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South China Morning Post
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Golden Harvest closes its 4 remaining cinemas amid industry upheaval in Hong Kong
Golden Harvest shut down all four of its remaining cinemas in Hong Kong on Sunday, including one that will not be leased to a new operator, leaving residents disappointed by the loss of another venue. GH Galaxy in Shau Kei Wan ceased operations, while Golden Harvest's other three cinemas, Sky at Olympian City, StagE in Tuen Mun and GH in Tai Po will all be leased to a new operator from Monday. On its final day, GH Galaxy offered six showings across its two screens. By 5.30pm, the only sold-out showing was Behind the Shadows, a new release from June 12, with many empty seats in other screenings, particularly in the front rows. 'To be honest, I am not so surprised to hear about the closure,' Jason Chan, an architect in his thirties who lives a 10-minute walk away, told the Post at the cinema. 'First, there are fewer and fewer screenings, and then there is no staff working here – only self-service machines now. I can feel it is dying slowly.' Chan expressed his regret but hoped a new operator might take over in the future. Another resident, who identified himself as Danny L, said he would miss the 'human touch' of Golden Harvest cinemas. He noted that the chain often hosted events where film-goers could meet actors and actresses, while he also appreciated the friendly staff.
South China Morning Post
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Study Buddy (Explorer): Hong Kong Cinema Day achieves a 3-year high occupancy rate
Content provided by British Council Read the following text, and answer questions 1–9 below: [1] Hong Kong movie theatres reached an 83 per cent occupancy rate for Cinema Day, a three-year high. Although the overall turnout was slightly lower than in 2024, nearly 195,000 people enjoyed a day at the pictures this year. Cinema Day took place on May 10. Tickets were priced at HK$30 (US$3.86) and 1,774 screenings were held throughout the day at 53 venues. Showings across the city enjoyed strong ticket sales, and many boasted a full house. [2] The Hong Kong Theatre Association, which organises the annual event, said its preliminary figures showed 194,755 film-goers flocked to cinemas for the special day. This year's 83 per cent overall occupancy rate surpassed the 68 per cent and 78 per cent recorded in 2024 and 2023, respectively. [3] However, the actual number of attendees fell short of last year's record of 203,017. Regardless, the association said it was upbeat about the results, especially given that fewer cinemas took part in the promotion this year compared to last. [4] 'The figures remained similar, which greatly satisfied the Theatre Association. [We] also observed a significant increase in foot traffic in various shopping malls,' group chairman Timothy Yuen Yin-man said. 'Notably … many young people were seen enjoying movies with like-minded friends, indicating that Cinema Day is quite appealing to the younger generation and that cinemas are a popular social venue for them.' [5] The event's tickets were subsidised due to support from the government's Film Development Fund and the Create Hong Kong agency. Seats, including VIP ones, cost just HK$30. The promotion was first launched in 2023, after the Covid-19 pandemic, and aims to revitalise the film and cinema industry after three years of disruptions caused by inconsistent business and mandated social distancing. [6] The association said this year's Cinema Day continued to receive widespread support, with shopping malls, retailers and restaurants all taking part by offering various promotions to encourage public spending. Film-goers started lining up both online and in person a week before the event in hopes of obtaining cheap tickets. [7] 'The vibrant flow of people through the city demonstrates the effectiveness of the Hong Kong Cinema Day strategy; it not only encourages residents to visit movie theatres but also successfully mobilises various merchants to participate, which has proved very beneficial for boosting the local economy,' Wilfred Wong Ying-wai, chairman of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, said. [8] But the strong performance comes after three cinemas closed in the first three months of this year. At least nine venues closed in 2024. Only 56 cinemas currently operate in the city, a sharp drop from 112 venues in 1994. Last year, cinema revenue dropped to a 13-year low. Source: South China Morning Post, May 11 Questions 1. Find a phrase in paragraph 1 that means 'all tickets were sold'. 2. According to paragraph 1, what was the total number of screenings on Cinema Day? 3. The year's occupancy rate was … the rate of the last two years, based on paragraph 2. A. higher than B. lower than C. around the same as D. none of the above 4. As mentioned in paragraph 4, what group was seen watching movies on Cinema Day? 5. When did Cinema Day start and why, according to paragraph 5? 6. How much did each VIP seat cost on Cinema Day, based on paragraph 5? 7. Decide whether the following statements, according to paragraphs 5 and 6, are True, False or the information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks) (i) Tickets for Cinema Day could only be bought online. (ii) The public showed little interest in the cheaper tickets. (iii) Many shops offered a 'buy one, get one free' promotion on Cinema Day. (iv) Tickets for the event are cheaper because the government helps cover the costs. 8. What are two positive outcomes of the Hong Kong Cinema Day strategy, according to paragraph 7? 9. Based on paragraph 8, the overall number of cinemas in the city has … since 1994. A. increased B. decreased C. remained stable D. become unpredictable 10. How many cinemas closed between 2024 and March 2025, according to paragraph 8? People head to Emperor Cinema at iSquare in Tsim Sha Tsui to watch a film on Hong Kong Cinema Day 2025. Photo: Dickson Lee Answers 1. full house 2. 1,774 3. A 4. young people 5. The promotion was launched in 2023, following the Covid-19 pandemic, and aims to revitalise the industry after three years of disruptions caused by inconsistent business and mandated social distancing. (accept similar answers) 6. HK$30 7. (i) F; (ii) F; (iii) NG; (iv) T 8. It encourages residents to visit movie theatres and successfully mobilises various merchants to participate. 9. B 10. 12
