Square Cinema Complex Tallaght Closed for Good

Another prominant casualy of the Covid 19 crisis.

Notable movies I saw there: Godfather 3 (Al Pacino as man himself), The Line of Fire (Clint Eastwood as presidential Bodyguard),The Silence of the Lambs with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster and Hidden Agenda (Loyalists hampering equiry in Northern ireland)

But I won't shed a tear. Time has moved on.

What memories have you got?

Rodney Bathgate

I was only ever in The Square Tallaght once. Never went to the cinema there.

Unearthly

Used to go there as a kid until the likes of Blanch and Liffey Valley opened.

Favourite film I saw there was Independence Day

FortuneChip

A shame, but not overly surprising.

It struggled a few times from what I remember. Wasnt' always in great nick - not always the staff's fault either.
Think they had too many screens as well, multiple idle during the day. Could have tried for fewer bigger better when it reopened as IMC.
Remember when The Master came out, they had two showings a day, meanwhile one of the Twilight movies had 14+ showings a day

I was in an atrocious wait for Star Trek 6 the undiscovered country.after buying my cinema popcorn.
Under the law that forbade grub from other shops.

Guy:Incognito

IMC are not reopening, but unless theres another story that I missed (I may well have) the unit itself isnt necessarily going to be cleared and repurposed. Someone else might take it over.

IMC werent the first cinema in it and may well not be the last.

GBX

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

IMC are not reopening, but unless theres another story that I missed (I may well have) the unit itself isnt necessarily going to be cleared and repurposed. Someone else might take it over.

IMC werent the first cinema in it and may well not be the last.

UCI Cinema were the original there. Not sure under what name they operate, if they even do anymore. Likely somebody will take over. I hope so! My local one.

AMKC

I seen Event Horrizon there. Seen speed 2 there. Seen Spawn there. Seen Syraship Troopers there twice. So some good movies and some utterly terrible ones and they are only the ones I can think of now. This was before IMC took over do. Been a few years since I was there now but I thought the IMC cinema there was always tidy and the screen good. It was open at odd times do and not always favorable.

endacl

Is it because they assessed the cost of cleaning it properly for the first time since it opened and decided it’d be cheaper to just build it from scratch somewhere else?

SteM

FortuneChip wrote: »

A shame, but not overly surprising.

It struggled a few times from what I remember. Wasnt' always in great nick - not always the staff's fault either.
Think they had too many screens as well, multiple idle during the day. Could have tried for fewer bigger better when it reopened as IMC.
Remember when The Master came out, they had two showings a day, meanwhile one of the Twilight movies had 14+ showings a day

Never had an issue with the state of the place since IMC did it up to be honest. Hopefully another company will take it over but I doubt it'll happen any time soon if they do.

Gatling

It was crap ,

Several screens had noticeable creases in them others had some other issues with lights being directed on to them ,but imc were more interested in stopping people bringing their own sweets to eat .

CinemaGuy45

Gatling wrote: »

It was crap ,

Several screens had noticeable creases in them others had some other issues with lights being directed on to them ,but imc were more interested in stopping people bringing their own sweets to eat .

Screen masking was not working in a number of the screens leaving a massive big black bar on top of the screen for scope films.
Those blue chairs still the same ones from the opening of IMC got really filthy.
Many times projector lamps were too dark.

People playing with their phones kicking seats and talking all too common.

The wait to get popcorn snacks and drinks was a joke.

IMC seemed unwilling to enforce any rules I think this drove away a lot of custom.

I have also seen bad behaviour in all cinemas Cinemaworld is another kip that I avoid.

I think behaviour in cinemas has become much worse in recent years I have seen plenty of messing in Vue also.

IMC also run the Savoy and I think this is struggling for a long time too that Cinema at the Point has been almost empty every time I have gone.

I don't think a cinema visit is worth the hassle anymore.

If I really wanted to seen a film in the cinema Dundrum might be worth a try.

