ABBA - The Movie's Sydney cinema screening:  it was a good night.

I took the afternoon off work to drive up to Sydney from Canberra where I now work and live. I managed to get there in plenty of time.  Found a good park near the cinema.

I ran into Grant, Graeme, Ian, James and Cotton at the cinema. And then saw the BEAUTIFUL new Australian ABBA - The Movie posters everywhere with beautiful clear photos from the movie on them. Just beautiful. I bought the two-disc version of the DVD and the poster from the lovely Universal ladies.

As more and more fans began to arrive, fellow ABBAMAILers James, Cotton and I headed over to the local pub for a really nice steak. Then back to the cinema and the place was filling up, loads of people there. Had another glass of wine, saw everyone, then into the cinema.

There were a couple of hundred people there but they could have had many more. The cinema it was in was the main one of the two at Greater Union Mosman.

Andrew "Super" Mercado, a C-list celebrity kinda guy from cable-TV Channel V did a really good intro to the movie and then lights turned down and the movie began!. Graeme told me off for putting my feet on the divider thing in front of me ;-)

It was the typical awful old print of The Movie that seems to be the only one available in Australia - but the sound was nice and loud!

ABBAMAILer Judy Sawyer entertained the WHOLE CINEMA with her quips, I can't remember them all, I can't really repeat them here anyway because they were a bit politically incorrect! And naturally you'd have to be there to get the full impact of the jokes. Quite a few people were calling out rather hilarious comments throughout the movie - we've all seen it so many times it was a little like watching 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' with audience participation!

After the screening I went to the toilets and it was very surreal. Loads of guys pissing to the tune of "Fernando" blaring across the sound system. Very bizarre.

Whilst some others from our gang headed off to the pub for a debrief, I had to head back to Canberra since I had some important work to attend to the next morning. I gave Grant a lift home and managed to not get killed in the evil Sydney traffic. I even managed to not fall asleep on the way home!

I had a good look at the ABBA The Movie DVD and I can't believe how wonderful the packaging on the limited edition is. It is ridiculously beautiful. I adore the font and the colours and the picture on the booklet and the thickness of it all. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm.

Watching the DVD on my tiny little TV was a bit pathetic - it just doesn't compare to the cinematic experience of seeing it on the big screen!

Patrick Blake, Canberra, Australia