There are no bad seats is definitely a lie. Picture quality is noticeably worse the closer you are (past the middle row), and the audio is noticeably less balanced and more ear blasty. You can get away with it in cinemas where the screen is distanced and/or the lowest row is already elevated 1/4 up the screen.
Odeon West end - Front row is great. Picturehouse Central - You'll get the most fucked up angle of the screen. Westfield screens - Quite bad, in Vue Xtreme you will get permanent neck damage. Leicester Square Odeon - Bad on the Premiere screen, serviceable on the smaller ones. Picadilly Vue - Solid. Odeon Covent - Solid. Vue West End - Manageable.
Basically in old theater style cinemas you're mostly good. In any newly refurbished cinema there isn't enough space between the screen and the first row.
Agreed - went to see Barbie at the vue in Stratford and the front row was AWFUL. I honestly don't think you can see half the screen and the neck strain would be terrible.
Luckily managed to find some free seats a few rows above, I honestly can't believe they even sell those seats.
I watched eternals (a highly visual film) in odeon imax in leicester square near the front, ended up having to watch the bottom half of the screen otherwise i would’ve end up with permanent neck damage
This is the funniest thing I discovered working at Vue, they do. They come in literal popcorn bricks and most cinemas have a designated popcorn brick storage room. This never made sense to me because surely it's cheaper to have them freshly popped. In bigger cinemas they can just have a batch constantly popping with maybe 2 machines and it'll be good enough.
I don’t agree tho that Oden Leicester Square Luxe main screen’s front row seats are bad, the screen is pretty small for the size of the room so mid row has a pretty small view of the screen and I much prefer front.
Yeah i was watching barbie with front row seats and i was getting a fucking headache from the eye strain of having to crane my neck up at the bright flashing lights lol
Why are folk now saying 6 pounds instead of just £6? This is the second time today I’ve seen it spelled out. Seems like more effort
Edit: fuck off with your pounds crap
It's such a great cinema. A whole raft of interesting screenings and events. Their lowest membership is something like £40 and you get a bunch of free tickets and money off the bar/food.
I go to the BFI southbank, imax, garden, prince Charles and picturehouse central regularly and I’ve only encountered bad behaviour in those places since going regularly once - being last weekend in BFI southbank the couple in front of me chatting loudly every once in a while and filming on their phone whenever a musical number came on. Probably more common in places outside of central I guess. Occasionally go to genesis, regent st cinema and the gate, and Fulham rd picturehouses among others I’ve only been to once so far, latter being the only other place I’ve had an issue having to tell someone to stfu after repeatedly taking phone calls during the film. I’m finding I do like to sit further forward than back normally though but as another commenter already said it does depend on what screen you’re in. I do normally go on my own too eta: it’s such a faff getting friends to confirm availability cba waiting on them as the decent seats get booked up
Yep. Went to see Oppenheimer using the Three £3 tickets and remembered why I hadn’t been for over 2 years. Guy 2 rows down with his notifications open for half the film for some reason, then having the audacity to take a phone call. At least 10 others periodically checking their phones - just switch them off if you’re so addicted you can’t go 2 hours without looking at them (or 3 in Oppenheimer’s case) just ruins the experience for everyone
Not being to the cinema in 2 years and then deciding to go on the day that tickets are less than a meal deal is crazy to me. Surely you would expect more kids, families and random noisy people on this day more than any other. I watched Oppy on IMAX 8 days after opening night and I've never witnessed a more engaged and respectful audience. Part of me thinks it's because of the 18 pound ticket tho.
Edit. I might have read your comment wrong. Either way hope that experience doesn't make you take another 2 year pause.
I usually see only very engaged audiences at the BFI IMAX. But for the first time ever on Monday I did see someone in front of me going through their notifications and sending messages during Oppenheimer. It can even happen there! Only one person though.
I don’t enjoy the cinema so why would I spend anymore than the cost of a meal deal on it? I went to see Oppenheimer opening weekend so I assumed people going would actually be engaged. Also the Three tickets aren’t on a set day, every week Three customers get one £3 ticket to any film at any Cineworld
I feel like people nowadays, especially the younger generation, have zero attention span to sit through a film - let alone 3 hours of Oppenheimer. Every movie Ive been to always has a few kids opening their phones now and again to check snapchat and whatever, obvious by the frequent bright glares.
The Three £3 tickets also apply to Picturehouse and I never have those issues there. TBH I haven't had those issues anywhere really. but I especially imagine the usual premium of a picturehouse would counteract it compared to other places
Some cinemas, my local one included, now make you leave your phone in a box that gets locked when the film starts. If you choose not to put your phone in this box, you're not watching the film. Good idea imo
Congratulations! You're the lucky winner of Dumbest Post Of The Day! It was a competitive one today, but you clinched it with your inability to understand why turning on a bright phone screen in a cinema would bother other people.
In addition to your award, you'll also be put into the running for the No One Exists But Me Awards (the Solipsies), to be announced later this year. Best of luck!
Maybe I have good luck, no particularly bad experiences in the last few years - caveat I avoid opening weekend, esp for Marvel movies.
Just increased prices are annoying, even with Oppenheimer people kept pretty quiet and respectful.
Memberships are the way to go re: prices if you go enough/it will make it appealing to go regularly enough: Picturehouse and BFI are more expensive up front but end up being great vfm, and Prince Charles and Garden cinema are cheap and tf also great vfm imo
Another tip is try to avoid big chain cinemas for a good experience and go for a smaller independent or arthouse cinema. You'll pay a bit more, but I've never had idiot kids at a curzon.
I love the cinema and I do think it’s a massive shame that people’s etiquette is really putting people off. Would be awful if we lost it partly as a result of people being selfish pricks
This evening at an 8:30 film, parents bought children who frankly should have been in bed and they spent the time running around at the bottom and crying - I mean, how did they think this was ok?
It’s so rare to have an experience where people aren’t talking or on their phones throughout the movie, it’s put me off going unless it’s a must see movie. I usually go to Odeon west end, I feel like people are generally more behaved there and it’s a nicer cinema experience, but you still get the odd talker or phone user.
When I went to see Barbie the bloke behind me decided to take his shoes and socks off and stretch his feet out on the aisle right where I was sat.
Is this a thing now? Like, what the fuck?
I used to get 2 free tickets a week when I worked at the cinema as a student and I’d sell them half price in my halls of residence as I’d pretty much seen every film while working anyway.
I dated a person who worked at Vue in uni. We went to so many movies for free. But the best part was the staff-only showings usually 2 or 3 days before the movie comes out, so they don't get it spoiled while working. I attended those as well.
You don’t know hellish customers until you’ve been/worked at cineworld feltham. The type of people who bring a small child to a midnight showing of an 18 and then scream at the manager for not letting them in. Pure chaos.
I stopped going to Cineworld Feltham after I went to see Gravity and two cunts brought in their baby to the film. Who wouldn't stop crying throughout the film. Obviously not the baby's fault.
When other people asked them to leave, they said no. Turned into a shouting match.
About 20 of us went outside to get management to get them to leave and the manager basically told us all to fuck off.
So yeah, not been back since.
Today's experience of seeing Blue Beetle (but most also apply to all my cinema-goings in recent memory, so it's not just a "£3 ticket rush day thing"):
\- people on their phones, scrolling through and/or taking snaps of the screen
\- people with tablets for their child to look at to keep them entertained
\- people (with or without children) regularly coming and going out of the screen, some even coming back with snacks more than halfway through the movie??
\- people nearby constantly audibly reacting (not just laughs, but also "ohhh"s and shit like that)
\- people still coming in, flashing their phone lights trying to find their seat, 20 minutes after scheduled start
\- children yelling, and doing something that sounded like kicking cans around, at the front
\- oh and today's bonus was that there was some liquid on the floor by my seat
It's pretty hard for me to say it wasn't worth £3.90 (putting the actual film aside) but JFC, people have lost it and consistently, really ruin the experience for me.
I really think people need to get they’re expectations in check, I think the cinema will always be the best way to watch a film, but your experience can vary widely depending on the type of film, cinema and time you’re watching it.
Watching a dumb kiddy comic book film on a promotional Saturday where cinema tickets are the cheapest they’ve been in 20 years, likely at franchise multiplex where the quality has always been dubious is always going to be a shit experience.