CinemaGuy45

CinemaGuy45 wrote: »

IMC got really filthy.

People playing with their phones kicking seats and talking all too common.

The wait to get popcorn snacks and drinks was a joke.

IMC seemed unwilling to enforce any rules.....
I have also seen bad behaviour in all cinemas Cinemaworld is another kip that I avoid.



I don't think a cinema visit is worth the hassle anymore.

This.

If you really cherish a movie, wait for it to come out on [I sert favourite platform here] or if you're one of this hoarders buy it when it comes out on bluray or original DVD.

S.M.B.

Think I saw both Batman Returns and Jurassic Park at The Square. Was some difference between the experience there and that at a local cinema in the Midlands in the early 90s. Felt like the dawn of the new Multiplex era but maybe there were others before hand.

Gatling

[Deleted User] wrote: »

This.

If you really cherish a movie, wait for it to come out on [I sert favourite platform here] or if you're one of this hoarders buy it when it comes out on bluray or original DVD.

But surely a cinema charging a premium should be well run ,and it's screens absolutely perfect and the projectors calibrated and working properly ,
The spent several million setting up in the tallaght and it became a kip pretty quickly ,

I'd rather not see another one going in

Banjaxed82

Deleted User wrote: »

This.

If you really cherish a movie, wait for it to come out on [I sert favourite platform here] or if you're one of this hoarders buy it when it comes out on bluray or original DVD.

This is a reoccuring topic when it comes to certain cinemas, but depending on when you frequent the cinema itself, is what determines your viewing experience I've found.

I've been a Cineworld card holder for over 10 years now. My own personal rules are:

I don't watch films before 8pm (the later the better)
I don't watch films that start after 12/1pm.

I'd say I could count on one hand how many bad experiences I've had in that time. I understand some people's windows of cinema going opportunity might be limited. My own work life has bobbed and weaved to suit (and not suit as much) over that time, but if you're going to Cineworld at 4pm on a Saturday, I don't really have much sympathy for you.

I would never choose to watch a film at home, given the choice.

SteM

Gatling wrote: »

But surely a cinema charging a premium should be well run ,and it's screens absolutely perfect and the projectors calibrated and working properly ,
The spent several million setting up in the tallaght and it became a kip pretty quickly ,

I'd rather not see another one going in

What would you prefer to see in its place? I'd personally prefer to see a cinema there with fewer but larger screens but the industry seems to be moving away from that type of setup.

Guy:Incognito

Despite living within a 5 min drive of the square, I havnt been to the cinema there in about 17 years (got tickets for Intermission through pigsback at the time). Normally go to Dundrum and sometimes Liffey Valley.

I never liked how flat the seating was in the Square.

Tea drinker

Probably a bit of a bit of a loss for the locals... though even that seems a stretch given the comments here. I Had seen some random forgettable movie there but I'd have no fondness for it unlike the big screen in O connel street. Was that one of the last proper big screen in Ireland?
Anyway, as regards Tallaght seems most people paying 20 euro for a few snacks and a movie expect better service

Full_Circle_81

S.M.B. wrote: »

Think I saw both Batman Returns and Jurassic Park at The Square. Was some difference between the experience there and that at a local cinema in the Midlands in the early 90s. Felt like the dawn of the new Multiplex era but maybe there were others before hand.

So weird, those were the exact two movies I was going to mention seeing there! Once it opened up, we stopped going to The Classic in Harolds Cross, which was kind of our local.

I was too young to see the first Batman in cinemas, so seeing Returns was the next best thing!
But my most vivid memory is going to see Jurassic Park there. I'll never forget that first scene with the T-Rex and that abominable roar as it broke loose. As soon as it happened, I had to dash off to the toilet. It literally scared the piss outta me!

But like others have said, it didn't really keep up with refurbishments, at least under UCI. And yes, the seating was far too flat initially.
In recent years it's either Vue in Liffey Valley or the Swan centre for me.

