| Date | |
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| Author | DCM |
| Categories | cinema |
Last week, The Maxime Cinema in Blackwood staged a screening of Northern Soul. The film, which has been 17 years in the making, completely sold out, with 220 people in attendance for the showing.
The film tells the tale of two Northern boys whose worlds are changed forever when they discover black American soul music. Northern Soul was phenomenally popular with British youths in the 1960s and 1970s, taking the North of the country by storm. Featuring Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Ricky Tomlinson and Lisa Stansfield, the film took director Elaine Constantine 17 years to make.
Andrew Millar, who is the general manager of the five-screen cinema, said: “We opened during the summer holidays and every day was a big day. But this is our first big film, with an older audience too. Many of them probably used to go up to Wigan for the scene.
“We’re very surprised by the film’s popularity and this would not happen in a multiplex – who often just want blockbusters. It was a bit of a gamble for us, but the pre-bookings alone proved it was the right move.”
The Maxime originally opened in 1939, reopening its doors to the public on 6 August 2014 after a £1.5 million refurbishment by Picturedrome Cinemas.
For more information on the Maxime Cinema, visit http://www.blackwoodcinema.co.uk.
This article first appeared on South Wales Argus.