Northern Ireland’s largest cinema group, Omniplex, has launched a week-long movie marathon up until Thursday 4th May, screening seven of the most requested movies as chosen by the public.
The cinema chain opened the voting polls to their MyOmniPass subscription members last month, receiving thousands of different movie nominations and after careful consideration, the seven most requested movies were shortlisted to be included.
Joe Hogarty, Marketing and Loyalty Manager, at Omniplex said:
“Our MyOmniPass members' suggestions are really interesting. There are some obvious ones like Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight, but Back to the Future and Pulp Fiction show a deep love for movie nostalgia. And of course, there is some 'meme culture' evident with Shrek coming out as one of the most voted!
"With the MyOmniPass Movie Marathon, we are not only letting our customers choose what they see but we're also giving younger audiences the chance to experience some of these classic big-screen blockbusters in their true, original format! Big screen, big sound and with a popcorn & Coke in-hand."
The top voted films include:
The Dark Knight – Friday 28th April
Christopher Nolan’s 2008 superhero smash that led to two sequels will be first up for the movie marathon. The DC comic story brought to life by Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and the late Heath Ledger scooped up 15 awards upon its release, including an Oscar for both Best Sound Editing and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ledger’s legendary performance of the Joker.
Shrek – Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th April
Family favourite, Shrek, is up next for the movie marathon. With the fifth film currently in the works, cinemagoers can catch a reminder of the goings on in Far, Far Away, where the epic love story between Shrek and Princess Fiona (and not forgetting Donkey) all began.
Despicable Me – Saturday 29th / Sunday 30th April
2010 was the year that gave us the wide-eyed yellow menaces that we’ve come to know and love; so much so that Omniplex have decided to put them back on the big screen once again. The Universal Pictures family favourite has amassed a mass cult following of young (and not so young) Minion fans. The release of the fifth movie ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ in 2022 resulted in thousands of fans showing up to cinemas across the world wearing suits, paying homage to the franchises main character.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Monday 1st May
The most popular request came in the form of Peter Jackson’s 2001 classic. The showing of the story of a meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions setting out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron is already sold out in many of Omniplex’s 260 sites. So if you want your chance to see it on the big screen again then book your tickets ASAP!
Pulp Fiction – Tuesday 2nd May
The 1994 fan favourite tells the stories of the lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits that intertwines into four tales of violence and redemption. The all-star cast consisting of Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, and Uma Thurman among others, is clearly just as popular today as it was upon its release nearly thirty years ago, and there are few people out there that don’t hear Chuck Berry’s ‘Never Can Tell’ and automatically think of the famous dance scene between Thurman and Travolta.
Interstellar – Wednesday 3rd May
Another top request to be shown again came in the form of this 2014 science fiction favourite, and the second Christopher Nolan film to be featured in the movie marathon. Michael Cane and Matthew McConaughey take the lead, starring as Professor Brand and Joseph Cooper to tell the story of a team of explorers travelling through a wormhole in space in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival.
Back to the Future – Thursday 4th May
The oldest film and the last to feature in Omniplex’s week-long marathon is the 1985 epic blockbuster about 17 year old Marty McFly who gets lost in 1955 by an accident, 30 years back in time. With the help of his friend Dr. Emmet Brown, McFly desperately tries to find his way back to the future in the year 1985. Let’s be honest, it would be odd if this cult classic wasn’t a firm favourite of the country’s movie buffs!
The movie marathon will take place across all Omniplex cinemas in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and is open to the public, as well as MyOmniPass members having access to them all along with other new releases for just £9.99 per month. MyOmniPass is available to sign up now at www.omniplex.ie/join.