One of Edinburgh’s oldest independent cinema’s could be lost, we talked about this before, but now I’ve been handed a link to a site to raise your objection about the possible loss of one of the best cinema screens in Edinburgh.
Save the Cameo have the petition running, and also a superb picture of the inside of the main screen, just have a look at it and see how great it looks. I’m actually off there tonight to see Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and tomorrow morning for Where the Truth Lies. Gorgeous place, and it truly deserves to be kept running.
There’s only the Cameo and the Filmhouse that show independent and continental films that aren’t being shown in the Multiplexes now, and the Filmhouse is the bigger and favoured cinema in Edinburgh, yet it’s not the oldest and it’s new plans will turn it into more of a multiplex than ever. That will leave us with the Cameo, which brings us some truly great movies that you’ll just not see elsewhere – it also seems to have more press screenings than anywhere else!
Head over to the Save the Cameo site and lodge your protest, or just have a look at the location. Help keep this cinema alive, and if you’re an Edinburgh resident who hasn’t been there, go see a movie there in the next few weeks too.
For all the other readers here, what do you feel about the encroaching of Multiplexes into your cities and towns? Are, or have, your local Cinemas been dying out? Do you wish these sites were refurbished and renovated to keep them alive? Why not just move onto the huge multi-screens of today?
Please note that there’s a meeting tomorrow for those concerned about the cinema and the plans for it.
> 1) PUBLIC MEETING: A public meeting: “What future for The Cameo
> Cinema?” will be held on TUESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM, at The
> Lecture Hall, Central Methodist Hall, 2 West Tollcross, Edinburgh. You
> are warmly invited to attend and bring other concerned people with
> you. Speakers invited include Sarah Boyack MSP Edinburgh Central;
> Lorna Shiels Councillor for Fountainbridge; Ricky Henderson, Cultural
> Convenor City of Edinburgh Council, Dr Gordon Barr, Surviving Cinemas;
> Kerr Blyth of Kerr Blyth Assocs, architects of the plans submitted and
> representatives of City Screen, the Cameo operators.
> .
> This will be a chance for local residents, filmgoers and others interested
> to express their concerns and to debate the issue with the decision
> makers. Please come if you possibly can and put it in your diary!
The cameo has been around for so many years and it would be a bleeding shame to change it into some main streem bar come crap cinema thing.I doubt any one with a hint of honour would go.The general vibe of the cameo as it stands rocks and always has done.It’s utterly bizarre and totally shameful!!!!!!!!!(and i have dyslexia so ignore the spelling)
They wanna turn it into ANOTHER bar??!?! [sarcasm]Yeah, that’s just what Edinburgh is really lacking right now [/sarcasm]
That’s madness. Chalk up my complaint.
Still pisses me off that the crappy but lovable ABC cinema in Dundee shut down. It’s not quite the same thing but every independant in Dundee has closed now, so there’s now only two multiplexes and one small arthouse cinema within the city’s Arts Center left.
That’s basically the same thing i said to Edinburgh council as well – this is such a travesty that they want to turn such a beautiful cinema screen into yet another pub. How short-sighted can developers be??
Here’s my objection I’ve already posted.
Edinburgh has many, many pubs, and judging by current Scottish Executive discussions, too many that are open for too long. Discussions within the Parliment are quite clear that these pubs, their promotions, and their opening hours are the major causes of our binge drinking society. Do we need another?
What Edinburgh is drastically lacking are independent cinemas. In an area where Multiplexes are commonplace and infringe on each others catchment areas, we only have two remaining cinemas who do not continuously show the top featured Hollywood movies.
The Filmhouse and the Cameo both bring foreign films, documentaries, educational movies, independent and less mainstream movies, etc to an eager public.
In the home of the longest running Film Festival in the world we are planning to turn one of the oldest independent cinemas into a pub. In the process losing an incredibly historic cinema screen.
We need to keep these cinemas intact as a matter of history, but also to continue to provide movies that no other cinema can provide to the Edinburgh public. Otherwise a monopoly will be created for the Filmhouse and our choice will be restricted to multiple choices of the top ten Hollywood movies.
This is not to mention the shame we should be feeling at the oldest Film Festival in the World when we close down the oldest screen.