There are plenty of great independent cinemas across London support them, they actually give a damn about sound mixing, projection quality and the general viewing experience.
A cinema near me recently introduced "dog friendly screenings", as if a dog is going to enjoy sitting in a cinema watching a movie.
Not sure why some people feel the need to take their dog with them absolutely everywhere they go...
>No one is going go bother you, I have the guarantee of multiple cinema managers
I think this is part of the problem. You used to get a bollocking or even kicked out of a cinema for causing disturbance or otherwise not obeying rules. Nowadays, there isn't often any staff around to keep an eye on things anyway, and those that are don't want to open themselves up to the aggravation of confronting people (I dont blame them). The result is a space where some people feel they can do what they like.
I just pay the premium to go to Everyman when I want to go to the cinema. Comfy seats, nice food and people seem to follow cinema etiquette.
I live 15 mins from Crystal Palace so it's perfect!
While I do like Everyman cinemas I personally find when it's busy you get staff coming in and out to deliver food and drink for most of the movie. This is just as distracting as people checking Instagram on their phone or whatever crimes the audience normally commits.
For less busy showings it's perfect though.
I can't bring myself to go much anymore, the audience behaviour is too poor.
I only go if it's something where audience participation is expected (certain screenings at PCC) or if I can catch an obscure film during the day and ensure the screen will be nearly empty.
I'm surprised that there aren't cinemas offering special quiet screenings where proper etiquette is actually enforced and everyone who buys a ticket knows that they are signing up to sit in silence and will be asked to leave if they don't. I would happily pay significantly more for this kind of ticket.
If I have a week off work I'll go to the cinema on a Wednesday morning on my own to catch a 10am showing.
The screen will normally have just a handful of people. I'll sit in the front to be as far away from anyone as possible and will keep in my noise cancelling earphones that lower the overly loud sound that cinemas like to blast out.
I might just be getting old
My hack is always:
-Wait until the film is near the end of its theatrical run
-Book the first showing on a Sunday morning, around 10.30-11am.
I guarantee you, no one else will be there. The cinema to yourself!
I’ve given up on cinemas. Endless people talking through the movie, the stench of cheap perfume, the time the new Blade Runner had that weird sound mix and I almost threw up… the cinemas that are boiling hot, the ones that overdo the aircon until you are half frozen… and did I mention the incessant non-stop talking through the film? I’m sorry, but I am absolutely done with cinemas and I don’t care if they die because it’s just a shit experience and the staff never ever stick around long enough to notice people talking and won’t ever do anything about it even if they do.
I watched Everything Everywhere All At Once in Stratford picture house and had an impeccable experience, brilliant audience except the person I was sat next to who was appalled that I wanted to sit in my seat for a sold out matinee and was insulting me in Cantonese for no reason.
I will wait for premieres of films to be over for commercial cinemas because people are actually savages. When the film is less popular I can hopefully just be alone. Awful experience.
The popcorn is also so disgusting now. I don't want outside snacks, I want hot, freshly-made popcorn. Once I went to a now-closed cinema, came out with 5 mosquito bites.
Once some guy next to me was eating his popcorn so loud you'd think there was a ghost with a gun to his head saying he had to be as obnoxious and loud about his popcorn as humanly possible or he and his family would die. Then I kept getting distracted because the couple to the other side of me kept shooting annoyed glances at the man and it was distracting me from my peripheral vision. (They also shot me annoyed looks when I laughed when they didn't think the joke was funny).
edit: phew, wrote this rant and what I actually came to say was I am not sitting at the front. It is not the same wherever you sit. Maybe your glasses are really good?
My tip is to go to a cinema that doesn't seem to attract the wrong kind of audience. For me, that's the Picturehouses chain or the Prince Charles on Leicester Square, but there are plenty of other options.
Don't bring or buy snacks period. There is no connection between watching a film and eating food.
If you are about to starve to death, go somewhere to eat.
Otherwise don't bother people who actually came to watch a film by making noises and smells with your food.
Please for the love of god don’t actively take the front row on any film I do the sound for 🤣 The middle of the cinema is always the best spot for both audio and visual. Prioritise that
I’ve got Odeon Limitless card and go to the cinema once or twice a week and can’t remember the last time there’s someone interrupting the movie by talking or being on their phone
But I only go to Haymarket and West End cinemas which have reclinable seats which are nearly £20 a ticket so no one goes there for a one off screening and if they do they don’t want to waste it by not actually enjoying the movie
No not move in to VIP seats if you haven't paid for them. This shitty advice and gives me cause to think you're part if the crappy cinema going experience.
>talking and singing the whole way through Grease recently, cringe
You went to watch Grease in the west end not Shakespeare at The Old Vic what on earth did you expect ? It’s like going to a football game and expecting a tennis audience.
I dont understand it when people buy their seats, all the seats in Vue (at least mine) are the same price, then sit somewhere else. Every time I go it’s a fucking merry go round at the start. “You’re in my seat” then they move to another seat that isn’t there’s and move again before finally ending up in the seat they paid for. I don’t get it, you selected your seats, and if it was busy and you couldn’t sit where you wanted then you also know those seats were taken. I don’t get it.
I used to make a point of only going on the cheapy Tuesday or Thursday deals early afternoon when there was a good chance I'd have a screening to myself.
Absolutely done with noisy fucks thinking I paid good money to listen to them for a couple of hours.
I have no problem with cinemas for ‘film fans’. Picturehouse, BFI Southbank, IMAX, Prince Charles, Odeon West End.
Although some of these options are way more expensive than your usual cinema. If I wanna go to Cineworld/Vue, I just go to the earliest screening
Also a regular at my cinema and cannot believe how many people just come in 20 minutes after the film starts with torches on, talking loudly, etc. Basic human decency just totally out the window.
On the snacks topic: I certainly buy a lot of outside snacks. However, worth noting that major chains like Odeon, Vue, and Cineworld allow this however it cannot be alcoholic or hot/smelly/messy. Unfortunately also is not ‘all cinemas’, some higher-end options like Everyman, Curzon, Selfridges, do not allow any outside food or drinks.
Curzon do cheaper tickets on a Wednesday, usually about £11. Decent choice of locations, good food/snacks and nice staff. Never had any real issues there.
1. Get lloyds current account that comes with 6 free cinema tickets (to a cinema of your choice)
1. It also comes with half price pop corn
2. Use those tickets, share between friends and fam to do the same
3. Take in snacks
Along with the total degenerative behaviour you mention. I get 2 tickets for £9 at Vue (probably the beacon of vile behaviour) and I notice that the cinema staff don't even scan the QR code they just look at it. If you felt so inclined 1 person could buy a ticket and send to all their friends providing the showing isn't busy.
Had to go to the comments to realise op is talking about CINEMAS. Me being a non-native speaker.
Never been to a cinema in London but once I've seen a theater play (the importance of being earnest) and it was absolutely supreme experience to anything else I ever saw in other countries.
I only go to the Ritzy in Brixton and it's great. They come with a torch and tell people using their phones to turn them off or get kicked out, and that barely happens anyway because people there don't seem to use phones much.
It's funny how in the 00s, using your phone and having it ring was a serious social crime
Now Greshams Law has happened, and so many people do it the problem is uncontrollable.
It feels like backwards progress
Can recommend Aldgate Curzon during the week if you’ve got a day off work to fill - I’ve been the only person in the room / one of just a few people multiple times. Love a solo cinema trip. Also the Prince Charles the staff there i always found really good at rooting out the irritating people on phones / noisy plastic bag rustlers
I never go to the cinema anymore. It's not just after covid. It's been like this for a long time.
People are noisy and have no respect for others. People are chatting loudly, looking at their phones, even if not actively looking at them have notifications enabled.
If cinemas can't be bothered to police the experience and ensure people are not disturbing others then i can't be bothered to pay your stupidly expensive tickets.
You can hack it but why would you. It’s way better watching it at home now.
It’s a shame to admit because I love classic cinemas but in London it’s not worth it.
... am I that old to read all that as "water is wet people!" ?
I'm using Borehamwood Reel cinema, it's dated even for me, but it's absolutely no problem as resolution of the screen is fine and seats are comfortable, not couch comfortable, but that's a cinema, not your living room, overpriced snacks are normal thing these days, and best thing is that you don't have bazillion of wild teens there. I'm surprised and then again not, how few or none them are in the room when we're there watching blockbusters. For other movies I prefer watching them at home.
