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AFI research collection
   
Reference Type web
Title Technicolour Yawn
Chapter/Web article title Trak / Australia Twin/MidCity Cinema/ Chinatown Cinema
Author(s)Dean Brandum
State Unknown
Country Unknown
Publication Date
Citation Date
Site URL http://technicolouryawn.com
Comments A website that has numerous listings of different cinema venues in Melbourne.



The information that this website gave me was the most appropriate staring point to begin both assignments one and two. The history of the ‘Australia Twin’ can be quite complex, with a few name changes, playing different movies, it was at one stage very popular and at another not so. The website ‘technicolour yawn’ was able to simplify this for a first time reading to largely understand its history. This to me meant that I wasn’t overwhelmed with information and could figure out exactly what I thought was interesting about the cinema and what to write on. With the research obtained I was able to see at what dates the cinema was at its most modern, and at the same time most popular; which was when they installed the latest technology of sound and screen. This allowed me to set a standard where I could then compare their success years later and why, based on those qualities of screen and sound, they weren’t as popular a theatre anymore.

The author of this website also listed the movies that movie Australia one and Australia two had screened just over a decade. This meant that I could then research what was popular in that year and see if they were playing ‘popular’ movies. This would also affect the success of the cinema. (Sarah p)





Technicolour Yawn is a website that contains large amount of information about Australian Cinemas. Technicolour is a word that describing a method of making color motion pictures, and the ‘technicolour yawn’ is very typical Australian phrase for vomiting, so people might think this is about Australian films and cinemas, when they go to this website. Besides of many useful general introductions of cinemas, which contain the basic data that people normally needed, it also gives the screening details for the most cinemas in this website, which are very precious information. In addition, for the most cinemas, it provides the background and history to examine why the cinemas had built, and also give some brief criticism.



According to my topic, Chinatown cinema, Technicolour Yawn evaluates it very objectively when the cinema had just opened, and tells what was this cinema like in that time, so people can easily compare it to other cinemas, what made this cinema different in that time, and can also compare with current situation, what the features are. In addition, one great thing about Chinatown Cinema on Technicolour Yawn is that it provides one old ad of the cinema, and old movie posters, which are very rare, and people can also get the information that how Hoyts advertised this cinema when it opened. These facts are very trustworthy for the further work of the assessment. (Yixiao Li, 2011/12/16)

Synopsis This was the only website I could find that had useful and articulate information pertaining to Trak cinema and was very handy in terms of providing both an overview of the history of the cinema and a list of film screenings that it had in 1970.

The interesting bit of information I picked up was that Trak played a mixture of films in its time including art-house titles, operas and ballets which is described as the cinema aiming for the more ‘affluent, educated and highbrow’ audiences and Warner Brother titles in its latter years to try and rope in audiences who at that stage were basking in the new found multiplex cinemas. The opening of the Jam Factory is described by Brandum as the reason that Trak had to close its doors.

Perhaps the only bias argument placed in the commentary is Brandum’s view of the showing of the film, ‘The Set’ which he describes as ‘pure tabloid fodder’ and simply made people aware of the venue.

The only criticism I have towards the information is the use of certain film terms such as ‘move overs’, ‘quasi-art-house’, ‘first run features’, ‘a piece Hollywood middlebrow’ which to a person who is not used to such language makes it difficult to understand.

Overall Technicolour Yawn provides an invaluable insight into the background of Trak Cinema. (Rashika)





A website dedicated to finding information on cinemas, theatres and films ran in the past. It had a lot of information in the nature of basic facts on seating, the crowd, and a list of movies played for the cinemas spaning over decades. (spoore)

tags: Chinatown Cinema Dean Brandum Hoyts Mid City Cinema Technicolour Yawn 
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