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mom Is Told She's ‘the Weird One' After Complaining She Saw a Lone Man Watching a Kids' Movie
A woman took her daughter to a children's movie and noticed a man in the theater, watching the film while 'munching on snacks' The woman took to a popular community forum to ask if others thought the man's behavior was 'odd' The vast majority of commenters said they thought the woman was being extremely judgmental and that she should 'live and let live'A woman voiced concern after seeing a man attend a children's movie on his own, but people on the Internet think she needs an attitude adjustment. The woman shared her experience in the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' forum on a U.K.-based community site where women can seek advice from other women. In her brief post — which she wrote from the theater — the woman said that she was currently watching the new live-action Lilo and Stitch with her daughter. Her issue? There was a guy there, apparently by himself, 'munching on snacks.' 'Is this odd?' she asked her fellow community members, adding, 'Is it just me?' The vast majority of commenters said that they considered the woman's post to be judgmental and unnecessary. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Man watches film alone whilst eating snacks - normal. Someone goes to the cinema with their child and sits on their phone b------- about the other cinema goers - you're the weird one,' one person said. 'I don't think it's weird, I always go to the cinema on my own — not to kids films granted, but maybe he really likes Disney.' 'Not remotely weird. Probably a cinema pass owner who goes to whatever happens to be on. What a strange thing to be judgmental about," another wrote. Another person said, 'Live and let live. Maybe it holds special memories for him because of his grown children, maybe he knows someone in the film, maybe he's a journalist or maybe he just wanted to go to the cinema on his day off.' The same person added, 'There are so many depressing things going on around the world, let a man enjoy a film without fear of judgement and be grateful you have your daughter to share these experiences with.' Read the original article on People
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AMC Theatres: New Plan Of Ads Before Movies Won't Detract Moviegoers
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05, 2021. Photo an an AMC theater lobby (Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage) AMC Theaters is confident its new business model of running ads before movies won't discourage filmgoers from coming to movies at the theater chain. AMC announced Wednesday that it has partnered with movie ad company National CineMedia to add a 'platinum spot' with commercial ads before movies, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The ads, of course, will run in addition to the movie trailers that run before shows. 'While AMC was initially reluctant to bring this to our theaters, our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance,' AMC Theatres said in a statement (via THR). 'This is a strong indication that this NCM pre-show initiative does not negatively influence moviegoing habits.' AMC and National CineMedia will share the revenues from the endeavor, THR reported. AMC's ad program with NCM will begin on July 1. 'For the past five years," AMC noted in a statement through a spokesperson to Deadline, 'AMC has sought out crucial revenue that is not reliant on the increase of base ticket prices.' "We've done this through more and better moviegoing enhancements like our significant expansion of PLFs, a greater selection of food and beverage offerings, and the introduction of movie-going merchandise like popcorn buckets and other collectable concession vessels,' AMC said in the statement (via Deadline). NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 09 (Photo by) AMC Theatres is the largest theater chain in the U.S. and Europe. As the largest theater chain worldwide, AMC has 900 theaters that hold 10,000 screens. The company recently noted in a press release that it had a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend holiday at the box office, with 'more than 7 million moviegoers visited an AMC in the United States or an ODEON Cinemas location internationally from Thursday through Monday.' Over the five day, period, which ran from May 22-26 — and saw the openings of Disney's Lilo & Stitch and Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning — 'AMC set all-time weekend records for the Memorial Day holiday for admissions revenue, food & beverage revenue and overall revenue at its domestic locations,' the press release noted. The theater chain added that May 22-26 was the most attended weekend of 2025 and marked its highest-attended Memorial Day weekend since 2013.
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Cinema Day: movie theatres achieve 83% occupancy rate, a 3-year high
Hong Kong movie theatres achieved an 83 per cent occupancy rate for Cinema Day, a three-year high that saw nearly 195,000 people enjoy a day at the pictures, even as the overall turnout was slightly below the tally for 2024. Advertisement For Cinema Day on Saturday, 53 venues offered tickets at HK$30 (US$3.86) each and hosted 1,774 screenings throughout the day. Many showings across the city enjoyed strong ticket sales and had a full house. The Hong Kong Theatre Association, which organises the annual event, said on Sunday that its preliminary figures showed 194,755 film-goers flocked to cinemas for the special day, more than triple the number from the previous Saturday. This year's overall occupancy rate reached 83 per cent, surpassing the 68 per cent and 78 per cent recorded in 2024 and 2023, respectively. However, the overall attendance number this time around failed to surpass last year's record of 203,017. Advertisement The association said it was upbeat about the results regardless, especially given the fact that the number of cinemas taking part in the promotion had fallen by 16 per cent from 2024. 'But the figures remained similar, which greatly satisfied the Theatre Association. The association also observed a significant increase in foot traffic in various shopping malls yesterday,' group chairman Timothy Yuen Yin-man said.