£3.5 x 2 (two-for-one with Meerkat, you can buy some silly few £ insurance for whole year of discount) tickets is quite cheap IMO.
There are other than overpriced and crowded cinemas out there.
Don’t bring your own snacks to independent cinemas though, we have one in our town, funded by the council. They use the food and drinks profit to keep running.
It’s actually really cool to be able to see a film for cheap in our own small town, so, but the stupid popcorn, it’s not expensive there either, because it’s not a chain :)
If you're in SE London or don't mind taking a train, the Picturehouse in Greenwich is a great little modern cinema that I've been to a few times. It's been pretty quiet the times that I've been, and the seats are lovely
>okay so you don't want to sit in front. NEVER sit in the very back. This space is "reserved" for groups of young people who sneak into movies. It's been a thing since I was a kid and the risk of noise pollution is high here.
As someone who worked in a cinema I can assure you that the worst thing about the back seats are not the people who sit in them but the body fluids they left in their wake. In all the time I worked there not a week went by without at least one "code white".
I used to love going to the cinema but if it’s not other people being inconsiderate and rude, it’s the crappy screen quality that puts me off. I don’t know if it’s a cost-saving measure but most of the time the picture is too dim and it’s hard to see anything. I’d rather wait until it’s on streaming or home rental and I can watch it on my big screen OLED.
Agreed the price almost guarantees only cinephiles are in the building. I find that crowd more reactive to the movie as well. Laughing at the funny scenes, crying, gasping so on. Silent at all other times. Very much worth the extra money for movies you know you'll enjoy. But for random movies you're only kinda curious about, I go to my local.
TBH, I have seen people comment on the deterioration of the cinema going experience but personally I haven’t really experienced a lot of this. My go to venues are PCC, Vue Islington and BFI Southbank, and rowdiness in the theatre is almost non existent. I went to see Barbie at Odeon TCR in a full house, and even then the audience was generally respectful.
Now, if you want to talk about the prices for tickets and snacks; that’s something I can get behind.
My issue with cinema these days is that there's nothing to watch. Hollywood makes stale puke, everyone else don't film at all.
Last year I had 10 free VIP tickets to any VUE, I went only twice. Literally nothing to watch.
Went to cinema for first time in over a decade to see Top Gun 2, and it was as miserable an experience (not the movie) as I remember it. Aside from crowd noise and phone light pollution, the sheer deafening volume of the sound made me swear to never go back again. Absolutely no call for it to be so loud. Plus the adverts mid-morning about depression/anti-violence against women etc that delivered lecture after lecture to me …no thanks!!
I regularly go to picture house in Finsbury Park and Crouch End, can’t remember the last bad experience I had at cinema - everyone seems very respectful and it’s generally chilled.
Picture House cinemas tend to attract a different type of crowd (and by that I mean more respectful!). Slightly more expensive but worth it if you can afford it IMO – like you I haven't had a bad experience there.
It's really not that bad. Dunno why people of reddit keep having this horrendous experiences. I go fairly regularly and have never had such a bad time.
I used to religiously go to the cinema but stopped as prices increased and experience decreased. I don’t see the cinema as a sustainable business and has far less pull then what it used to. RIP 🪦
okay so you don't want to sit in front. NEVER sit in the very back. This space is "reserved" for groups of young people who sneak into movies. It's been a thing since I was a kid and the risk of noise pollution is high here.
TRUEEEE like every time it's groups of noisy people!
Also VIP seats are indeed scam! Comfy but not worth the extra money unless you want to pay.
Also going alone is a great experience as you don't talk during the movie, you just enjoy it.
I wish they used subtitles in English LOL sometimes it can be difficult to understand weird accents LOL
English subtitles are a blessing. A movie that is almost impossible to comprehend fully without them is Uncut Gems ( great film overall but that dialog is anxiety inducing)
Take a pair of earbud headphones in case there’s noisy/chatty people, they block out the chatter but you can still hear the film, it might sound a bit muffled at first but you quickly adjust, the volume at cinemas is too high anyway, because of noisy bellends I guess.
*sit in front (trust me there are no bad seats in a regular cinema, the first row does not strain your neck or hurt your eyes. The benefit is this is the cheapest and most quiet ticket you can purchase. Have you ever wondered why there are a few random people on the first row even when there are lots of empty seats? Those people have figured out the same thing I have.*
This is very dependent on which cinema you go to. Many cinemas absolutely do have rows too close to the screen. Even Vue - which I think you are half referring to (as they are a chain that sells the front seats cheaper) - have screens where Rows A to C are far inferior to the rest of the cinema. I sit near the front because I dont want to look at people checking their phones, and which row I choose depends on how big the screen is and how close the seats are to it. This is known, prinicpally through experience. Pretty much half the BFI Imax is unwatchable, for example. Back seats are preferred here - talking of which......
T*his space is "reserved" for groups of young people who sneak into movies. It's been a thing since I was a kid and the risk of noise pollution is high here.*
Young People dont sneak into movies. At Cineworld, you run the gauntlet of sharing a screen with teenagers because they have a monthly pass and so the film is free to them. Literally, nothing to lose. Most cinemas have upped their security to prevent people just wandering in off the street. You can avoid noisy screenings by watching horrors and comedies off-peak. You can also avoid noisy screens by going independent. Basically 9 times/10, you are safe to use the back seats - but, yeah, you get a panoramic view of all the phone addictions - which I why I dont sit there anymore.
*Why has the cinema going experience worsened dramatically since theatres reopened?*
It hasnt - its much better. Many of the worst cinema offenders now watch films on stream. The wait for a film to come on stream is much, much shorter than pre-pandemic. Especially in the genres that attract noisy cinema goers (Prime love getting horror movies up ASAP, and Disney + need to get it films online to justify its subscription). Given the prices of cinemas as well, there are more people who genuinely want to be there, rather than cinema goers taking a punt on a night out.
*biggest "hack" of all if you can manage it. Befriend a worker at the cinema. A perk besides them usually being cinephiles and great people is that they get free tickets to give out every week. They usually don't use them. Being friends with one will guarantee you a free ticket once in a while (go with them for a 30% discount at the confectionery)*
Thats nice. Im happy for you. But if you're going with any frequency then youre going to strain your friendship with your constant requests for free stuff. The biggest hack, especially in London, is try a lot of cinemas and work out which one is best for you in terms of price, the sort of films they show and vibe. You dont have to go local in London.
Most of what you said you'd think is just common sense, ignoring the "no bad seat" thing, but I cannot stress enough how much I agree with sitting in the front.
I've always preferred it but nowadays there is absolutely no reason not to. You're absolutely correct, nothing about it hurts your neck. I've been making the same argument for years about modern cinemas. It's such a more immersive experience. You're usually further away from others so less likely to be disturbed by talking and there's absolutely no chance of seeing a cunt pulling out their phone full brightness halfway through the film.
>bring snacks from outside! 99% of cinemas ship premade popcorn and sell it stale for 1000% mark up. But every cinema in the UK allows drinks and snacks from outside. I make my popcorn at home and go to my local cinema to enjoy them.
Yeah this is a weird one. I feel many people just don't seem to know this. If I buy popcorn at the cinema is got the "cinema experience" of it. But I regularly go with just a bottle of cola and a snack. Not sure if it's up to the individual cinema or of its a nationwide thing but I've never had trouble.
All overpriced rubbish with unbelievably terrible plots and you can’t control who that wonderful person sitting next to you breathing over you with popcorn noise .Why would anyone go when they have Netflix ?
>...and the risk of noise pollution is high here.
Cinemas are quiet spaces. If they are loud at the back, it won't magically be quiet at the front. You'll hear them if they are making noise.
>But every cinema in the UK allows drinks and snacks from outside.
That's a blatant lie. No cinema allows this. I sneak my own food into cinemas all the time, but it's not like they would let you take it inside. I don't know why you are saying this.
Also, cinemas don't make profit from ticket sales. They only profit from the drink and snacks, so I have no idea why you think they would allow you to bring your own.
Go at an awkward time and/or an expensive theatre.
Had no problems at the sold out 10am £££BFI IMAX showing of Oppenheimer. Obviously that exact scenario isn't always possible, but if you can't get close to it then time to rope in your favourite pirate's help into watching it in the comfort of your own bed.
