At one stage video recorders were going to spell the end for cinema, then it was big screen televisions and in more recent times the emergence of streaming services.

Society was supposed to be moving away from the communal experience of movie-going to a more individual home-based approach.

Yet movie theatres have defied those predictions and in the case of Albury’s Regent Cinemas have survived and prospered.

The Dean Street business has found the money is to be made in Gold Class cinemas where patrons enjoy the comfort of reclining chairs and are able to order food on a whim.

The Regent’s willingness to invest $1 million in doubling its Gold Class venues clearly shows its faith in film-goers wanting a luxurious experience when they enjoy the latest blockbuster.

It is also a vote of confidence in an enterprise, which attracts people to the heart of Albury’s CBD.

That in turn has a spin-off effect on nearby restaurants with movie-watchers often dining before or after their screening.

It appears to be a five-star investment.