Stella Cinema Rathmines

Beanstalk

Not sure if this is the right thread, but, i went to the cinema in dublin recently and all this 'surround sound' crap and 'the ultimate cinema experience' made me think about the old stella cinema in rathmines. I lived near there during my early years in college and i must say, it was an absolute sh1thole, but I thought that was what was so cool about it!

The toilets were unusable, the floor was just basic underflooring because most the carpet had worn away, the seats were all torn up, the curtains at the sides were black with dirt and all cobwebby, people smoked in there without caring, and the staff used to sit behind the counter juggling and stuff. THey also used to have intermissions during the films! It reminded me of the old crappy cinema where i'm origianlly from. The last film I saw there was the return of the king, it closed shortly after....

Anyway, just wondering does anyone else remember the stella and do they share my love for the old retro cinema experience?

DublinWriter

I was never at the Stella (I'm a Nertsidah!), but if you want to relive the experience, go visit The Kino in Cork.

It's about the size of the Stella and is just as gloriously run-down, but it only shows art-house movies, mostly European ones.

It's a real shame that most of Dublin's flea-pits (notably the ones in Ringsend, Crumlin, Sutton and Whitehall) were turned into Bingo halls and branches of Superquinn in the 70's.

freddyf

I use to pass the stella every day for years but never went in. I tought that place was still opened, I havnt lived in ireland for a few years but i tought it was still opened.

I use to go to the classic in terenure. Like the stella they didnt have good sound and use to break in the middle. Good childhood memorys.

DavyD_83

Yeh, it was amazingly sh1t. Last thing i saw there was Gangs Of New York and hey still had the intermission. Remember being really confused when the film just stopped halfway through:rolleyes:.
They don't make em like they used to

Earthhorse

Beanstalk

Earthhorse wrote: »

Aw wow that's awesome! thanks dude!

Earthhorse

No worries.

You can find the original photo here and another (almost identical) here. Taken for the references section of the Whipping Boy website I co-run. Their song "When We Were Young (Phillo version)", which is basically music they wrote to a Phil Lynott lyric, starts with the line "When we were kids we used to climb over the back wall into old Dan's scrapyard, then into the snooker hall, where most of us kids were barred, and into the Roxy and the Stella where film stars starred".

I was never actually in the Stella myself, as far as I know anyway!

deman

Was there once. Saw the Blues Brothers

It was manky to say the least (the cinema that is).

Miss Fluff

Last film I saw there was the Blair Witch Project - ah the memories

SimonSc5

Actually does anyone here know how you can hire the stella? I noticed they had an available for hire sign up last time I drove by. Can't seem to find anything about it online..

Degsy

Dp they still show show the Rocky Horror Show yoke there?

vektarman

I brought a girlfriend there for our first date, Mad Max and Mad Max 2 double bill, and even after that she still married me!:D

ikb

grew up in rathmines, we always refered to the stella as "the flea pit" (go in crippled- come out walkin"). saw mad max there week after week,til i could quote it verbatim.
Fond memories.

stovelid

Was it an urban myth that somebody got bitten by a rat in the Stella once? Probably too good to be true.

RacoonQueen

Grew up in Portobello so the Stella and the Classic were my local cinemas. Oh the memories. Both are gone now sadly.

Real cinemas. :cool:

Degsy

Anybody remember the Cameo in abbey st?Across from the abbey mall,it was a complete fleapit,usually with nobody in it but occasionally people would be in there drinking,smoking spliffs and fornicating.The last film i saw there was "Sea of love" in 1990,there was only two of us in the place.

IanCurtis

Saw a midnight showing of The Exorcist in the Stella....a fistfight started in the aisle halfway through!

Ah, memories.

blah

Degsy wrote: »

Anybody remember the Cameo in abbey st?Across from the abbey mall,it was a complete fleapit,usually with nobody in it but occasionally people would be in there drinking,smoking spliffs and fornicating.The last film i saw there was "Sea of love" in 1990,there was only two of us in the place.