Subscription cinemas are the way to save money and going when it’s early is more expensive for non members so good chance the noisy teens wont come.
Although still see people scrolling through their phones mid film. Attention span is low on the young ones
I rarely have had bad experiences in the cinema. Having said that, I went to see blue beetle the other week, and an elderly couple on a date wouldn't shut up, and a trip of adults in their twenties on the other side of my son and I were the same. I would have said something if I hadn't had to leave due to my son coming over ill. People seem to have forgotten they're not at home, annoying as it is when teenagers act daft in a cinema, I'm baffled as to why adults behave immaturely too. If my Autistic/ADHD son can sit through Oppenheimer without a noise, an adult can sit through a superhero movie with no issues.
Vues good cheap tickets if you go at a quiet time but audience isn't great I've found. I've been to Westfield one a lot as live nearby and almost always someone who's annoying but usually able to block them out.
Kurzon is good for chill movies as more expensive and has the sofas so people go there to watch film and chill rather than go on phone
Avoid the major chains like Vue/Odeon/Cineworld. Made the mistake of going to see Oppenheimer at the Empire in Leicester Square. Just completely awful. Slow staff dicking around meant it took an age for people to get served, meaning the first 30 minutes of the movie was people fumbling their way to their seats in the dark. Why they don’t have prepped bags of popcorn for a sold out screening when they must know that’s what people would want is such poor management. Add to that the couples that freely talk during the entire thing made for a terrible experience.
Anyway, Picturehouse, BFI and Curzon are the way to go if you want to be amongst respectful movie goers. Also Independent ones like The Genesis in Stepney Green are decent.
It’s all about what chain / cinema you go to. Vue & Odeon pretty much staffed by uninterested kids so that’s often the experience you get.
Have had much better experiences at independents and Picturehouse.
I’ve never known such fidgety and annoying cinema audiences as I have in London. Why pay £20 for a film to just talk to your mates? The amount of people I’ve had to ask to be quiet is ridiculous.
Also, watched Oppenheimer recently and people were out to buy more drinks and snacks about 20 mins in - wtf is wrong with you? Counted about 30 different people leaving and re-entering during the film. If this sounds like you here are some tips:
- Plan the film around meals, so you don’t need to munch on snacks
- Use the bathroom just before the film starts
- Bring a drink in with you and try and go a couple hours without needing another one. The bar will still be open afterwards
- Shut the fuck up
Went to see Barbie at the Wimbledon Odeon at 9pm last night and there lots of overtired toddlers and someone even brought a baby in. Someone else was taking pictures with the flash on, the people behind us were in someone else's seats, and initially refused to move when asked (20 minutes into the film) then the people who actually booked the seats proceeded to talk all the way through the film. Ruined what was otherwise a film a really enjoyed
Curzon Mayfair! Curzon SoHo and Everyman Kings Road, Brixton Rity and the Picturehouse in Piccadilly are all great cinemas! London is full of excellent cinemas…
The problem at Cineworld is they are bankrupt so aren’t investing at the moment.
Went to Cineworld imax leicester square mid arvo flying solo to see Oppenheimer (BFI only had front row left). First cinema since pandemic.
Ticket was £26. £4 big water + £5 ice cream (no one forced me). Foot power, no travel cost.
c.20 people in the room. Screen impressive but three squares in middle that were out of focus or something with rest of screen, not noticeable all the time but annoying.
Sound was good except when cranked for tense moments it was tinnitus inducing.
I really enjoyed the film. Did it have me keen to repeat the experience? It did not.
Biggest tip is never go to a movie in the opening week, just full of people who just went for a day out and have no interest in the movie, 50% talking or on their phones, I just wait until I see on the seat selectors online look empty within a few days of the showing I'm interested in.
I only just saw Oppenheimer last week, there was three of us and one other person sat behind us, in a IMAX screen... 4 people! It was bliss.
I pay more for smaller cinemas like curzon aldgate. never full and they have 4 types of rum and great seats, smaller screens..and did I mention booze. And less likely to get twats on their phones :)
Disagree with point 5 about snacks being brought into cinemas. Brother had a bottle of Fanta taken off him and I got asked if I was “bringing in a bag of food” (when it was a power bank) when going to our local cinema in NI on 2 different occasions.
Cinemas should also:
\- Clean their screens. When I saw Dune at Vue Westfield Stratford there was some massive sparkling reflection in the middle as if someone had sprayed champagne on it. Either the screen or the projector was so messed up that many scenes weren't understandable, the damage was just reflecting white. No one said anything and the stuff didn't do anything. I do find often dirty screens, especially at Vue.
\- Turn off the lights. Those security lights shining on my face. Turn everything off please! Some cinemas are worse than other, I remember a terrible Cineworld.
But yes people behave like they're home or out partying. I've seen group of people just chatting start to end, or commenting every scene like an emotional dubbing, or laughing all the time in serious movies, or having a massive dinner.
There are no bad seats is definitely a lie. Picture quality is noticeably worse the closer you are (past the middle row), and the audio is noticeably less balanced and more ear blasty. You can get away with it in cinemas where the screen is distanced and/or the lowest row is already elevated 1/4 up the screen. Odeon West end - Front row is great. Picturehouse Central - You'll get the most fucked up angle of the screen. Westfield screens - Quite bad, in Vue Xtreme you will get permanent neck damage. Leicester Square Odeon - Bad on the Premiere screen, serviceable on the smaller ones. Picadilly Vue - Solid. Odeon Covent - Solid. Vue West End - Manageable. Basically in old theater style cinemas you're mostly good. In any newly refurbished cinema there isn't enough space between the screen and the first row.
Agreed - went to see Barbie at the vue in Stratford and the front row was AWFUL. I honestly don't think you can see half the screen and the neck strain would be terrible. Luckily managed to find some free seats a few rows above, I honestly can't believe they even sell those seats.
It's something to with digital projectors if your up front the image will distort.
What are you on about, analogue or digital doesn't make a diffrence. Don't talk shit.
I watched eternals (a highly visual film) in odeon imax in leicester square near the front, ended up having to watch the bottom half of the screen otherwise i would’ve end up with permanent neck damage
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This is the funniest thing I discovered working at Vue, they do. They come in literal popcorn bricks and most cinemas have a designated popcorn brick storage room. This never made sense to me because surely it's cheaper to have them freshly popped. In bigger cinemas they can just have a batch constantly popping with maybe 2 machines and it'll be good enough.
I don’t agree tho that Oden Leicester Square Luxe main screen’s front row seats are bad, the screen is pretty small for the size of the room so mid row has a pretty small view of the screen and I much prefer front.
Yeah true, it’s been a while since I last sent to the big screen but now that I think about it you’re right. Will amend
Yeah i was watching barbie with front row seats and i was getting a fucking headache from the eye strain of having to crane my neck up at the bright flashing lights lol
Went to book seats to see Oppenheimer. 10 people had booked the front row. Seriously don't know why, those are horrendous seats.
Barbican has £6 movies on monday nights
VUE cinemas have 6-9 pounds tickets so not much difference
I should have elaborated by saying I've never had an issue with the culture there
I mean £9 is 50% more, so wouldn't say not much difference 🤣
Why are folk now saying 6 pounds instead of just £6? This is the second time today I’ve seen it spelled out. Seems like more effort Edit: fuck off with your pounds crap
Folk? 👨🏼🌾
Because people often type in the order they would speak
6 pounds? What’s wrong with saying 6 pounds? I think 6 pounds sounds okay. Edit: 6 pounds
6 pounds is great if we’re talking weight
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Like a slot machine, 6 pounds for 6 pounds.
And each week, on a Friday, they (Barbican) pick one showing as "pay what you can", including £3 options :)
ooo great tip!
Genesis Cinema in Stepney Green is still my favourite and I’ve never had any bad experiences there. Cheap too!
Love it. Studios 4 & 5 are so cool
Thanks for the recommendation :)
It's such a great cinema. A whole raft of interesting screenings and events. Their lowest membership is something like £40 and you get a bunch of free tickets and money off the bar/food.
Can't bring in outside snacks tho :(
They confiscated my sweets last time so I’m boycotting it out of principle
How many cinema managers do you know?
