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Home / About / Volunteer / Meet Our Volunteers - Nick C

One of the things that makes the Electric Palace such a great place to visit is our fabulous, dedicated staff and volunteers. 

So, who are the people who welcome you at the cinema? Find out in our Meet the Volunteers series...

Name: Nick C

What prompted you to start volunteering at the cinema?

I was a 2018 Hastings newcomer and was lured in by free sweets and the promise of Alligator People (1959)! (Screened as part of our B Movie Fan Club)

How long have you volunteered at the cinema?

I was smitten by Alligator People and signed up straight away, so two years and a bit.

What's your favourite thing about the cinema?

Full of weirdos!

What special perk do you love as a volunteer at the Electric Palace?

Everything, talking to random people about films, cheap rental of the cinema, access to the DVD library. It's just an amazing thing to be part of. 

Tell us about an experience at the cinema (not necessarily from at the Electric Palace).

Watching Kim Clarke's choice of Christmas film (Rare Exports 2010) was very eye opening.  It was so weird and so wonderful, combined with pizza and beer it was a lovely way to celebrate a lockdown Christmas.

What film would you like to watch at the cinema?

The joy of the Palace is not knowing what you are going to watch at the cinema. 

Have you ever gone to see a movie and wanted to watch it again immediately?

Not so much, the good ones take time to digest!

Volunteers at the Electric Palace sometimes see movies they may not have planned to watch, occasionally outside of their comfort zone or usual taste. Tell us about a film you saw at the Electric Palace that took you by surprise.

I barely miss a B-movie night so regularly get taken by surprise but I think Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner was one that took me by surprise in a good way. Totally alien time and place, but gripping throughout.

If you could go on a date night at the cinema with anyone living, dead or fictional, who would it be and what would you watch? 

Watching a mundanely paced romcom with the 50ft Woman (Allison Hayes) would be a nice date night.

Tell us about a favourite film of yours.

I am not much of a Tim Burton fan but Big Fish really tickled me, many big stars and great original storyline but not massively well known compared to his other works.

Tell us a good film to watch that makes you laugh out loud or blub your eyes out. 

Parasite had me chuckling a lot recently, not sure it's meant to but it's just got a mad rhythm to it. For a sad one, hmmm, anything by Shane Meadows is pretty devastating.

Do you have a memory to share about a great film night at the cinema?

Coming back after the first lockdown felt great and there was genuine (albeit ultimately false) hope that we could keep on keeping on. I'm sure the next restart will be even better.

Do you have a hot tip to share for where you get your film news? A good blog, online reviewer, enewsletter or podcast, for example? 

No, I love movies, but I'm a real tourist compared to most of our hardcore at the cinema. The Electric Palace is my hot tip!

What's a great sound track you listen to?

Oh, so many to choose from.

Particular tracks stand out beautifully such as Where is my mind? at the end of Fight Club, Don't let it bring you down in American Beauty, Only God Knows in Trainspotting 2, Across 110th Street in Jackie Brown, In the waiting line in Garden State, Streets of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, but I suppose as one complete piece of work, Eddie Vedder handling the Into the Wild soundtrack was quite masterful.

What's your favourite snack or drink at the cinema?

American Pale Ale and some flying saucers on B-movie night.

What's your favourite seat?

The volunteer special seat, of course.

Finally, tell us something unusual about yourself.

There is nothing unusual about me. 

Find out more about volunteering at the Electric Palace