The Hollywood Avondale — Attraction in Whau

I went here to catch "Man of Steel" one rainy Saturday night in August 2013 because all the multiplexes had stopped showing it.

First of all, the screening itself was fine. The screen feels a bit distant and small in comparison with modern cinemas, but the sound quality was fine, and I quickly forgot about the screen size and enjoyed the movie.

In my view the main reason for going to this cinema is to travel back in time to the experience of cinema I can distantly remember from the early 1970s. In fact the décor feels more 1940s-50s. There's an old Wurlitzer organ, and a recording of wurlitzer music plays until the main bill. The screen has a kind of proscenium arch around it and curtains draw back before the screening. All that's lacking is an opening recital of the national anthem.

The food on offer is a bit basic, but the audience was tiny the night I went, and for this reason I suspect it's not economic to keep a big range of food in stock. For example, there's no popcorn, but you can get an ice cream on a stick. The whole cinema seemed to be operated by one bloke, who unlocked the front door about 15 minutes before the screening.

If you feel jaded by the blandness of the multiplexes, this place is...

What a fun venue to visit! I had never been here until the NZ international film festival. I came here three occasions, and even though it was super busy most nights/afternoons, I really enjoyed it.

It’s quite a beautiful venue and I enjoyed how refreshing it looked. Considering how old it is, the venue is pretty well maintained and made for a great viewing experience. Even though seats and floors are quite old, they did the job just fine. The bathrooms were also very tidy.

The food/drinks area had a range of options - more so than many other larger cinemas. They were also reasonably priced. There is also free water available which is a nice touch too. The popcorn cups are a little small imo ($5) so you may want to get two if you get through it quickly like I do!

Lastly, the staff were super knowledgeable and friendly - it made all the difference. You can tell that they are really passionate about the movie-watching...

31Jul19 1810 Four stars but nearly five because the snack bar took ten minutes to find the wine my wife ordered and the men's toilets despite being very clean needed more disinfectant. A small and beautiful movie theater built in the 20th century the Avondale Hollywood is a wonderful, cosy, venue. The space-restricted reception/foyer/lobby is ideal for meeting friends a few minutes before the start of a movie. Extremely clean inside the theater itself, the sound quality is very good. The seats are original 20th century movie theater furniture so prepare yourself for thinnish arm rests and spacious seat squabs. Tonight my wife and I came here to see an Auckland Film Festival movie. It was awful. But the friendly theater staff, awesome popcorn and tasty ginger ale...