I remember the Adephi on Abbey St and the Carlton on O'Connell St. My Mam go short changed by a tenner in the Adelphi once but didn't realise until we got home so she rang my dad to go in on the way home from work and get a refund. But he went to the Carlton instead and they wouldn't give him the money no matter what kind of a stink he put up!

snollup

Would anyone know how you would go about contacting the owners? Would love to try to run a few nites in there.
J.

ikb

stovelid wrote: »

Was it an urban myth that somebody got bitten by a rat in the Stella once? Probably too good to be true.

Yeah,I heard that too...Never met the guy/Girl, was always someone who knew someone.

IanCurtis

It's very possible.

I used to work in a summer camp with kids and one of them was bitten on the leg by a rat in one of those ball pools, would you believe!

The place has closed down since.

cuckoo

stovelid wrote: »

Was it an urban myth that somebody got bitten by a rat in the Stella once? Probably too good to be true.

The version i heard was a couple who were scoring in the back row - and the rat ran over their feet.

the Stella building is a little spooky - it looks like they just turned off the lights, locked the doors and left.

MatthewPRAI

Does anyone Know who owns this Property? could you send me his/her email address? I am a Trainee Investigator with Paranormal Research Association of Ireland. looking for some locations to investigate. Any help would be much appricated.:D

stovelid

Degsy wrote: »

Dp they still show show the Rocky Horror Show yoke there?

That was the Classic in Harold's Cross which is gone now.

oldyouth

My Da had a TV/Electrical shop in Rathmines and The Boomtown Rats were playing The Stella. Fingers and Bob came in to get some PA cables for the gig and gave some tickets to the old man. I was not allowed use them to go and see those 'punk rockers'.
Different days

Poutbutton

It showed a movie as recently as 2005 or 2006 I cant remember what it was we saw cos I was freaked out by the state of the place to say the least but there was 7 of us in there and the token old man in a mack at the back euww there are giant stalagmite type cobwebs hanging from the ceilings and the floors are all like lumps of earth covered in some sort of carpet but you'd break your neck! The seats are old style small ones and the entire row would fall over with a push, when we sat down the seats leaned wayyyyyy back & the place stank of mould. My bf at the time was 6'2/3 and hardly any of him was on the actual seat LOL We left before the film ended and headed up to Roddys shuddering at where we'd just been. i remember gangs of people used to go over there in the 80's to see The Rocky Horror, they used to dress up and act and sing the parts.......cult stuff!
Anyone remember Lucan cinema?

Poutbutton

Just remembered the movie was Sean of the Dead so it was late 2004 or early 2005 when I was first and last time in this "cinema" :pac:

Richard carr

hey people, was just wondering does anyone know who the owner of the stella is or was and how i would go about contacting him/her...............

or if anyone has info on where i could get my hands on some old cinema or theatre seats this would also be really helpful...

e-mail....carrzer@gmail.com


cheers
Richard

jmbkay

I used to go to the Stella with my granda (RIP) to see all the Carry On Films and Guess Whos Coming to Dinner. Granda used to always fall asleep. Happy memories.

gussygoose

Just saw this post now and thought it was funny. I was the last person to work there! Closed up on the last day a few years ago. Worked there while I was in college, cushiest number ever! I loved it there too, so much character. One time while I was working I was having a smoke in screen 2 and a customer went out to my friend who was also working there and complained. My mate had to come down to me and pretend to throw me out!
Good memories.

gussygoose

oldyouth wrote: »

My Da had a TV/Electrical shop in Rathmines and The Boomtown Rats were playing The Stella. Fingers and Bob came in to get some PA cables for the gig and gave some tickets to the old man. I was not allowed use them to go and see those 'punk rockers'.
Different days

Was it Hot Wax your Da owned?

fryup

my stella memories > stinks of piss & sticky floors

dubh101

I used too go too the OLD Ormonde in Stillorgan,anyone remember that place? I remember seeing bed nobs and broomsticks there and an Old batman movie with Adam West.