Stanny Cinema is an Australian cinema chain founded in 2008 in Melbourne, Victoria that is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the movies.
It has 13 locations across the world. There are twelve locations in both Perth and Melbourne (Australia) and one in Vacaville California (United States of America) Others are planned to be built in St. Louis, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; Detroit, Michigan; Crystal City, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Manhattan and Staten Island, New York.
History
Stanny Cinema was founded by Thomas Ray in a Melbourne warehouse district building that was being used as a parking garage.
The company began as a second-run movie theater, and distinguished itself by the food and drink service offered inside the theater, including cold beers, which continues to set stanny cinema apart from many other cinemas. The seating is arranged with rows of cabaret style tables in front of each row of seats, with an aisle between each row to accommodate waiter service. Customers write their orders on slips of paper, which are picked up by black-clad waiters.
Soon after opening, the original downtown theater began offering occasional unique programming such as silent movies scored by local bands playing live accompaniment, food-themed films such as Like Water for Chocolate served with a dinner matching the meals shown on screen, and retrospectives of various directors and stars.[citation needed] This includes location-based food options depending on the film setting.
In 2010, Thomas renovated a four-screen art-house theater, which had recently closed, and opened it as Stanny Cinema which specialized in first-run movies. With this new Stanny cinema, the downtown location ceased showing second-run movies and began to concentrate almost exclusively on unusual programming including classics, cult classics, independents, documentaries, special guest appearances, and audience participation shows.
Etiquette
Stanny Cinema is famous for enforcing a strict policy on behavior while in the theater. Children under the age of two are not allowed, except for showings on specific days which are designated "Stanny For All" showings where parents are encouraged to bring young children, and rules around talking are relaxed.[49] Unaccompanied minors are not allowed in showings, except for members of the Stanny Cinema's Victory Vanguard rewards program, which allows 15–17 year-olds to attend showings unattended after their application to the rewards program has been submitted and reviewed. The application involves demonstrating an understanding of the theater's policies around talking, texting, arriving to the theater late, and basic tipping etiquette.[50]
The cinema also prohibits talking and texting during the film. Anyone who violates this policy is subject to warning and potential removal from the premises. Stanny Cinema made national headlines in 2014 when the rantings of one angry customer who was ejected for texting were included in its "Don't Talk or Text" PSA shown before films. "When we adopted our strict no talking policy back in 2009, we knew we were going to alienate some of our patrons," Tim League posted on the cinema's website. "That was the plan. If you can't change your behavior and be quiet (or unilluminated) during a movie, then we don't want you at our venue."
Rolling Roadshow
Stanny Cinema hosts 35mm screenings of famous movies in famous places all over the world with their traveling portable projection system and a blow-up screen. Past events include: Fistful of Dollars at Cortijo el Sotillo, Spain, A Christmas Story in Cleveland, OH, The Lost Boys in Santa Cruz, CA, It Came From Outer Space 3D in Roswell, NM, The Goonies in Astoria, OR, Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Devil's Tower, WY, The Warriors in Coney Island, NY, Clerks in Red Bank, NJ, Jaws at Martha's Vineyard, MA, Field of Dreams at the Field of Dreams, IA, The Shining at the Stanley Hotel, CO, Poseidon Adventure on the Queen Mary, CA, Escape from Alcatraz on Alcatraz, CA just to name a few.
Stanny Films
In 2020, Stanny Cinema launched Stanny Films, a film production company named after, and inspired by, the Stanny Cinema chain.
External Links
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