please empty your brain below

Based on my final visits to an Odeon you were lucky to see the film, or at least a version of the film that included sound and pictures all the way through.

In the 1950's the cinema would project a slide subtitle as each particular trailer was shown with wording like. "Sunday for seven days", "Sunday for one day only", "Monday to Thursday" etc. The films were changed each week, the new films being delivered to the cinema during Saturday night Sunday morning.

Later in the 1960's the trailers came with headings "Next week", or "In 2 weeks". Those were the days of 3 main cinema chains; single screen auditoriums and the films were shown at the same dates in the chains cinemas. 2 projectionists on duty and only one film.

Nowadays films tend to run for one week or remain for 6 weeks if popular, but not at all cinemas at the same time. Also cinemas sometimes show different films in the same auditorium during a day. Films get changed on Thursday instead of Saturday night. Booking is more flexible. So it’s easier to just say "This spring" This Summer".

As one person nowadays may be controlling 14 projectors to have the time to manually show a slide with the dates as in the 1950's would be difficult. Maybe as digital projection takes over from film the dates could be inserted locally again.

You were lucky to get curtains, many cinemas don't use them now.

Are you not going back because of the film, the cost or the general environment? I assume the auditorium was clean and well ventilated, the image focus good and the sound OK.

It is possible to go to the cinema for free, or for a few pounds. Try the Prince Charles cinema of Leicester Square for starters.

The year only trailers are usually the v1 trailer, where the release date has not been set yet. The reason it has not been set yet is that most films aren't big enough to rule their opening weekend, so they need to pick the least competitive one.

Big films always name the date in advance - I think I'm right in saying that Transformers 3 has a release date, even though Transformers 2 isn't out yet. The Simpsons Movie had a release date 18 months ahead of release, and so on. Lots of little films get moved at the last minute.

I don't know how exactly you think putting someone in front of someone else is maximising profit exactly. I should imagine it was more to do with placing them in the best place in the auditorium - ie middle of the middle row. If anything, this would be reducing profit, as it means whoever cleans the screen has to clean two rows rather than one. Putting them next to you would have been much more profit efficient.

And with the whole seating issue - well, I don't like allocated seating, lots of people do. I think it's just what you're used to.

Oh, and if you go to the cinema in Central London on a Saturday, of course it's going to cost £10.70.

When you go to the cinema where I live before the movie starts everyone has to stand up and show their respect to the King if you do not you WILL be thrown out and probably arrested as well.

Frankly I am deeply disappointed that there is no mention of Pearl & Dean! Although perhaps you did not go to a Vue cinema as I would have hoped. Papapapapapapapapapapapapapapa

Cineworld (ne UGC, ne Virgin, ne MGM, ne Cannon, ne ABC) don't do allocated seating. There's one at West India Quay straight down the DLR from you and tickets are cheaper.

Apart from the enormous plot holes, that is. And the insane premise. And the stilted dialogue. And the sudden change of direction two-thirds of the way through. And the two white rabbits. And the lunatic off-the-wall ending.

I take it you're new to Nicholas Cage movies if you weren't expecting this?

STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE

Glad no silly sod sparked up a mobile phone while the film was on; that's when I become unpleasant.

10.70!?! wow-that made my eye twitch. think that 'aliens & monsters' animated film would have been a better bet. children have a tendency to act more mature than adults when it comes to movies.

Minstrels for breakfast/brunch? Sounds better than the film.

DG - Do you enjoy anything?

...And you've just summed up why I no longer visit any of the chain cinemas (if I can help it; I appreciate that those outside of London/big cities may not have the choice): if I'm going to pay shitloads of dosh to see a film, then I want to be in an Indie cinema, thanks, and stick my fingers up at the big studio-financed distribution outlets, like Warner Bros. Odeon et al.

Seat assignments? For a movie theatre? That's just nuts. What's wrong with entering the room, looking around and picking out what you like from what's available?

Try the Curzon on Shaftesbury Avenue. It's not that cheap but its very civilised. It's a lot better than any Odeon.

You probably forgot to mention that the whole film was also cobbled together from seperate takes each lasting no more than five seconds.

My local Odeon has a few screens where the light above the fire exit.... shines on the screen. All you need in the darkest part of a dark film - a vague patch of light and a green fire exit sign in your peripheral vision!

I'm going to second the Curzon cinemas, especially the Shaftesbury Ave one. I try and avoid Odeon as well. Nothing against allocated seating, though! It's nice to be able to reserve your tickets online and not have to get there long beforehand to get a good seat.

Allocated seating + crowded auditorium = sensible.
Allocated seating + empty auditorium = madness.

Cinemas in Thailand are far more fun.

AND AND AND... we even get the lasses walking up and down the aisles selling ice creams and drinks when we behave.

But Hong Kong is more like
Allocated Seating +
Wrong Person in Allocated Seat +
Geographically Challenged Person Is Also On Cell Phone =
International Incident

Is it any wonder that people download film illegally?

Are you sure they're real lasses, Adaptorplug?

At the risk of overplaying the Thai thing. . you can also go to see the cheapest Imax in the world in Bangkok. Despite being an old republican I think the standing up for the King bit is quite touching.

Why I never go to the cinema any more:

1) Sound is usually WAY too high and makes me feel LIKE I'M BEING SHOUTED AT ALL THE TIME (and that's without the over-amplified, distorted music)
2) Its really expensive
3) Its usually full of idiots on phones who are eating dustbin-sized helpings of popcorn VERY LOUDLY or rattling sack-sized bags of sweeties, usually through all the quiet bits
4) I seem to have an unerring instinct for sitting right in front of the mentally challenged chavette who asks loudly every 2 minutes "Wos goin' on? I missed wot she said. I don' like 'er - she was much better in that ovver film"
5)There isnt a local cinema any more
6) I have to trek to the Dome and they've done away with humans selling tickets and I hate wrestling with a machine
7) I can usually wait for the DVD to come out

The only good thing about going to the cinema is that there's usually nobody on the door of the individual screening rooms at the Dome. This means that, if you are more than usually hard up and there's a couple of films you want to see (or its piddling down with rain outside and you're bored), you can usually watch your film, nip down the corridor and walk into another screening room. I once watched three films in the same day using this technique.

I agree with the sound being too loud. I wear two hearing aids for everyday, but I take them out at the cinema, and it's still too loud. The husband & I get in cheaper being pensioners, £5ish anytime at Crawley. Always take own sweets/drink from supermarket, not paying their silly prices.

In Australia the trailers still say "This Spring" and "This Summer" even though the seasons are all different so actually they're all wrong. It's madness.

Oh yes, many of the cinema lasses are indeed lasses here in the Thai Cineplexes (pronounced locally 'Sinnyplec').

However, I've obviously been in Thai cinemas too much...

DGeezer's phrase about the "couple in the row in front" rustling "their enormous crinkly packets" had me come over in a hot flush.

Forgot to mention the US indie chain http://www.drafthouse.com/ who serve food and alcoholic drinks as you watch the film. The seating is cleverly designed and tiered, so that you can always see the screen, you have a counter to eat off, and your waiter can serve you without disturbing you, your line of vision or your neighbours' either. It's superb there: wish UK cinemas would take note.

Who goes to the cinema on a Saturday morning?











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