AS we run headlong into the Christmas break I thought I would write about the way we still seem to have people believing that we play films later than the release date.

It is true that sometimes we worry that a film won’t excite our patrons and so wait to see how it goes over the occasional weekend or so. But if we know a film has interest we do our best to get it in on the release date.

If it is the latest children’s film we are likely to have it for the half-term or end of term holiday period.

We get distributors who release films a week or two earlier and don’t understand why we won’t take them on the release date but prefer to put them in at a time when there is an audience, which means that we can show more grown-up films until we put on the children’s film.

To me that is still showing the film on release – it is just that they set the release date too early. We are so short of space to play all of the films at the moment and are being as imaginative as we can to fit in as many as possible and for as long as possible.

Philomena is a great example of this where we kept it on and have an idea of which shows will be best. Needless to say it has proved to be as popular.

I did the sound for the Now That’s What I Call A Christmas Show show in aid of Ryedale Special Families on Sunday night. What a great show. It was hosted by Wayne Biggin and featured Malton Male Voice Choir, Harmonia, Laurie Scarth, Kirkham Henry showcasing Leo Rowell and Hannah Richardson, magician Matt Woollons, juggler Tom Johnson, Edwina Hayes, Tom Todd singing the Candelight Carol, Sister Act style act Never Forget and the York Pipe Band.

It was a really enjoyable evening and so well received by those who were there. It showed there is great support for Ryedale Special Families and a great deal of talent that has been and is being nurtured in the area. There was a call at the end to do it again next year.

Frozen (PG) – had really proved popular with all who have been to see it.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (12A) proved really popular over the weekend and this week. We have both 3D and 2D shows each evening this week but likely to be only the 2D in the evening from Friday but I will always keep one 3D show each day.

The 3D shows are about a quarter as popular as the 2D shows.

The Hobbit is likely to be with us into the new year, partly as we have to book films in next week that will be with us over the period. We know it is such a busy period over Christmas that there are some people who cannot get to see films until it Christmas is over.

We are looking for another film to join us next week alongside The Hobbit and the choice seems to be, at the time of wrting, The Anchor Man 2.

Films on this week possibly ending tomorrow: The Family (12A) stayed for another week but is likely to end tomorrow (Thursday).

Free Birds (U) also likely to have finished its run with us.

The Butler (12A) is a brilliant story but looks likely to finish tomorrow at last.

We are not sure about whether we can fit in The Hunger Games – Catching Fire for some shows as the interest seems to have waned as well.

Stage productions

The Nutcracker was a great success again and everyone enjoyed the experience.

The encore, in all three screens, was extremely full on Monday, with only a few seats free. The encore was as well received as the live show. An encore is where we make a local recording of a production and play it back.

Wagner’s Parsifal is live tonight from Covent Garden and because it is so long, with two intervals, Caroline will provide some free nibbles for the dedicated opera goers.

Next year’s live season kicks off in January with the ballet Giselle, which is said to be the greatest of all romantic ballets, live from the Royal Opera House.

We currently have only three seats available.

Giselle is followed by Coriolanus, which is about half sold out.