Rialto Cinemas Dunedin — Attraction in South Island

I first attended this theatre 25 years ago, on my first trip to Dunedin. Since then it has undergone a massive reno. It now has 5 smaller theatres. There are the usual tickets and ice cream, but you can also get a glass of wine to take with you into the theater. I think they also do fresh coffee. The bigger theatres handle the blockbusters but the smaller theatres present other, more boutique spaces where demand is smaller. When they completed the reno they left some of the massive steel girders bare to show off the type of framed construction from the past. We're talking some serious steel. 1 metre high I beams with hot bashed rivets. So it's not just a place of entertainment, it's a piece of the past ready to view today you don't even have to buy a ticket to see the steel beams in the stairs heading to theatre 3. Another great piece of Dunedin history. I'd love to know the history of those big chunks of steel. Must have been amazing to watch those being rolled or cast from scratch. This place does private functions/ films, too. A local real estate broker puts on a bash there...

ATTENTION ALL READERS: PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THIS CINEMA. Those fags should NOT be in this, or any form of, business at all. In March of 2012, they ripped me and several other moviegoers off by screening the 2D version of The Lorax at what was supposed to be a 3D session. They did it again in September with a screening of Hotel Transylvania and I had to sneak into another session the next day. Then in March, when I went to see Oz: The Great and Powerful, they overcharged me 30 cents for refreshments. In May, they didn't have their session times for the week ending May 22 up until very late on the 15th. AT TIME OF WRITING, THEIR SESSION TIMES FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 12 ARE STILL NOT ON THEIR SITE. IT IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK THAT PEOPLE BE GIVEN THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION SOONER...

The Rialto complex has a wonderful vibe and character whilst the staff are always helpful and polite. My only gripe is that whilst paying an exuberant $20 to see the Phantom of the Opera anniversary edition it was not screened in the large theater. The image and audio quality was like it was being played via a very used vhs tape. Absolutely appalling considering how much patrons had been charged to see this musical. I provided verbal feedback to the on duty manager. Hopefully they will learn from this quite disappointing slip up compared to their typical...