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Home / About / Volunteer / Meet our Volunteers - Robin Elliott-Knowles

One of the things that makes the Electric Palace such a great place to visit is our fabulous, dedicated volunteer team. 

So, who are the people who welcome you to the cinema? Find out in our Meet the Volunteers series...

Name: Robin Elliott-Knowles

What prompted you to volunteer at the cinema?

My love of film (I also saw Plan Nine from Outer Space at the cinema which was the reason for starting the B-Movie Fan Club).

Poster image of film Plan 9 from Outer Space
How long have you volunteered at the cinema?

Oooh, well over five years now.

What's your favourite thing about the cinema?

Watching films on a big screen and my B-Movie community.

What special perk do love as a volunteer at the Electric Palace?

Volunteer evenings with free pizza and also that we can use the cinema to show films - like on birthdays. I also like the big screen.

Tell us about an experience at the cinema (not necessarily from at the Electric Palace).

Well, 2001 A Space Odyssey at the Starlight Screenings event hosted by the Electric Palace at Herstmonceux Castle - it was part of a weekend of films including live lasers for Mars Attacks.

And Nick Cave in Brighton giving a talk after his film. 

What film would you like to watch at the cinema?

Rocky Horror Picture Show! It's full of sci-fi and B-movie references and is very camp.

Have you ever gone to see a movie and wanted to watch it again immediately?

Well, all films I'd watch all films again and again.

Volunteers at the Electric Palace sometimes see movies they may not have planned to watch, occasionally outside of their comfort zone or usual taste. Tell us about a film you saw at the Electric Palace that took you by surprise.

The Seventh Victim (part of the BFI Season).

If you could go on a date night at the cinema with anyone living, dead or fictional who would it be and what would you watch?

Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connors) and we'd watch Alien.

Tell us a good film to watch that makes you laugh out loud or blub your eyes out.
Image of Richard E Grant in Withnail and I film

Withnail and I.  My family and I always laugh at it, plus it's our family motto: "I'm a trained actor reduced to the status of a bum."

Do you have a memory to share about a great film night at the cinema?

My birthday nights. We have seen War of the Worlds, the musical (we sung along to that). Rocky Horror Picture Show (also sung along to that) and The Rutles film.

At the Electric Palace as well as our programme of new films we also have other stuff such as comedy, music, theatre, quiz nights and so on. Tell us about one you enjoyed and why. 

Well the B-Movie night obviously as I set it up and still programme it. I love the films, but also our community of B-movie fans who I talk to each time. I miss them all. I also love doing the talks at the beginning.

Do you have a hot tip to share for where you get your film news?

IMDB and Cinemassacre.

What's a great soundtrack you listen to?

Rocky Horror Picture Show!!

What's your favourite snack or drink at the cinema?

Definitely chocolate (Revels or Maltesers) and San Pellegrino, blood orange.

What's your favourite seat?

Front row in the middle.

Finally, tell us something unusual about yourself.

I re-enact films and sometimes mix films together in my head and re-enact them. I know tons of stuff about films, and can quote whole films. At night I will sometimes read a book, whilst watching a film, whilst listening to music.

Find out more about volunteering at the Electric Palace