An impressed TIM MILFULL takes a tour of the latest Brisbane sanctuary for quality cinema, the soon to open PALACE BARRCKS complex in Caxton Street on the CBD fringe.

I love my job. Being paid to sit in a darkened cinema and lose myself in films is one of the great joys in my life. So watching the cinematic landscape of Brisbane change over time often brings worries and pleasant surprises. After all, we don’t always sit in corporate theatrettes; sometimes we have to get out there and mix with the punters. There’s a bit of an advantage there, truth be told; it can be dangerous sitting in a room full of critics – collective opinion can spiral out of control sometimes.

So when a cinema appears or disappears, it’s big news in our little community. In the eighteen months since opening, the Brisbane Cinémathèque has progressed in leaps and bounds, placing Brisbane on the map as one of the world’s more innovative gathering of film curators. The vanishing of the Schonell recently caused great distress, and so many people I’ve told about its new incarnation have been delighted; the exciting programme developed by Debbie Haddleton and her crew has included films like Celebrity: Dominick Dunne, that would not otherwise screen in Brisbane. Just as many people have been disappointed at the news that Dendy George St will close at the end of its current lease; given the hunger for development in the CBD, this comes as no surprise.

The big news in property development in the next month, however, is the opening of six new screens at the Palace Barracks complex in the CBD, and given the hype over Baz Luhrmann’s epic new film – which he is still working on as you read this – Australia is the perfect film to project onto four of the screens. And in keeping with Luhrmann’s penchant for stylish affairs, the gala opening will finish with a themed after-party encouraging punters to come dressed in their best vintage ‘40s clobber.

Donning hard hats with a small group of media and distributors, I followed Palace Cinemas Queensland State Operations Manager James Feldman and his Managing Director Antonio Zeccola as they conducted a comprehensive tour of the company’s newest and most impressive cinema complex. As part of the urban revitalisation of the top of Caxton St – and aren’t we all relieved that the beautiful Police Barracks building has been renovated to retain its original grandeur? – the Palace complex is only part of a series of buildings that brings even more life to a part of Brisbane that already bustles.

Perfectly positioned to one side of a promenade that links Caxton St to Roma St – only a short walk to the railway station – a soaring blend of corrugated iron and fibreglass, and vast expanses of windows offering stunning views of the Brisbane River, also sets an interesting architectural counterpoint to its Victorian neighbour. James reveals that Palace’s designers and programmers have worked in close concert to ensure a specific experience for sophisticated cinema patrons from the local surrounds and further afield.

Those living in and around the CBD looking for the best mainstream, arthouse, and family films on offer, will find that a short walk will bring them to a cinema complex with a licensed bar, dedicated espresso bar with “two flavours of Lavazza coffee beans”, and, in the event of too much caffeine or boutique beers, somewhere in the range of sixty toilets to find relief.

One of the big questions people are bound to ask about a cinema situated so close to the CBD involves parking, and patrons at Palace Barracks will be able to avail themselves of a 480-space carpark, which at $5, turns out to be a pretty reasonable rate for the four hours or so that it takes to buy tickets, order a drink, catch a flick, and discuss the pros and cons of Kidman and Jackman.

If you’re the sort of techno-geek who gets a rush from technical guff and statistics – and on the day, there was a small group of us who demanded James shuffle us up into the Palace Barracks bio-box – you can rest assured that there’s an impressive array of digital and analogue cinematic hardware hidden away in a very long room that sits above the four main cinemas, which projects out over almost 850-seats. While public tours of the bio-box might be out of the question, the friendly staff will surely be able to offer more detailed techno-speak.

Of course, last week we were tramping helmet-clad through a complex spattered with primer, occasionally choking us with concrete dust, and often threatening to trip us up on raw, still-drying cement. It’s just a matter of weeks till Luhrmann’s Australia makes its way onto those four screens, but James Feldman and Antonio Zeccola have no qualms that by the November 27, their sparkling new complex will be completely ready for the crowds, punters and critics included.

For more information about PALACE BARRACKS, especially its Gala Opening Night on Thursday Nov 27, visit www.palacecinemas.com.au

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