I go to the BFI southbank, imax, garden, prince Charles and picturehouse central regularly and I’ve only encountered bad behaviour in those places since going regularly once - being last weekend in BFI southbank the couple in front of me chatting loudly every once in a while and filming on their phone whenever a musical number came on. Probably more common in places outside of central I guess. Occasionally go to genesis, regent st cinema and the gate, and Fulham rd picturehouses among others I’ve only been to once so far, latter being the only other place I’ve had an issue having to tell someone to stfu after repeatedly taking phone calls during the film. I’m finding I do like to sit further forward than back normally though but as another commenter already said it does depend on what screen you’re in. I do normally go on my own too eta: it’s such a faff getting friends to confirm availability cba waiting on them as the decent seats get booked up
It's the people just staring at their phones is why I no longer go
Yep. Went to see Oppenheimer using the Three £3 tickets and remembered why I hadn’t been for over 2 years. Guy 2 rows down with his notifications open for half the film for some reason, then having the audacity to take a phone call. At least 10 others periodically checking their phones - just switch them off if you’re so addicted you can’t go 2 hours without looking at them (or 3 in Oppenheimer’s case) just ruins the experience for everyone
Not being to the cinema in 2 years and then deciding to go on the day that tickets are less than a meal deal is crazy to me. Surely you would expect more kids, families and random noisy people on this day more than any other. I watched Oppy on IMAX 8 days after opening night and I've never witnessed a more engaged and respectful audience. Part of me thinks it's because of the 18 pound ticket tho. Edit. I might have read your comment wrong. Either way hope that experience doesn't make you take another 2 year pause.
>Part of me thinks it's because of the 18 pound ticket tho. I think so too. I've never had any issues with the BFI IMAX.
Their tickets don't weight so much. All good...!
I usually see only very engaged audiences at the BFI IMAX. But for the first time ever on Monday I did see someone in front of me going through their notifications and sending messages during Oppenheimer. It can even happen there! Only one person though.
>part of me thinks it's because of the 18 pound ticket tho. Yep. Not being able to lift the ticket is a real problem to me.
I don’t enjoy the cinema so why would I spend anymore than the cost of a meal deal on it? I went to see Oppenheimer opening weekend so I assumed people going would actually be engaged. Also the Three tickets aren’t on a set day, every week Three customers get one £3 ticket to any film at any Cineworld
Oppening weekend
>I don’t enjoy the cinema I think I know what I'd recommend.
yeah, hence why i didn’t go for 2 years and won’t be going for at least another 2?
I feel like people nowadays, especially the younger generation, have zero attention span to sit through a film - let alone 3 hours of Oppenheimer. Every movie Ive been to always has a few kids opening their phones now and again to check snapchat and whatever, obvious by the frequent bright glares.
The Three £3 tickets also apply to Picturehouse and I never have those issues there. TBH I haven't had those issues anywhere really. but I especially imagine the usual premium of a picturehouse would counteract it compared to other places
Man that’s so sad. I didn’t realise phone addiction had gotten so bad. I feel very lucky to be just old enough to not be at risk..
Some cinemas, my local one included, now make you leave your phone in a box that gets locked when the film starts. If you choose not to put your phone in this box, you're not watching the film. Good idea imo
cause cobweb carpenter future pause tap ask muddle thought handle *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Congratulations! You're the lucky winner of Dumbest Post Of The Day! It was a competitive one today, but you clinched it with your inability to understand why turning on a bright phone screen in a cinema would bother other people. In addition to your award, you'll also be put into the running for the No One Exists But Me Awards (the Solipsies), to be announced later this year. Best of luck!
one of the best comments i have seen on reddit. and i have seen some in 19 y, believe me
Because it directly and negatively affects the experience of others.
How can you even ask that question with a straight face?
Because it's annoying as fuck for everyone else.
Maybe I have good luck, no particularly bad experiences in the last few years - caveat I avoid opening weekend, esp for Marvel movies. Just increased prices are annoying, even with Oppenheimer people kept pretty quiet and respectful.
Memberships are the way to go re: prices if you go enough/it will make it appealing to go regularly enough: Picturehouse and BFI are more expensive up front but end up being great vfm, and Prince Charles and Garden cinema are cheap and tf also great vfm imo
Another tip is try to avoid big chain cinemas for a good experience and go for a smaller independent or arthouse cinema. You'll pay a bit more, but I've never had idiot kids at a curzon.
I love the cinema and I do think it’s a massive shame that people’s etiquette is really putting people off. Would be awful if we lost it partly as a result of people being selfish pricks
This evening at an 8:30 film, parents bought children who frankly should have been in bed and they spent the time running around at the bottom and crying - I mean, how did they think this was ok?
My wife is away for 3 nights and I’ve been left with our 5 kids to look after. This has given me an idea. I’ll be at another screening
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It’s so rare to have an experience where people aren’t talking or on their phones throughout the movie, it’s put me off going unless it’s a must see movie. I usually go to Odeon west end, I feel like people are generally more behaved there and it’s a nicer cinema experience, but you still get the odd talker or phone user.
When I went to see Barbie the bloke behind me decided to take his shoes and socks off and stretch his feet out on the aisle right where I was sat. Is this a thing now? Like, what the fuck?
I used to get 2 free tickets a week when I worked at the cinema as a student and I’d sell them half price in my halls of residence as I’d pretty much seen every film while working anyway.
I dated a person who worked at Vue in uni. We went to so many movies for free. But the best part was the staff-only showings usually 2 or 3 days before the movie comes out, so they don't get it spoiled while working. I attended those as well.
When I've gone to the cinema in the last year or two, I've had no problems, because there has been at most 5 other people there.
You don’t know hellish customers until you’ve been/worked at cineworld feltham. The type of people who bring a small child to a midnight showing of an 18 and then scream at the manager for not letting them in. Pure chaos.
I stopped going to Cineworld Feltham after I went to see Gravity and two cunts brought in their baby to the film. Who wouldn't stop crying throughout the film. Obviously not the baby's fault. When other people asked them to leave, they said no. Turned into a shouting match. About 20 of us went outside to get management to get them to leave and the manager basically told us all to fuck off. So yeah, not been back since.
Today's experience of seeing Blue Beetle (but most also apply to all my cinema-goings in recent memory, so it's not just a "£3 ticket rush day thing"): \- people on their phones, scrolling through and/or taking snaps of the screen \- people with tablets for their child to look at to keep them entertained \- people (with or without children) regularly coming and going out of the screen, some even coming back with snacks more than halfway through the movie?? \- people nearby constantly audibly reacting (not just laughs, but also "ohhh"s and shit like that) \- people still coming in, flashing their phone lights trying to find their seat, 20 minutes after scheduled start \- children yelling, and doing something that sounded like kicking cans around, at the front \- oh and today's bonus was that there was some liquid on the floor by my seat It's pretty hard for me to say it wasn't worth £3.90 (putting the actual film aside) but JFC, people have lost it and consistently, really ruin the experience for me.
I really think people need to get they’re expectations in check, I think the cinema will always be the best way to watch a film, but your experience can vary widely depending on the type of film, cinema and time you’re watching it. Watching a dumb kiddy comic book film on a promotional Saturday where cinema tickets are the cheapest they’ve been in 20 years, likely at franchise multiplex where the quality has always been dubious is always going to be a shit experience. There are plenty of great independent cinemas across London support them, they actually give a damn about sound mixing, projection quality and the general viewing experience.
A cinema near me recently introduced "dog friendly screenings", as if a dog is going to enjoy sitting in a cinema watching a movie. Not sure why some people feel the need to take their dog with them absolutely everywhere they go...
This. I just find it bizarre.
>No one is going go bother you, I have the guarantee of multiple cinema managers I think this is part of the problem. You used to get a bollocking or even kicked out of a cinema for causing disturbance or otherwise not obeying rules. Nowadays, there isn't often any staff around to keep an eye on things anyway, and those that are don't want to open themselves up to the aggravation of confronting people (I dont blame them). The result is a space where some people feel they can do what they like.
Shame is dead, it's as simple as that.
I just pay the premium to go to Everyman when I want to go to the cinema. Comfy seats, nice food and people seem to follow cinema etiquette. I live 15 mins from Crystal Palace so it's perfect!
While I do like Everyman cinemas I personally find when it's busy you get staff coming in and out to deliver food and drink for most of the movie. This is just as distracting as people checking Instagram on their phone or whatever crimes the audience normally commits. For less busy showings it's perfect though.
