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Topic: Is the old Auckland IMAX Centre haunted?

Joseph L. Kleiman
Master Film Handler

Posts: 380
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 09-08-2005 12:01 PM

With best regards to our Kiwi friends, this is just odd.

quote:
Man dead in city picture theatre

Auckland City News Release, 4:01pm 5 July 2005

The body of a young man - estimated to be in his 20s - was found by cleaners at about 2.20pm today in theatre 10 of the Skycity Metro complex on Queen St [formerly known as the Imax centre].

Police and a pathologist are at the scene and are investigating the cause of the man's death.

It's believed the young man had been in the theatre since about 12.30pm for a screening of the film, "A Lot Like Love" which ended at about 2.15pm.

source

quote:
Man falls to his death at Auckland cinema complex

05 September 2005

A man fell to his death yesterday at Auckland's Village SkyCity Cinemas, landing just metres away from people eating in the food court below.

The man died about 3.45pm after falling to the ground floor food court from a bridge on level 6 of the Queen St entertainment complex.

After reviewing security camera footage police are confident there are no suspicious circumstances.

The entertainment complex was closed yesterday afternoon while police investigated the death.

SkyCity Metro general manager Noel Dempsey said the company was co-operating with police.

He would not comment on safety aspects of the complex saying the police investigation was still under way.

Five years ago 16-year-old Danial Gardner died at the complex, then called the Imax Centre, after falling from a ledge near the cinemas.

An inquest found that the balcony was up to 70mm lower than shown on plans and a building consent.

New rails were installed after the tragedy. Toughened glass was used to raise barrier heights to between 1.2m and 1.3m, exceeding the building code minimum height of 1m.

source

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Robert Harrison
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 239
From: Harwood Heights, Illinois, USA
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 09-09-2005 03:04 PM

Strange, yet...weird.

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Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 09-11-2005 02:24 PM

70mm lower at an IMAX theatre... hmmm... [uhoh]

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Robert John Jeromson
Master Film Handler

Posts: 264
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Registered: Jul 2004

posted 09-12-2005 11:09 PM

It's more a case of really bad luck and it's really sad as that particular centre is very impressive with various walkways streaching across its height to the cinemas (which are on two different levels), candy bar and various periferals on several levels. The glass elevator even travels past the projection room for cinemas 1 - 6 on its way to the third level. Village Force have my sinserest sympathies.

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David Favel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 764
From: Ashburton, New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-14-2005 05:18 PM

Is it true that they have some of the lowest "per caps" for foor because you have to pass food courts on the way to the cinemas?

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Joseph L. Kleiman
Master Film Handler

Posts: 380
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 09-14-2005 06:21 PM

I've been researching MTM for an article I'm writing on the Australian IMAX theatres. The Auckland complex was center stage in a controversy between MTM, Force, and Shamrock (the holding company of Disney dissident and nephew Roy E. Disney) back in 2001 over ownership, financing, and growing piles of debt. Two years later, plans for the theater to host the annual GSTA conference were scrapped when the IMAX suddenly closed, and the conference was moved to the Glasgow Science Centre. That's why the deaths caught my interest. I guess the location is haunted in more ways than one.

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Warren Smyth
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 158
From: Auckland ,New Zealand
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 09-14-2005 08:29 PM

Actually, this is the second fatality at this complex. A teenager sat on the hand rail of a walkway shortly after the complex opened. He over balanced backward and dropped about ten stories down to the ground floor, the same area as the latest accident.

There was critism of approval being given for the height of the wide rail at the time, which had apparently been used as a seat. I think litigation is still pending from the boy's parents.

The complex is still open, running regular films but Imax presentaions ceased some months ago. There has been rumours that it would reopen but it seems audiences over here aren't keen to pay fairly high admission prices for only about 45 minutes of large screen entertainment.

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Brian Hogan
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 119
From: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 09-14-2005 09:14 PM

i too have heard they are going to resume imax presentation in october or november. they still use the imax screen to show regular 35mm, however. looks like i should take a trip to the city sometime with my trusty PKE meter and proton pack, cause i aint afraid of no ghost!

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Daryl C. W. O'Shea
Film God

Posts: 3977
From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from)
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 09-14-2005 09:15 PM

quote: Warren Smyth
Actually, this is the second fatality at this complex.

I would never have guessed that based on the second article. [Big Grin]

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Robert John Jeromson
Master Film Handler

Posts: 264
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Registered: Jul 2004

posted 09-14-2005 10:38 PM

They have also had a speaker fall from the wall of an auditorium and injure a young girl.

quote: Brian Hogan
however. looks like i should take a trip to the city sometime with my trusty PKE meter and proton pack

Don't forget your helmet [Big Grin]

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