Can one regional Irish cinema survive the financial and social turbulence of the 1980s? In Once Upon A Time In A Cinema, owner/manager (Colin Morgan) and his fellow employees are under siege from burst pipes, rodents, unruly customers, ageing equipment, inebriated projectionists, financial pressure and the unstoppable march of new technology in the form of the dreaded Video Home System (VHS) tape machine. This tale of encroaching change is timely and the story presents an unyielding trial, where of course you will end up rooting for the cinema and all its history and stories. Hopefully it will live on to fight another day. This film is an immersive trip back in time to the days when a weekly visit, preferably Friday night, to the local cinema was de rigueur. This creative team collaborated on Once Upon A Time In A Cinema to evoke a wonderful atmosphere amid the very real images of a slightly run-down regional cinema of the era. The location is distinctly authentic because it was filmed at the defunct Royal Cinema on Cecil Street in Limerick. If you are of a certain age you will get a mild chuckle at the idea of a cinema audience enveloped in cigarette smoke. There is a real sense of fun and conviviality throughout the film. There are so many extras involved in the action as the cinema audience; it’s a delight to watch the spirited heckling scenes and chaos as the projector caused hiccups. Rarely does a movie capture a mood and time so perfectly… Embrace the popcorn – and the moment – and sit back and enjoy.-Film Ireland Magazine

“The film gains emotional weight when it lays bare the conflicts between the brothers and some home truths about their father, and Morgan’s prickly, subdued Earl finally gains our sympathies. A key scene that testifies to the cinema as a beloved symbol of community spirit is sure to warm any cineaste’s heart.”-Screen Daily