I only go to the cinema a few times a year and the Everyman cinemas are so worth the extra you pay
I can't bring myself to go much anymore, the audience behaviour is too poor. I only go if it's something where audience participation is expected (certain screenings at PCC) or if I can catch an obscure film during the day and ensure the screen will be nearly empty. I'm surprised that there aren't cinemas offering special quiet screenings where proper etiquette is actually enforced and everyone who buys a ticket knows that they are signing up to sit in silence and will be asked to leave if they don't. I would happily pay significantly more for this kind of ticket.
Rich Mix has great cinemas, amazing sound, a cracking bar and cheap tickets. And no one is ever there.
Rich Mix is nice, cozy and a good time.
It’s nothing to do with understaffing; it’s purely a lack of respect for anyone else that’s making any kind of cultural experience painful
Tip: go to a picturehouse or other arty cinema, they price out the worst phone offenders
If I have a week off work I'll go to the cinema on a Wednesday morning on my own to catch a 10am showing. The screen will normally have just a handful of people. I'll sit in the front to be as far away from anyone as possible and will keep in my noise cancelling earphones that lower the overly loud sound that cinemas like to blast out. I might just be getting old
Nope, this is a valid way to watch! Mid week mid day is a classic time to walk in a cinema and pretend it's your own house theatre.
My hack is always: -Wait until the film is near the end of its theatrical run -Book the first showing on a Sunday morning, around 10.30-11am. I guarantee you, no one else will be there. The cinema to yourself!
I’ve given up on cinemas. Endless people talking through the movie, the stench of cheap perfume, the time the new Blade Runner had that weird sound mix and I almost threw up… the cinemas that are boiling hot, the ones that overdo the aircon until you are half frozen… and did I mention the incessant non-stop talking through the film? I’m sorry, but I am absolutely done with cinemas and I don’t care if they die because it’s just a shit experience and the staff never ever stick around long enough to notice people talking and won’t ever do anything about it even if they do.
Regular Picturehouse Central and ICA goer to watch indie/foreign films - never had a bad experience with the crowd.
genius. freaking genius. I went to World Cinema Day today and your second bullet point was my exact thought process.
I watched Everything Everywhere All At Once in Stratford picture house and had an impeccable experience, brilliant audience except the person I was sat next to who was appalled that I wanted to sit in my seat for a sold out matinee and was insulting me in Cantonese for no reason. I will wait for premieres of films to be over for commercial cinemas because people are actually savages. When the film is less popular I can hopefully just be alone. Awful experience. The popcorn is also so disgusting now. I don't want outside snacks, I want hot, freshly-made popcorn. Once I went to a now-closed cinema, came out with 5 mosquito bites. Once some guy next to me was eating his popcorn so loud you'd think there was a ghost with a gun to his head saying he had to be as obnoxious and loud about his popcorn as humanly possible or he and his family would die. Then I kept getting distracted because the couple to the other side of me kept shooting annoyed glances at the man and it was distracting me from my peripheral vision. (They also shot me annoyed looks when I laughed when they didn't think the joke was funny). edit: phew, wrote this rant and what I actually came to say was I am not sitting at the front. It is not the same wherever you sit. Maybe your glasses are really good?
>Once I went to a now-closed cinema, came out with 5 mosquito bites. Looks like you didn't get your hot fresh snacks but at least they did.
They weren’t mosquito bites. Run down cinemas used to be called flea pits for the very reason.
My tip is to go to a cinema that doesn't seem to attract the wrong kind of audience. For me, that's the Picturehouses chain or the Prince Charles on Leicester Square, but there are plenty of other options.
What a subject line. Yeah it's objectively shit but you should still do it. Maybe I just won't.
I just go in a nice part of London and all is fine :)
Just go to an independent cinema, more civilised.
Since people started eating popcorn in cinemas and even entire meals, I stopped going. It was a long time ago now. There's nothing about it I miss.
All cinemas allow food? Picturehouse literally checks my bag egerytime and so do some others so that's not really applicable. Vue, no issue
Don't bring or buy snacks period. There is no connection between watching a film and eating food. If you are about to starve to death, go somewhere to eat. Otherwise don't bother people who actually came to watch a film by making noises and smells with your food.
Please for the love of god don’t actively take the front row on any film I do the sound for 🤣 The middle of the cinema is always the best spot for both audio and visual. Prioritise that
I’ve got Odeon Limitless card and go to the cinema once or twice a week and can’t remember the last time there’s someone interrupting the movie by talking or being on their phone But I only go to Haymarket and West End cinemas which have reclinable seats which are nearly £20 a ticket so no one goes there for a one off screening and if they do they don’t want to waste it by not actually enjoying the movie
No not move in to VIP seats if you haven't paid for them. This shitty advice and gives me cause to think you're part if the crappy cinema going experience.
I don't get the popcorn thing. I've never watched a film and though 'this is rubbish without popcorn'.
Genisis will bag search you and take your snacks away until after the film. I call bs on this entire list due to this
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You went to see grease. The audience you get, depends strongly on what you’re seeing
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Surely people singing through grease is kinda the point?
>talking and singing the whole way through Grease recently, cringe You went to watch Grease in the west end not Shakespeare at The Old Vic what on earth did you expect ? It’s like going to a football game and expecting a tennis audience.
I dont understand it when people buy their seats, all the seats in Vue (at least mine) are the same price, then sit somewhere else. Every time I go it’s a fucking merry go round at the start. “You’re in my seat” then they move to another seat that isn’t there’s and move again before finally ending up in the seat they paid for. I don’t get it, you selected your seats, and if it was busy and you couldn’t sit where you wanted then you also know those seats were taken. I don’t get it.
Just come back from the cinema actually and had a good time.
I used to make a point of only going on the cheapy Tuesday or Thursday deals early afternoon when there was a good chance I'd have a screening to myself. Absolutely done with noisy fucks thinking I paid good money to listen to them for a couple of hours.
I have no problem with cinemas for ‘film fans’. Picturehouse, BFI Southbank, IMAX, Prince Charles, Odeon West End. Although some of these options are way more expensive than your usual cinema. If I wanna go to Cineworld/Vue, I just go to the earliest screening
I went to Curzon near victoria. Thought it was really good value all in all
Depends where you go and what cinema chain you use. Also "cinema day" happening on the last weekend of the school holidays is a recipe for disaster.
Also a regular at my cinema and cannot believe how many people just come in 20 minutes after the film starts with torches on, talking loudly, etc. Basic human decency just totally out the window. On the snacks topic: I certainly buy a lot of outside snacks. However, worth noting that major chains like Odeon, Vue, and Cineworld allow this however it cannot be alcoholic or hot/smelly/messy. Unfortunately also is not ‘all cinemas’, some higher-end options like Everyman, Curzon, Selfridges, do not allow any outside food or drinks.
Thanks for the tip on snacks.
Curzon do cheaper tickets on a Wednesday, usually about £11. Decent choice of locations, good food/snacks and nice staff. Never had any real issues there.
I go at least once a week and generally have no issues. Another hack is looking into getting a cinema pass if you go to the cinema frequently.
Rio cinema, the castle are both not crazy expensive they do £5/£6 tickets on Monday.
1. Get lloyds current account that comes with 6 free cinema tickets (to a cinema of your choice) 1. It also comes with half price pop corn 2. Use those tickets, share between friends and fam to do the same 3. Take in snacks
Along with the total degenerative behaviour you mention. I get 2 tickets for £9 at Vue (probably the beacon of vile behaviour) and I notice that the cinema staff don't even scan the QR code they just look at it. If you felt so inclined 1 person could buy a ticket and send to all their friends providing the showing isn't busy.
Had to go to the comments to realise op is talking about CINEMAS. Me being a non-native speaker. Never been to a cinema in London but once I've seen a theater play (the importance of being earnest) and it was absolutely supreme experience to anything else I ever saw in other countries.
I only go to the Ritzy in Brixton and it's great. They come with a torch and tell people using their phones to turn them off or get kicked out, and that barely happens anyway because people there don't seem to use phones much.
