The Monico

For those who have no idea about the Monico or think I have spelt Monaco wrong, let me enlighten you.

The Monico opened in 1937 and In 1978 it was the first independent cinema outside London to install Dolby Stereo sound.
It was also the last independent cinema in Cardiff which was knocked down in 2003 and replaced with flats. To this day the Monico being knocked down is still the saddest day in my life when it comes to films/cinema.

                                                       Still makes my heart sink :(

It's will always be my cinema (even in death!!!!) and every time I want to watch a film in the cinema, I briefly think for a millisecond I'm going to watch in the Monico as it was part of the film magic for me for so long.

I watched films from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. I remember in the best times when there were huge lines to watch a film with people traveling outside to watch a film there.
It has also been home to some of my favorite LOL moments involving my brother Alex.

LOL moment 1.
My brother trying to sneak in to watch Independence Day (He was 10 and it was a 12) and hid his face in his jumper, right in front of the Monico owner Brian Bull.
Brian obviously asked him his age and my bother somehow managed to get away with it and watched the film with me and my Mum & Dad.

 Here is Brian Bull...what a legend and he was a really nice fella to everyone who visited.

LOL moment 2
My brother not being able to get into and watch the Little Mermaid as it was sold out and crying like never before. He was only four and I was six but my God it was funny and I remember a group of girls behind us also laughing.

LOL moment 3
Again Alex :p
His favorite character dieing in Jurassic park: The Lost World very early when in the book he didn't die and was far better than in the movie.

The sweat shop was great as well and you could pretty much buy the shop for a couple of quid.On the left there is where you bought your ticket mind, the right with the shutter down is where you would buy the sweets and sometimes they would open the other shutter if it got busy on the other side.

I loved Saturday morning cinema as well and the quizzes we used to do for prizes every week. Why don't cinemas no longer do this!!!!!!

Yes I still miss those sticky floors and those terrible seats as everything else was perfect

I hope someone reading this has an independent cinema and still supports it, if not please support it as every time I go into any independent cinema, it's always a joy where ever it is. 

Don't let them disappear like the Monico did and let "1984" in vain (as they all look the same and no one wants to be there) with no ushers and no dedicated projectionists run riot (Yes I mean the main multiplexes like Cineworld and Vue) which I'm forced to go to. 

This is what's replaced the Monico...1984 style flats, bloody ugly thing if you ask me. Don't let this happen to your local cinema.

Support your local independent cinema if you have one!!!!!!