FAQs

What's all this about, then?

VoxOffice is an informal movie club. We're essentially a group of friends (and friends-of-friends) who organise semi-regular screenings of interesting movies at Henkel St Cinema.

Can I invite people?

Yes! Feel free to spread the word! Just make sure to follow the golden rule:

      No cops, no bigots, no minors.

Please bear in mind that this is a queer-friendly and neurodivergent-friendly club - we'd appreciate it if you didn't invite Bigoted Bill from work.

Also, the group is designed with adult audiences in mind - many of the films we screen will be R or MA rated. I'm not saying your 17 year old cousin is banned from attending a screening, but maybe run it past me if you're planning to invite someone who gets carded at a Bottle-O.

I've received a few questions about the "no cops" part of this policy - more information can be found here.

Where?

Henkel St Cinema is located at 10/102 Henkel Street, Brunswick.

How much?

Right now we're working on $17 per ticket. A two-and-a-half hour booking at Henkel St is $167, so this means we break even with 10 attendees or more. If we have more than 10 attendees, extra money will go to snacks, or toward future screenings.

There is no ongoing membership fee, nor are there any cancellation fees for missing a film. You only pay the ticket cost once you actually arrive at the cinema - I'm not interested in punishing people for being unable to make it.

When, and how often?

Screenings will be scheduled movie-by-movie - we don't have a set recurring schedule. You can see the currently-scheduled movies here.

"How often" will depend on interest and momentum. Ideally, I'd like to have a screening every five weeks. Alternating screenings between the even and odd numbered weeks in the year gives fortnightly shift workers a better chance of being able to attend.

We do a poll on a range of dates, and schedule the date that most people can attend. Right now we're organising this though a WhatsApp group chat - contact Vox if you'd like an invite.

How do we pick a film?

We take suggestions from members to generate a shortlist, then hold a vote. Sometimes there will be a theme, to help curate suggestions.

This is currently being organised in a WhatsApp group chat - contact Vox if you'd like an invite.

What kinds of movies can I suggest?

Anything you want! If you can play it on a laptop at home, we can probably screen it!

Really think outside the box: old musicals, mocumentaries, and youtube student films are just as valid as Oscar winners or the Criterion Collection. Maybe you're really keen to watch three consecutive episodes of Iron Chef. I can't guarantee the members will vote for it, but from a technical perspective there's nothing stopping us from doing it.

Accessibility?

We want this to be as accessible as possible - if you have any accessibility needs, reach out to Vox.

Mobility: Henkel St has two theatres, only one of which is wheelchair accessible. If any guests have mobility needs, please let Vox know in advance so we can book the appropriate theatre.

Sensory needs: In general, we plan to screen movies as they would be screened in a regular cinema (in the dark, cinema-level volume, etc). This isn't set-in-stone though, so please contact Vox to discuss any adjustments.

Captioning: Captions or subtitles can be organised for most screenings, depending on what's available for the film we choose. Please contact Vox in advance of the screening if you'd like captions to be displayed.

Psychological / emotional triggers: If there are certain topics, themes, or depictions you find triggering or distressing, please contact Vox. We can't guarantee every movie will be appropriate to every person, but we'll try to make sure people aren't left out for multiple selections in a row.

Duration: If for whatever reason longer movies are challenging, let Vox know. Among other things, we can usually schedule an intermission.

Immune vulnerability: As of right now, VoxOffice does not have an official requirement for facemasks or vaccination status. However, there is an expectation that members should not be attending a screening if they are unwell - there is no penalty for cancelling a ticket, so please prioritise the health of your fellow members by staying home.

(If any members are immune compromised or otherwise vulnerable, please contact Vox to discuss additional safeguards)

What if I'm not available for a screening?

Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to attend every screening. If we only scheduled films on dates everyone was free, we'd never be able to screen anything.

If you can't make it to a screening, we encourage you to watch the film at home or with friends when you can. That way all club members can still take part in the conversations about the movies we watch, even if we weren't in the same room when we watched them.

For clarity: there's no cost for missing a movie - you only pay the $17 price if you actually turn up for one.

Can I bring food? Me hungy!!

Officially, no. Henkel St is a small operation, and in their own words:

"We don’t allow any outside food or drinks at the cinema, nor do we have a BYO alcohol license. We rely on food & drink purchases to keep the projectors running."

Henkel St sells snacks, hot chips, alcohol, and can even do pizzas if you place an order in advance. Check their website for more details.

Unofficially, I'm not your Dad: If you bring your own food I'm not going to eject you. Please just make an effort to not leave a mess - we want to be invited back.

Can I talk during the movie?

Within reason. We're booking a cinema because we want a cinema experience - expected ettiquette is more "regular cinema environment" than it is "loungeroom watch party".

Part of the cinema experience is being in an audience, so obviously we're allowed to react to the film - laughing, screaming, cheering, and crying are all encouraged.

But another part of the cinema experience is to give the movie our attention and time. So the rule of thumb here is "let the movie set the tone".

If the movie is trashy or goofy, we can laugh and riff on it. If it's a slasher, we can scream and tell the heroine not to open that door. But if the movie turns sombre and serious, we should let it be sombre and serious.

What about phones?

Quick phone use is fine - no one will be ejected for taking a selfie, sending a short text, or ordering some food from one of the QR codes in the cinema.

That said, this isn't supposed to be a "second screen" experience - if you're bored enough that you feel the need to scroll, please step outside first.

You keep saying "contact Vox"... how?

Nice try, ASIO, but I'm not about to dox myself.

While this club isn't "exclusive" in any severe way, it is supposed to be a somewhat curated space. If you're reading this, you either already know how to contact me, or know someone who does.