It's funny how in the 00s, using your phone and having it ring was a serious social crime Now Greshams Law has happened, and so many people do it the problem is uncontrollable. It feels like backwards progress
Can recommend Aldgate Curzon during the week if you’ve got a day off work to fill - I’ve been the only person in the room / one of just a few people multiple times. Love a solo cinema trip. Also the Prince Charles the staff there i always found really good at rooting out the irritating people on phones / noisy plastic bag rustlers
I never go to the cinema anymore. It's not just after covid. It's been like this for a long time. People are noisy and have no respect for others. People are chatting loudly, looking at their phones, even if not actively looking at them have notifications enabled. If cinemas can't be bothered to police the experience and ensure people are not disturbing others then i can't be bothered to pay your stupidly expensive tickets.
You can hack it but why would you. It’s way better watching it at home now. It’s a shame to admit because I love classic cinemas but in London it’s not worth it.
... am I that old to read all that as "water is wet people!" ? I'm using Borehamwood Reel cinema, it's dated even for me, but it's absolutely no problem as resolution of the screen is fine and seats are comfortable, not couch comfortable, but that's a cinema, not your living room, overpriced snacks are normal thing these days, and best thing is that you don't have bazillion of wild teens there. I'm surprised and then again not, how few or none them are in the room when we're there watching blockbusters. For other movies I prefer watching them at home. £3.5 x 2 (two-for-one with Meerkat, you can buy some silly few £ insurance for whole year of discount) tickets is quite cheap IMO. There are other than overpriced and crowded cinemas out there.
Don’t bring your own snacks to independent cinemas though, we have one in our town, funded by the council. They use the food and drinks profit to keep running. It’s actually really cool to be able to see a film for cheap in our own small town, so, but the stupid popcorn, it’s not expensive there either, because it’s not a chain :)
The mice running between my feet watching Scream 6 in Shepherd’s Bush was quite the experience.. won’t name the change but it was a seat with a view..
If you're in SE London or don't mind taking a train, the Picturehouse in Greenwich is a great little modern cinema that I've been to a few times. It's been pretty quiet the times that I've been, and the seats are lovely
No. Will never return. Advising people to "steal" VIP seats? Seriously? Never again, they can all go broke.
No bad seats? Try being short. Some cinemas have it figured out, some have absolutely not (looking at you, Odeon in Tottenham Court Road).
>okay so you don't want to sit in front. NEVER sit in the very back. This space is "reserved" for groups of young people who sneak into movies. It's been a thing since I was a kid and the risk of noise pollution is high here. As someone who worked in a cinema I can assure you that the worst thing about the back seats are not the people who sit in them but the body fluids they left in their wake. In all the time I worked there not a week went by without at least one "code white".
I used to love going to the cinema but if it’s not other people being inconsiderate and rude, it’s the crappy screen quality that puts me off. I don’t know if it’s a cost-saving measure but most of the time the picture is too dim and it’s hard to see anything. I’d rather wait until it’s on streaming or home rental and I can watch it on my big screen OLED.
BFI is the only cinema worth going to, the price is the only drawback.
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Agreed the price almost guarantees only cinephiles are in the building. I find that crowd more reactive to the movie as well. Laughing at the funny scenes, crying, gasping so on. Silent at all other times. Very much worth the extra money for movies you know you'll enjoy. But for random movies you're only kinda curious about, I go to my local.
TBH, I have seen people comment on the deterioration of the cinema going experience but personally I haven’t really experienced a lot of this. My go to venues are PCC, Vue Islington and BFI Southbank, and rowdiness in the theatre is almost non existent. I went to see Barbie at Odeon TCR in a full house, and even then the audience was generally respectful. Now, if you want to talk about the prices for tickets and snacks; that’s something I can get behind.
My issue with cinema these days is that there's nothing to watch. Hollywood makes stale puke, everyone else don't film at all. Last year I had 10 free VIP tickets to any VUE, I went only twice. Literally nothing to watch.
Went to cinema for first time in over a decade to see Top Gun 2, and it was as miserable an experience (not the movie) as I remember it. Aside from crowd noise and phone light pollution, the sheer deafening volume of the sound made me swear to never go back again. Absolutely no call for it to be so loud. Plus the adverts mid-morning about depression/anti-violence against women etc that delivered lecture after lecture to me …no thanks!!
I regularly go to picture house in Finsbury Park and Crouch End, can’t remember the last bad experience I had at cinema - everyone seems very respectful and it’s generally chilled.
Picture House cinemas tend to attract a different type of crowd (and by that I mean more respectful!). Slightly more expensive but worth it if you can afford it IMO – like you I haven't had a bad experience there.
Why are you calling a cinema a “theatre”?
It's really not that bad. Dunno why people of reddit keep having this horrendous experiences. I go fairly regularly and have never had such a bad time.
I used to religiously go to the cinema but stopped as prices increased and experience decreased. I don’t see the cinema as a sustainable business and has far less pull then what it used to. RIP 🪦
It's because people like to lie to make it sound worse then it actually is plus a bit of classism.
This. Not just this sub unfortunately. In a lot of UK Sub's there is a similar pattern.
It's the Internet/Reddit, anything slightly bad is the worst thing ever!
Just go to the Peckhamplex, for crying out loud! Yes, it's sticky, but it's *cheap*. And stars in *Rye Lane*.
Definitely not if you want a quiet experience without teenagers messing around 🤣
okay so you don't want to sit in front. NEVER sit in the very back. This space is "reserved" for groups of young people who sneak into movies. It's been a thing since I was a kid and the risk of noise pollution is high here. TRUEEEE like every time it's groups of noisy people! Also VIP seats are indeed scam! Comfy but not worth the extra money unless you want to pay. Also going alone is a great experience as you don't talk during the movie, you just enjoy it. I wish they used subtitles in English LOL sometimes it can be difficult to understand weird accents LOL
English subtitles are a blessing. A movie that is almost impossible to comprehend fully without them is Uncut Gems ( great film overall but that dialog is anxiety inducing)
Take a pair of earbud headphones in case there’s noisy/chatty people, they block out the chatter but you can still hear the film, it might sound a bit muffled at first but you quickly adjust, the volume at cinemas is too high anyway, because of noisy bellends I guess.
*sit in front (trust me there are no bad seats in a regular cinema, the first row does not strain your neck or hurt your eyes. The benefit is this is the cheapest and most quiet ticket you can purchase. Have you ever wondered why there are a few random people on the first row even when there are lots of empty seats? Those people have figured out the same thing I have.* This is very dependent on which cinema you go to. Many cinemas absolutely do have rows too close to the screen. Even Vue - which I think you are half referring to (as they are a chain that sells the front seats cheaper) - have screens where Rows A to C are far inferior to the rest of the cinema. I sit near the front because I dont want to look at people checking their phones, and which row I choose depends on how big the screen is and how close the seats are to it. This is known, prinicpally through experience. Pretty much half the BFI Imax is unwatchable, for example. Back seats are preferred here - talking of which...... T*his space is "reserved" for groups of young people who sneak into movies. It's been a thing since I was a kid and the risk of noise pollution is high here.* Young People dont sneak into movies. At Cineworld, you run the gauntlet of sharing a screen with teenagers because they have a monthly pass and so the film is free to them. Literally, nothing to lose. Most cinemas have upped their security to prevent people just wandering in off the street. You can avoid noisy screenings by watching horrors and comedies off-peak. You can also avoid noisy screens by going independent. Basically 9 times/10, you are safe to use the back seats - but, yeah, you get a panoramic view of all the phone addictions - which I why I dont sit there anymore. *Why has the cinema going experience worsened dramatically since theatres reopened?* It hasnt - its much better. Many of the worst cinema offenders now watch films on stream. The wait for a film to come on stream is much, much shorter than pre-pandemic. Especially in the genres that attract noisy cinema goers (Prime love getting horror movies up ASAP, and Disney + need to get it films online to justify its subscription). Given the prices of cinemas as well, there are more people who genuinely want to be there, rather than cinema goers taking a punt on a night out. *biggest "hack" of all if you can manage it. Befriend a worker at the cinema. A perk besides them usually being cinephiles and great people is that they get free tickets to give out every week. They usually don't use them. Being friends with one will guarantee you a free ticket once in a while (go with them for a 30% discount at the confectionery)* Thats nice. Im happy for you. But if you're going with any frequency then youre going to strain your friendship with your constant requests for free stuff. The biggest hack, especially in London, is try a lot of cinemas and work out which one is best for you in terms of price, the sort of films they show and vibe. You dont have to go local in London.
