add new features to this long-established cinema, which is an integral part of the Sumner community. But Lang  will continue to be associated with the cinema, which is only right and proper. 
Feb 2022 update:  The Hollywood Sumner is once again up for sale 
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127642970/one-of-nzs-oldest-cinemas-for-sale-as-christchurch-owner-turns-90?cid=app-iPad
Further update:  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127876037/buyer-plans-new-beachside-cinema-in-christchurch-as-90yo-owner-finally-sells-up


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