I saw Bad Boys for Life there a few months ago ......... not a great movie by any stretch......... it was a midweek afternoon, quiet in there..... was grand really.

S.M.B.

Full_Circle_81 wrote: »

So weird, those were the exact two movies I was going to mention seeing there! Once it opened up, we stopped going to The Classic in Harolds Cross, which was kind of our local.

I was too young to see the first Batman in cinemas, so seeing Returns was the next best thing!
But my most vivid memory is going to see Jurassic Park there. I'll never forget that first scene with the T-Rex and that abominable roar as it broke loose. As soon as it happened, I had to dash off to the toilet. It literally scared the piss outta me!

But like others have said, it didn't really keep up with refurbishments, at least under UCI. And yes, the seating was far too flat initially.
In recent years it's either Vue in Liffey Valley or the Swan centre for me.

Based on your user name we are probably of the same age so it's probably no big surprise that we both attended the two big kid friendly summer blockbusters of the early 90s in Irelands brand new shiny cinema complex.

I'm actually curious to know what rating Batman Returns originally had as it was pretty dark for an 11 year old. BBFC saying it's rated 15.

pixelburp

Can't imagine it'll be the last cinema to close in the near future. A second lockdown feels very possible which will surely put the nails on the coffins of a lot of businesses, including cinemas

Guy:Incognito

Full_Circle_81 wrote: »

So weird, those were the exact two movies I was going to mention seeing there! Once it opened up, we stopped going to The Classic in Harolds Cross, which was kind of our local.

Jurassic park was one I saw in the square too. It's how I remember how old my brother is, my mam was pregnant with him at the time , I was 12

justmehere

Meant to post here instead of other thread.

I prebooked tickets for a show in August. No contact details anywhere for them to get my money back. The "Contact page" link doesn't go anywhere. :-|

smurf492

S.M.B. wrote:

I'm actually curious to know what rating Batman Returns originally had as it was pretty dark for an 11 year old. BBFC saying it's rated 15.

Both Batman and Returns were PG on cinema release here.. Both got bumped up to the 15 on VHS release. Saw Batman last year on re release and it was 12

Full_Circle_81

smurf492 wrote: »

Both Batman and Returns were PG on cinema release here.. Both got bumped up to the 15 on VHS release. Saw Batman last year on re release and it was 12

Nearly sure the reason I remember Batman Returns there was because there was a giant poster stuck to the side of the whole building outside. But maybe that's just me mis-remembering .......

KildareP

I don't think it's the fact it's a cinema that has forced it to close necessarily, moreso the Square itself.

It is IMC's only outlet which has been formally closed - just as it was Odeon's only outlet to close as part of the UCI/Odeon merger.

In the last downturn the Square's occupancy rate went way down and a lot of the third floor units were empty, I suspect rent may have a lot to do with it.

SteM

KildareP wrote: »

I don't think it's the fact it's a cinema that has forced it to close necessarily, moreso the Square itself.

It is IMC's only outlet which has been formally closed - just as it was Odeon's only outlet to close as part of the UCI/Odeon merger.

In the last downturn the Square's occupancy rate went way down and a lot of the third floor units were empty, I suspect rent may have a lot to do with it.

They said as much in the Echo - significant rent and service charge was cited.

https://echo.ie/show/article/this-week-s-front-pages-9th-of-july-2020?utm_content=bufferc64e0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


Meanwhile they are granted permission for an extension that'll probably never happen........

https://www.echo.ie/tallaght/article/the-square-100m-expansion-given-go-ahead

expectationlost

are these run as individual franchises?

chrislad

Only seen one movie there - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 : Secret of the Ooze. I believe it was the second time I was ever in a cinema, after Ghostbusters 2 in Thurles!

SteM

Great news for The Square...

https://www.hotpress.com/film-tv/movies-to-open-world-class-cinema-at-the-square-22874434