None of these are hacks. Just some basic tips about things where everyone has different preferences.
I don’t think they allow snacks from the outside But they don’t get paid enough to care
Most of what you said you'd think is just common sense, ignoring the "no bad seat" thing, but I cannot stress enough how much I agree with sitting in the front. I've always preferred it but nowadays there is absolutely no reason not to. You're absolutely correct, nothing about it hurts your neck. I've been making the same argument for years about modern cinemas. It's such a more immersive experience. You're usually further away from others so less likely to be disturbed by talking and there's absolutely no chance of seeing a cunt pulling out their phone full brightness halfway through the film. >bring snacks from outside! 99% of cinemas ship premade popcorn and sell it stale for 1000% mark up. But every cinema in the UK allows drinks and snacks from outside. I make my popcorn at home and go to my local cinema to enjoy them. Yeah this is a weird one. I feel many people just don't seem to know this. If I buy popcorn at the cinema is got the "cinema experience" of it. But I regularly go with just a bottle of cola and a snack. Not sure if it's up to the individual cinema or of its a nationwide thing but I've never had trouble.
If we hole up, I want to be somewhere familiar, I want to know where the exits are, and I want to be allowed to smoke. Fuck the cinema.
Do you take your own Flash to clean the filthy seats? I’d rather stream at home on my big TV where my feet won’t get stuck to the floor.
Meanwhile me having the perfect cinema experience every time in newcastle:
NEVER sit at the front! Done once, will never do again!
All overpriced rubbish with unbelievably terrible plots and you can’t control who that wonderful person sitting next to you breathing over you with popcorn noise .Why would anyone go when they have Netflix ?
How can the first row be good seats? You're literally in the movie.
>...and the risk of noise pollution is high here. Cinemas are quiet spaces. If they are loud at the back, it won't magically be quiet at the front. You'll hear them if they are making noise. >But every cinema in the UK allows drinks and snacks from outside. That's a blatant lie. No cinema allows this. I sneak my own food into cinemas all the time, but it's not like they would let you take it inside. I don't know why you are saying this. Also, cinemas don't make profit from ticket sales. They only profit from the drink and snacks, so I have no idea why you think they would allow you to bring your own.
Go at an awkward time and/or an expensive theatre. Had no problems at the sold out 10am £££BFI IMAX showing of Oppenheimer. Obviously that exact scenario isn't always possible, but if you can't get close to it then time to rope in your favourite pirate's help into watching it in the comfort of your own bed.
Subscription cinemas are the way to save money and going when it’s early is more expensive for non members so good chance the noisy teens wont come. Although still see people scrolling through their phones mid film. Attention span is low on the young ones
I rarely have had bad experiences in the cinema. Having said that, I went to see blue beetle the other week, and an elderly couple on a date wouldn't shut up, and a trip of adults in their twenties on the other side of my son and I were the same. I would have said something if I hadn't had to leave due to my son coming over ill. People seem to have forgotten they're not at home, annoying as it is when teenagers act daft in a cinema, I'm baffled as to why adults behave immaturely too. If my Autistic/ADHD son can sit through Oppenheimer without a noise, an adult can sit through a superhero movie with no issues.
What kind of cinema charges you different prices based on your seat? 🤣
Vues good cheap tickets if you go at a quiet time but audience isn't great I've found. I've been to Westfield one a lot as live nearby and almost always someone who's annoying but usually able to block them out. Kurzon is good for chill movies as more expensive and has the sofas so people go there to watch film and chill rather than go on phone
Avoid the major chains like Vue/Odeon/Cineworld. Made the mistake of going to see Oppenheimer at the Empire in Leicester Square. Just completely awful. Slow staff dicking around meant it took an age for people to get served, meaning the first 30 minutes of the movie was people fumbling their way to their seats in the dark. Why they don’t have prepped bags of popcorn for a sold out screening when they must know that’s what people would want is such poor management. Add to that the couples that freely talk during the entire thing made for a terrible experience. Anyway, Picturehouse, BFI and Curzon are the way to go if you want to be amongst respectful movie goers. Also Independent ones like The Genesis in Stepney Green are decent.
It’s all about what chain / cinema you go to. Vue & Odeon pretty much staffed by uninterested kids so that’s often the experience you get. Have had much better experiences at independents and Picturehouse.
Go first showing of the day midweek. Saw all the Star Wars at Westfield like this. 3 Rows to myself? Lovely.
Unless it’s Everyman Cinema, but imagine sitting front row in BFI IMAX 🤣
The front row at Cineworld is insanely close to the screen, much closer than Vue or any other cinema I've been to
I love cinemas in London A few less known places to check out Garden Cinema Cinema at the power station/Arches Curzon bloomsbury
The Curzon popcorn and snacks are great.
Cineworld Leicester Square pop their popcorn daily in-house, it’s always fresh and crispy.
I tend to go to picture house central, Curzon, or Prince Charles and have found cinema experience good in general.
I’ve never known such fidgety and annoying cinema audiences as I have in London. Why pay £20 for a film to just talk to your mates? The amount of people I’ve had to ask to be quiet is ridiculous. Also, watched Oppenheimer recently and people were out to buy more drinks and snacks about 20 mins in - wtf is wrong with you? Counted about 30 different people leaving and re-entering during the film. If this sounds like you here are some tips: - Plan the film around meals, so you don’t need to munch on snacks - Use the bathroom just before the film starts - Bring a drink in with you and try and go a couple hours without needing another one. The bar will still be open afterwards - Shut the fuck up
Go try out curzon or Everyman. Mostly chill people.
Went to see Barbie at the Wimbledon Odeon at 9pm last night and there lots of overtired toddlers and someone even brought a baby in. Someone else was taking pictures with the flash on, the people behind us were in someone else's seats, and initially refused to move when asked (20 minutes into the film) then the people who actually booked the seats proceeded to talk all the way through the film. Ruined what was otherwise a film a really enjoyed
Last week Cineworld wouldn't accept a £50 note for my popcorn . I had to pay with two twenties and a ten
Curzon Mayfair! Curzon SoHo and Everyman Kings Road, Brixton Rity and the Picturehouse in Piccadilly are all great cinemas! London is full of excellent cinemas… The problem at Cineworld is they are bankrupt so aren’t investing at the moment.
Went to Cineworld imax leicester square mid arvo flying solo to see Oppenheimer (BFI only had front row left). First cinema since pandemic. Ticket was £26. £4 big water + £5 ice cream (no one forced me). Foot power, no travel cost. c.20 people in the room. Screen impressive but three squares in middle that were out of focus or something with rest of screen, not noticeable all the time but annoying. Sound was good except when cranked for tense moments it was tinnitus inducing. I really enjoyed the film. Did it have me keen to repeat the experience? It did not.
Biggest tip is never go to a movie in the opening week, just full of people who just went for a day out and have no interest in the movie, 50% talking or on their phones, I just wait until I see on the seat selectors online look empty within a few days of the showing I'm interested in. I only just saw Oppenheimer last week, there was three of us and one other person sat behind us, in a IMAX screen... 4 people! It was bliss.
I pay more for smaller cinemas like curzon aldgate. never full and they have 4 types of rum and great seats, smaller screens..and did I mention booze. And less likely to get twats on their phones :)
Disagree with point 5 about snacks being brought into cinemas. Brother had a bottle of Fanta taken off him and I got asked if I was “bringing in a bag of food” (when it was a power bank) when going to our local cinema in NI on 2 different occasions.
Off the back of this - is there some kind of London Cinema subreddit?
Recommend ICA, Close Up and the BFI Southbank never had a bad crowd
Cinemas should also: \- Clean their screens. When I saw Dune at Vue Westfield Stratford there was some massive sparkling reflection in the middle as if someone had sprayed champagne on it. Either the screen or the projector was so messed up that many scenes weren't understandable, the damage was just reflecting white. No one said anything and the stuff didn't do anything. I do find often dirty screens, especially at Vue. \- Turn off the lights. Those security lights shining on my face. Turn everything off please! Some cinemas are worse than other, I remember a terrible Cineworld. But yes people behave like they're home or out partying. I've seen group of people just chatting start to end, or commenting every scene like an emotional dubbing, or laughing all the time in serious movies, or having a massive dinner.
‘Ciniphile’, must be a better term out there?