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Reel-ality check

STARDUST visited Reading Cinemas this week to catch the new Will Ferrel movie Stepbrothers.
But, what really had me laughing out of amazement was that people in the nearby City of Casey aren’t yet aware of what lies just 10 minutes up the road.
I’d actually intended to visit Fountain Gate, which is closer to where I live. As per usual, there was a long line to queue for tickets and the 7.20pm session had sold out before I reached the box office.
And much to my surprise, there were no later sessions of the popular film despite it being a busy Tuesday night.
A quick trip in the car to Dandenong, and I was at Reading where there was no queue, cheaper candy bar items, better seating, superior surround sound and wall-to-wall screens showing a later session of Stepbrothers.
But sadly, there were also few people in the cinema – I counted about 30. Perhaps Reading Entertainment should promote itself a little further out in the south-east to draw people into Dandenong.

Marketing the market

HOW amusing it was to hear several times this week a radio advertisement for the Dandenong Market promoting it as having over 200 stalls.
As Star readers would be aware, the market is soon to slash 110 stallholders to make way for a larger fish, meat and poultry section. Guess you have to flaunt it while you’ve still got it!

Love hate relationship?

I AM by no means a Greens voter, member or supporter, but I do applaud the fact that the party has openly endorsed candidates at the Dandenong election instead of doing it behind the scenes.
Rather than the more subversive tactics major parties use to put forward dummy candidates to win seats, the Greens have shown their hand and declared that the party will be endorsing Jim Reiher and John Ward for the new Red Gum Ward. It brings to the forefront a question I’ve long asked myself – should we just bite the bullet and invite politics into local government, even though it’s already in the door?
What do you think? Tell Stardust by emailing stardust@starnewsgroup.com.au, or wrting to Stardust at PO Box 9, Pakenham, VIC, 3810.

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