Your
Belmont
Memories
Spoons
"I had seen the film The Disaster Artist at the Belmont and enjoyed it. Typical of the majority of films I went to see at the Belmont the audience was small. So when the opportunity arose to see the film that inspired The Disaster Artist and there were only a limited number of screenings I felt I had to go and see it. I usually aimed to arrive 20 minutes after the official start time so as to avoid the adverts. This has rarely been a problem.
On this occasion I was a little bit earlier than this and was stunned to see people queuing up outside. "What is going on?", I am thinking. "Why are so many people interested in a film of limited appeal?" I get to the ticket desk and I am lucky to get one of the last remaining seats in the front row of the large Screen 1. I prefer to sit near the back so as not to strain my neck and go swivel-eyed trying to take in a large screen close up. I was invited to take some plastic cutlery on the counter. "What is this for I asked?". "It is part of the film." was the reply with an enigmatic smile.
Sure enough Screen 1 was packed out. The film starts and a little way in the people behind me shout "Spoons" and I am showered in plastic cutlery . This happened at key points during the film. Also the audience shouted out phrases at certain repeated phrases or camera shots. The audience clearly knew this obscure film very well. Never in my 50 years of cinema going have I encountered such an immersive experience. Well done to the Belmont.
The film, in case you want to look out for it, is "The Room" by Tommy Wiseau. A film that has to be seen in a cinema.
Bruce Taylor
Share Your Memory
Spoons
"I had seen the film The Disaster Artist at the Belmont and enjoyed it. Typical of the majority of films I went to see at the Belmont the audience was small. So when the opportunity arose to see the film that inspired The Disaster Artist and there were only a limited number of screenings I felt I had to go and see it. I usually aimed to arrive 20 minutes after the official start time so as to avoid the adverts. This has rarely been a problem.
On this occasion I was a little bit earlier than this and was stunned to see people queuing up outside. "What is going on?", I am thinking. "Why are so many people interested in a film of limited appeal?" I get to the ticket desk and I am lucky to get one of the last remaining seats in the front row of the large Screen 1. I prefer to sit near the back so as not to strain my neck and go swivel-eyed trying to take in a large screen close up. I was invited to take some plastic cutlery on the counter. "What is this for I asked?". "It is part of the film." was the reply with an enigmatic smile.
Sure enough Screen 1 was packed out. The film starts and a little way in the people behind me shout "Spoons" and I am showered in plastic cutlery . This happened at key points during the film. Also the audience shouted out phrases at certain repeated phrases or camera shots. The audience clearly knew this obscure film very well. Never in my 50 years of cinema going have I encountered such an immersive experience. Well done to the Belmont.
The film, in case you want to look out for it, is "The Room" by Tommy Wiseau. A film that has to be seen in a cinema.
Bruce Taylor
Special Screenings
"Really enjoyed the one off events that the entire Belmont team got behind. Saw the notorious "The Room" a couple of times and both screenings were among the best experiences I've had in a cinema.
Also enjoyed the Nolan Batman day where all three films were screened back to back and went all-in on the fancy dress, which helped make the day really special."
Jimmy Buchan
Table tennis film
"I can't remember the name of the film, but it was a documentary about ageing people who play table tennis.
A whole group of people from a Aberdeen table tennis club were there and we smiled for the whole duration of the film.
The whole night was joyous!"
NB: The film might be Ping Pong (2012).
Heather Edgar
World Cinema Gems
"One of the most memorable screenings of my life was seeing Old Boy in the tiny screen (Screen 3?) with just one other person, a total stranger. Aside from being able to watch such a great, niche, foreign film in a local cinema (nearly impossible now) when the credits rolled we both stood up and gave each other a well-needed hug after seeing such a bonkers and emotionally draining movie. Didn't say a word, and never saw them again! The power of cinema!"
Paul
Two Distinct Memories
"I have many great memories of The Belmont, but two stand out. The first was watching a film by Swedish film maker Roy Andersson, called A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence. With a title like that, I felt I had to see it. I had no knowledge of Anderssons prior work, and read a review which said that it was heavily influenced by surrealist film maker Luis Bunuel. And it was very similar, except it was a bit of a slog. There were three of us in the cinema, however what Ive never forgotten is one of them got up and left the cinema with about five minutes to go! I was a bit astonished, but then I thought maybe Roy Andersson would appreciate this, because like his film, it was a very surreal moment.
Second memory was in the Cinema One watching the Joy Division documentary. I was the only person in the cinema for the duration. First and only time it has ever happened, and although enjoyable, I hope this doesn't happen with the proposed new Belmont."
John Leslie