PODCAST · tv
The Wonder Cinema
by Brian Henry Martin & Dr Sam Manning
Join hosts, filmmaker Brian Henry Martin and historian Dr. Sam Manning as they wonder about cinema in Northern Ireland. Series One reveals the remarkable story of the Ritz cinema in Belfast, while Series Two explores the rise and fall of videotape in Northern Ireland.
Episodes
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Say Yes To VHS, Ep 6: Fast Forward - ‘90s Heyday, the Decline of VHS and Video Nostalgia
In the final episode of Say Yes To VHS, Brian and Sam fast forward to the end of the series to discuss the ‘90s heyday of video sales, the eventual decline of physical media and the current wave of nostalgia for VHS. In the 1990s, video sales became more profitable than video rentals, with films...
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Say Yes To VHS, Ep 5: Play - The Wonder of the Video Shop
In the fifth episode of Say Yes to VHS, recorded live from Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast, Brian and Sam press play on a discussion about the wonder of the video shop. As home video grew in popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s, businesses such as newsagents and electronic shops opened...
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Say Yes To VHS, Ep 4: Pause - How Cinema and Television Fought Back Against Home Video
In the fourth episode of Say Yes to VHS, Brian and Sam press pause to discuss how cinema owners and television broadcasters responded to the rapid rise of home video in the 1980s. Before the arrival of the VCR, film choices were limited to the three television channels or the ever dwindling…
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Say Yes To VHS, Ep 3: Eject - Video Nasties, Uncensored Horror and Moral Panic
In the third episode of Say Yes to VHS, Brian and Sam press eject and discuss how the popularity of uncensored horror films such asThe Driller Killer and I Spit on Your Grave led to the video nasty scare of the early 1980s. As home video grew in popularity, the furore surrounding surrounding…
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Say Yes To VHS, Ep 2: Stop - Pirates, Police and Paramilitaries
In the second episode of Say Yes to VHS, Brian and Sam discuss the rise of pirate and counterfeit video and how the police and other authority figures tried to stop the illegal VHS market. As early as 1978, copies of Saturday Night Fever were shown in hotels, pubs and clubs across Northern…
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Say Yes To VHS, Ep 1: Rewind - Format Wars, Video Boom and the Home Entertainment Revolution
The second series of the Wonder Cinema podcast turns its attention to the remarkable story of the rise and fall of videotape in Northern Ireland. In this first episode, Brian and Sam press rewind to discuss the format wars, the video boom and the home entertainment revolution that took place from...
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Say Yes To VHS - The Wonder Cinema Series 2 Trailer
Join filmmaker Brian Henry Martin and cinema historian Dr Sam Manning for the new series of the Wonder Cinema Podcast: ‘Say Yes to VHS’. Press play on the remarkable story of home video in Northern Ireland as Brian and Sam rewind everything from the format wars to video nasties, piracy and...
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Ep 8: The Ritz, Belfast - LIVE with 88th birthday cake at the Belfast Film Festival
In this special episode of The Wonder Cinema Podcast, recorded live from the Black Box at the 2024 Belfast Film Festival, hosts Brian Henry Martin and Dr Sam Manning celebrate the 88th birthday of the Ritz, which first opened its doors on 9 November 1936. They discuss how the cinema quickly…
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Bonus Episode: Mark Kermode shares his favourite cinemas in London, Cornwall and Belfast
In this bonus edition of the podcast, Brian chats with old friend and the UK's No 1 film critic Mark Kermode at the Cinemagic Festival in Belfast. Mark shares his love for the Phoenix Cinema in London, the Plaza Cinema in Truro and the Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast. Mark also reveals the best...
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Ritz Day LIVE EVENT at the Belfast Film Festival 2024
Join Brian Henry Martin and Dr. Sam Manning, hosts of The Wonder Cinema podcast, to celebrate the 88th anniversary of the Ritz, Belfast’s long-lost picture palace. If you have memories of the Ritz, come along and let us know. Enjoy a slice of birthday cake and join us for a discussion of the...
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Ep 6: The Ritz, Belfast - 1990s End Game, The Vanishing and Spielberg's Fax
In the sixth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the ABC reimagined and reinvented itself in the 1980s, before eventually shutting its doors for the final time in 1993. Following the 1977 firebomb, the ABC remained closed until 1980, when the original auditorium was subdivided…
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Ep 5: The Ritz, Belfast - Cinema in flames! Jaws, The Exorcist and the Troubles
In the fifth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we go back to the 1970s. This was a difficult decade for cinema exhibitors across Britain and Ireland, but especially so in Belfast, a city that also had to navigate the civil unrest of the Troubles. Despite the chaos, big American films such as...
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Ep 4: The Ritz, Belfast - 1960s Pop Invasion, The Beatles and the Biblical Flood
In the fourth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the Ritz responded to the explosion of youth culture in the 1960s and hosted some of the world's biggest musical acts. As audiences continued to fall in the 1960s, cinema became more youth-oriented with The Young Ones, featuring...
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Ep 3: The Ritz, Belfast - 1950s Spectacle, Spectacles and Cary Grant's Shillelagh
In the third episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the Ritz coped with the challenges of the 1950s using spectacle, spectacles and even a Shillelagh. Cinema attendance peaked after the Second World War, but the 1950s brought new challenges such as the arrival of television. The…
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Ep 2: The Ritz, Belfast - It's Showtime Folks! Cinema Food, WW2 and the Mighty Organ
In the second episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we explore what it was like to go the Ritz during the height of cinema attendance in the 1930s and 1940s. How much did it cost and what awaited visitors when they moved from the pay boxes to the plush foyer and grand auditorium? While the Ritz...
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Ep 1: The Ritz, Belfast - 1930s Cinema Boom, the Grand Opening and Gracie Fields
In the first episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast we go back to the 1930s to discuss the cinema boom and the grand opening of the Ritz, Belfast’s largest and most upmarket cinema. Cinema attendance grew rapidly in the 1930s and the Ritz, opened by British chain Union Cinemas, was one of many…
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Series One Trailer : The Ritz, Belfast
Take a trip from The Wizard of Oz to Reservoir Dogs in The Wonder Cinema of Ireland, the Ritz, Belfast. Join hosts filmmaker Brian Henry Martin and cinema historian Dr Sam Manning for a new six-part series revealing the remarkable story of a long lost picture palace. Send us a message Written and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join hosts, filmmaker Brian Henry Martin and historian Dr. Sam Manning as they wonder about cinema in Northern Ireland. Series One reveals the remarkable story of the Ritz cinema in Belfast, while Series Two explores the rise and fall of videotape in Northern Ireland.
HOSTED BY
Brian Henry Martin & Dr Sam Manning
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Wonder Cinema have?
The Wonder Cinema currently has 17 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Wonder Cinema about?
Join hosts, filmmaker Brian Henry Martin and historian Dr. Sam Manning as they wonder about cinema in Northern Ireland. Series One reveals the remarkable story of the Ritz cinema in Belfast, while Series Two explores the rise and fall of videotape in Northern Ireland.
How often does The Wonder Cinema release new episodes?
The Wonder Cinema has 17 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Wonder Cinema?
You can listen to The Wonder Cinema on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Wonder Cinema?
The Wonder Cinema is created and hosted by Brian Henry Martin & Dr Sam Manning.
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