Mercury Cinema

Why does this cinema get the odd bad review? Seriously, I will keep going on about these rad little Adelaide venues that mainstreamers simply cannot appreciate. The best cinema is the dodgy little place that is in some abandoned inner city warehouse with hipsters in the lobby drinking their pear cider… but Mercury is all of that, but in a well presented inner city building, with two great cinema screens and an excellent annual line up of films for movie buffs everywhere. They definitely do have something for everyone.
I visited here during DocWeek 2013 to see a fairly eclectic film on the growth of China. Chairs are comfortable, audio is decent and the crowd a more decent sort of people that you would not see at Hoyts Tea Tree Plaza.
We are lucky to have independent cinemas and I certainly make the most of this one.

Like the unpopular kid in the schoolyard Mercury has been getting a bad wrap for too long. They are one of the only cinemas left in the Adelaide CBD and their intimate 2 cinema screens means that they are able to show an eclectic range of film.
Mercury Cinema host international movie festivals like Hola Mexican Film Festival, old school re-​run theme months like Dance Hits of the 80’s and Short Film nights from their Seniors on Screen classes.
Adelaide is so lucky to have a space like this that supports the film industry and the biggest downside is that more people don’t know about it!
These guys need to market themselves better but don’t have the budget to do it. They have great value movie tickets — some of the cheapest in Adelaide — and you can drink an alcoholic beverage or 2 while watching something on screen. There is a limited range of food on offer but at least you’re not paying $ 8 for a chocolate bar here.
This place is my idea of a perfect alternative/​romantic night out in Adelaide!

The Mercury is a forgotten entertainment spot for me. From what I’ve witness they only show obscure independents/​foreign films which would go past anyone not in the know how. But they do show very classic flicks, such as the upcoming Friday the 13^th film marathon. Including quintessential horrors: The Exorcist, Gargoyle, and… Jumanji?
The only time I’ve ever experienced a theatre selling out tickets was here, Exit Through A Gift Shop brought the mass of alternatives.

I keep an eye on the Mercury lineup every few months. They play some great stuff here and some shockingly tedious films as well. I guess that’s their draw card though, diversity.
I love the little festivals they put on every now and then where one genre just gets hammered for weeks or where they theme the schedule on one recently deceased actor. The Cinematheque club is the best way to get in on this. Be warned though, if you want to see one Cinematheque screening you have to buy a weird multiple showing pass. You can see a few other films, but if you’ve come along just for that obscure Burt Reynolds cannibal film from the 70s, be prepared to cough up extra.
Sometimes it seems a little cliquey and the service can at the bar and counter can be a bit schizophrenic too, but it’s a one of a kind in Adelaide.

Mercury Cinema had it’s peak some years ago and sadly sits in its foundation under used and relatively obscure even after over a decade of use. It has all the wonderful potential of any screening venue, but it never seems to really take off.
Seldom are there big events or special moments in the venue. I’ve attended many short film screenings and special screenings of new films, old films, odd films and fancy films only to discover that you can’t even buy a coffee behind the bar.
They run the Cinematheque regularly, but most of the time it is jammed with films that you can grab at the local DVD store and watch on your big screen at home in far more comfort. It is possible to hire the venue, but again it seems a little over the top to do so unless you are screening something you can fill the venue for, otherwise you’d do just as well to show something on a big TV screen in a cheaper venue.
The thing I like least about it is the rowdy night life in the evenings that you come face to face with on nearby Hindley Street. It’s all very well to sit down and enjoy a long feature film, but all the positive vibe of that experience is very swiftly slapped away when some drunk is spewing at your feet or worse than that swinging punches or tossing bottles… and I’ve unfortunately had that type of experience so much around that area at night that I simply avoid it these days.

I don’t know much about movies, my attention span is too typically gen-​y to sit through the classics. But y’know, sometimes I like to impress people by making some shallow references to classic or contemporary film history. Also, some films are just better on a big screen, with a bucket of popcorn, a beer and a big crowd.
The Mercury Cinema is where I go whenever I want to see something that isn’t showing in all the blockbuster cinemas. Each year they host a range of foreign film festivals, special weeks featuring an auteur’s films, and the seniors on screen program. The programming here is fun, with stuff like John Hughes specials, but also smart — they show tonnes of rare old films I couldn’t find anywhere else. The cinema itself is in good condition, and they are renovating the foyer at the moment too. You can get great deals on tickets too, sometime they host parties with all you can drink, a band, plus a movie.
They often design their own posters, using local illustrators. For the Bill Murray special they ran earlier this year, they printed up a bunch of awesome screen-​printed shirts featuring a very sweet caricature of Murray. At the moment the Mercury is playing a series of silent films with local musicians playing new scores. Hours vary according to the program each week.