Historical "porn" cinemas in the UK - Page 5

airpilot7 · December 1st, 2009, 08:47 AM

With regard to the Exxon Cinema Club, Paddington.
This was on Dan(e)bury Street N1. It changed it's name to the "Fantasy" in the late seventies, then closed on that site, moving down to 281 City Road.

Last time I was in London it was still going but that was about five years ago. Just had a look on streeview and the dorrway looks the same.... might still be there!

Still got my membership card :-)

**argoman** · April 20th, 2010, 01:16 PM

The Jacey Cinema in Leicester Square circa 1976

Billboard for The Moulin Cinema, and a man (who doesn’t look happy to have been filmed) outside the cinema.

Taplang · September 1st, 2010, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunner

The Plaza on New Briggate was the most notorious 'mucky mac' cinema in Leeds, the thing that struck me as odd, was when the film about the Shroud of Turin came out, this cinema was chosen to show it.

That was a great cinema. I saw a double bill of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Red Nights of the Gestapo there when I was seventeen, must have been back in 1982. I seem to remember it had a functioning balcony, or am I mixing it up with the other place a bit further up New Briggate?

Buck-cherry · September 2nd, 2010, 12:40 AM

I know a chap who is now in his 70s, was a bit of a lad in his time. Apparently he used to be a projectionist back in the day and actually went to prison for showing porn. I can't remember many more details, we all used to sigh and just let him ramble on when he got onto the subject!

When he retired, I inherited a load of old film winders, ampex machines and stuff (about which I know nothing!), not to mention a stack of old Sony Numatic video players and Sony video monitors (which are still cluttering my warehouse!). There were Betamax machines and even a Philips 2000, all either dumped or e-bayed for a few pounds. I know that he still has a massive editing suite in storage somewhere - he thinks it will be worth loads, I haven't the heart to tell him it is absolutely worthless, that films aren't edited by blokes with razor blades and films that just spill off into dustbins before they are put onto new reels. Bless him! Might go round to see him, have a coffee and bring up the subject, he might recount his tales AGAIN, and this time I'll listen a bit more closely, see if I can contribute something more worthwhile to this thread .

**argoman** · December 13th, 2013, 06:59 AM

bampotacer · August 4th, 2014, 06:54 PM

Did anyone go to the Curzon in Glasgow ?
I'd love to swap tales of the good old days.
I used to go often and first wanked there in front of other people

gilmorecinemac · November 25th, 2020, 01:19 PM

This month marks a minor personal anniversary. It's 40 years since I visited Liverpool's Gilmore Cinema Club. I paid my £4 membership using the name and address of an old school friend. Can't remember whether i had to wait a week, maybe even an hour, before my membership was processed. The films were like nothing I'd seen before -proper fucking, wonderful soundtracks. Smoky and sleazy. I think i wanted to see the stripper who performed between shows, but missed out. (No strip shows on Saturday, perhaps?)
Anyway, after an hour or so i left and went home for tea. I went back a couple of months later, but then moved on, so to speak. I'd wander passed occasionally, but never ventured back in. Then, years later, i was shocked to see the cinema had gone. Destroyed by a fire in '85.
Sex cinemas, like pub strippers are long gone. The victim of technology, government legislation and changing social mores.
I also used to be a member of the sexatthecinema yahoo group which is soon to vanish. Tried to rejoin, but don't think its still active. This is such a shame as tthese cinema clubs are a part of recent (ish) social history.
Hopefully somewhere on the net, the history of cinema clubs is being saved. Oh what i'd ggive to still have my grubby membership card, even if it was under a nom de plume!

maxedout · November 25th, 2020, 06:50 PM

I seem to remember my membership for the Gilmore (around the same time as you) took about 30 seconds.

gilmorecinemac · November 26th, 2020, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxedout

I seem to remember my membership for the Gilmore (around the same time as you) took about 30 seconds.

Probably only seemed like an hour or week because of the fevered sence of anticipation...

December 13th, 2013, 06:59 AM	#45
argoman Vintage Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,099 Thanks: 1,563 Thanked 39,361 Times in 1,160 Posts	ads

November 25th, 2020, 01:19 PM	#47
gilmorecinemac Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 2 Thanks: 81 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	sex cinema nostalgia This month marks a minor personal anniversary. It's 40 years since I visited Liverpool's Gilmore Cinema Club. I paid my £4 membership using the name and address of an old school friend. Can't remember whether i had to wait a week, maybe even an hour, before my membership was processed. The films were like nothing I'd seen before -proper fucking, wonderful soundtracks. Smoky and sleazy. I think i wanted to see the stripper who performed between shows, but missed out. (No strip shows on Saturday, perhaps?) Anyway, after an hour or so i left and went home for tea. I went back a couple of months later, but then moved on, so to speak. I'd wander passed occasionally, but never ventured back in. Then, years later, i was shocked to see the cinema had gone. Destroyed by a fire in '85. Sex cinemas, like pub strippers are long gone. The victim of technology, government legislation and changing social mores. I also used to be a member of the sexatthecinema yahoo group which is soon to vanish. Tried to rejoin, but don't think its still active. This is such a shame as tthese cinema clubs are a part of recent (ish) social history. Hopefully somewhere on the net, the history of cinema clubs is being saved. Oh what i'd ggive to still have my grubby membership card, even if it was under a nom de plume!

December 1st, 2009, 08:47 AM	#41
airpilot7 Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1 Thanks: 327 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	With regard to the Exxon Cinema Club, Paddington. This was on Dan(e)bury Street N1. It changed it's name to the "Fantasy" in the late seventies, then closed on that site, moving down to 281 City Road. Last time I was in London it was still going but that was about five years ago. Just had a look on streeview and the dorrway looks the same.... might still be there! Still got my membership card :-)

April 20th, 2010, 01:16 PM	#42
argoman Vintage Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,099 Thanks: 1,563 Thanked 39,361 Times in 1,160 Posts	The Jacey Cinema in Leicester Square circa 1976 Billboard for The Moulin Cinema, and a man (who doesn’t look happy to have been filmed) outside the cinema.

September 2nd, 2010, 12:40 AM	#44
Buck-cherry Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Warks, England Posts: 69 Thanks: 35 Thanked 732 Times in 66 Posts	I know a chap who is now in his 70s, was a bit of a lad in his time. Apparently he used to be a projectionist back in the day and actually went to prison for showing porn. I can't remember many more details, we all used to sigh and just let him ramble on when he got onto the subject! When he retired, I inherited a load of old film winders, ampex machines and stuff (about which I know nothing!), not to mention a stack of old Sony Numatic video players and Sony video monitors (which are still cluttering my warehouse!). There were Betamax machines and even a Philips 2000, all either dumped or e-bayed for a few pounds. I know that he still has a massive editing suite in storage somewhere - he thinks it will be worth loads, I haven't the heart to tell him it is absolutely worthless, that films aren't edited by blokes with razor blades and films that just spill off into dustbins before they are put onto new reels. Bless him! Might go round to see him, have a coffee and bring up the subject, he might recount his tales AGAIN, and this time I'll listen a bit more closely, see if I can contribute something more worthwhile to this thread .

August 4th, 2014, 06:54 PM	#46
bampotacer Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	Did anyone go to the Curzon in Glasgow ? I'd love to swap tales of the good old days. I used to go often and first wanked there in front of other people

November 25th, 2020, 06:50 PM	#48
maxedout Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: The People's Republic of South Lancashire Posts: 296 Thanks: 57,688 Thanked 3,235 Times in 289 Posts	I seem to remember my membership for the Gilmore (around the same time as you) took about 30 seconds.