I've been perplexed ever since getting to Sydney why it is that there are so few — if any — late night movie sessions beyond about 9.40PM. In Melbourne, almost all cinemas have a few movies starting at 10.40 – 11.00 PM, sometimes even as late as 11.50PM!
I reckon these late sessions are ideal for busy people — e.g. I could work till 7.30PM, get home, have a bit of an unwind and leisurely dinner, then go off late in the evening and catch a movie. Going to bed at 2am on a Friday or Saturday night doesn't bother me… and surely there'd be even more of a market for this in cosmopolitan Sydney than Melbourne?
Maybe it's the 'tits and teeth' culture of Sydney (as my friend Sian puts it) that dictates that of course everyone is out getting hammered on the dancefloor on a Friday/Saturday night so therefore there couldn't possibly be market for late-night movie-goers.
Hoyts is a PBL group company — same parent company as my employer, ACP Magazines — maybe I'll track down their PR manager and ask why it is.
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#1 by Sam on April 10, 2010 - 4:05 pm
I am wondering the same thing Dan. I lived in Melbourne for a while. Same as European cities. In Sydney, it's like you can't go out to dinner and for a movie on the same night, unless you eat before 7pm. They do some late shows (12am) when a movie first opens and there's obviously the demand. So I'd say it's all economics – not enough bums on seats – and not enough committment to developing a 24 hour culture…be interested if you found anything out. Sam