A Grand Day Out At The Cinema
Last week Twitter was awash with debate about what would make more people go to the cinemas over staying home. For a while I had been pondering a post about similar things so I went back to it and did a little mash-up of the two.
I don't know anyone that's perfectly happy with anything, so when asked the question there were a lot of different suggestions, some that clearly showed that people don't understand the differences between cinemas and movie studios, but some showed some promise.
Let's just work with the idea that I don't already go to the cinema a lot... yes yes, stop laughing. I know I go a lot, but let's face it, I could go more!
The main things that would make me go more have very little to do with the actual cinemas themselves and more to do with the people that frequent them. I'll happily include myself in that group, I find myself frustrating so I'm sure other people do too.
In general just a more considerate atmosphere would be appreciated:
I don't know anyone that's perfectly happy with anything, so when asked the question there were a lot of different suggestions, some that clearly showed that people don't understand the differences between cinemas and movie studios, but some showed some promise.
What the community wants
There were some definite points of agreement:
Prices
A ticket to the movies is not cheap. Prices have gone up since I moved here, and are significantly higher than the £2.70 I remember paying when I was going in my youth. (Jeez how old am I, right?!)
I had a look around.
- Everyman £13.80
- Showcase £11.30
- Cineworld £10.90 (£17.90 per month Unlimited membership, 12 months)
- Watershed £10
- Odeon £5.75 (£17.99 per month Limitless membership, 12 months)
- Orpheus £5.75
- Vue £4.99, £3.99 on Mondays
These were the prices for after work showings of Ant-man & The Wasp for a single adult ticket.
Everyman and Watershed are boutique/specialist I guess you'd say. Showcase is in the dead centre of Cabot Circus (there's also one just out to the south on a shopping estate), it's plush but tickets are overly complex. My Cineworld is rather inferior compared to the Showcase but it has the bonus of being slightly out of town. The Odeon is in the centre in Broadmead, blink and you'd miss it. I'm still never entirely sure it's ever open. Orpheus is a new one on me, a little three screen cinema out in North Bristol. Vue in Longwell Green is the cheapest, and probably the nicest out of the ones I've been in. The only drawback is that it's a long way out off the Bath Road which can be a nightmare. It does make a good back-up though if there's something missing on Cineworld's repertoire.
Next was the price of concessions. I can't be mad at the cinemas for this one. Munchies are how they make their money to pay their staff. Yes prices are high, but you're allowed to bring your own food and drink. They've given you an out on this one and you can't blame them if you don't take it. If you're yelling at cinemas for that you should probably yell at bars and restaurants for doing the same thing. So why not lay off them and just pop to Poundland or a supermarket before you go? I think the only restrictions are no alcohol and no hot food that's not sold by the theatre, but they all have it listed on their websites.
More staff
This was also a popular choice, and wouldn't we love not to stand in those queues! But if you don't want to pay concession prices then you're out of luck.
Less adverts
There was a lot of grumbling about shows not starting at the time advertised. Cineworld do 25 minutes of adverts and trailers as standard, it's easy to plan for that so I don't see a problem with it. I do get bored of them though. But it's yet another way that they make money so *shrugs* How about you just shuffle them together? Advert, trailer, advert, trailer? Save our sanity a bit.
While we're on that topic... why am I watching ads for Unlimited when I'm in an Unlimited Screening? We watch them so often, just let us have these few shows off!
What would make me go more?
Let's just work with the idea that I don't already go to the cinema a lot... yes yes, stop laughing. I know I go a lot, but let's face it, I could go more!
The main things that would make me go more have very little to do with the actual cinemas themselves and more to do with the people that frequent them. I'll happily include myself in that group, I find myself frustrating so I'm sure other people do too.
In general just a more considerate atmosphere would be appreciated:
- Occasionally I do want to enjoy the trailers. Sometimes it's the first time I'm seeing them and not the 100th. On those occasions it would be nice to not listen to you at full volume over them.
- Open your drinks before the film. Cans are noisy! And surely opening a bottle of fizz when you can see what you're doing so you don't spray it on yourself, or others, is preferable.
- I applaud you for bringing your own food, it's a bargain and I do it too. But when you're bringing plastic bags full of the noisiest packets known to man I can't help but wonder what possessed you to pick up that family pack of mini scotch eggs instead of a more traditional cinema delicacy.
- Mobile phones. If you want to use it while in the cinema, fine. I use mine throughout the adverts and then it comes back out to respond to things during the trailers. After that it'll stay tucked away. The only time it's acceptable to get that phone back out during the movie is if you're the only one in there or you're behind everyone else in the screen, out of their peripheral vision and won't bother anyone.
- If you're going to chew at a decibel that's not normally heard in nature, at least have the decency to stop chewing during the quiet bits.
Of course there's always a dream list of things you'd like to change:
Show all the films
There's nothing more irritating than seeing a trailer for something and then on release day it's nowhere to be seen. Admittedly I might be in the minority here but I'll happily watch anything that comes out. My cinema has 14 screens, why can't one of those screens on a quiet night be turned over to showing them?
Adult only/18+ screenings of children's films
Lots of people complain about kids at the cinema, but in my experience it's usually the teens and parents that cause the most disruptions. The real reason I want these screenings though is to get show times later in the day.
Checking the beginning of movies
You shouldn't be asking paying customers to leave a screen to tell you the film isn't playing right, specifically 3D screenings. More than once I've had to rush outside to tell a member of staff that it "isn't working". You know exactly when the film will start, that minute or so checking it is great customer service.
Comfier seats
The seating in the Crawley Cineworld makes it feel like you're sitting on clouds, it's glorious. All in all I can't really complain about the flip seats in my one after spending years sitting on wooden flip seats with barely any padding.
No admittance after the film has started
I know I'm hideous for suggesting it, but so much can happen in those first five minutes. Not only are you potentially wasting your own time watching the film, but you're disturbing someone else who turned up for the beginning.
Timers on the credits
In a world where credit scenes are popular I would like films to have countdown timers telling you how long to wait until they appear. After drinking a large cup of concession pop I'm usually thinking about rushing off to the loo... it's nice to know if I can make it there and back or not!!
Intervals
I miss them so much. People selling ice creams and bottled drinks from a wooden tray at the front of the screen! Plus, if they brought the interval back I wouldn't go missing something from running off to the loo!
Allocated seating police
If there's allocated seating then police it, otherwise you're making customers look like arseholes because other customers were in fact the arseholes.
4DX
I would love to experience this, but can't. How about some stationary seats for those of us with motion sickness?
Lights
Leave the lights on during the adverts and trailers, then put them down for the film. That way I can sit and write or read until the last minute, and no one has to faff with their phone's flashlight to find their seat. Or, on that last note, have lit letters on the stairs next to the row as some of the other Cineworlds do.
Recycling
Most places do this now, recycling stations outside the screens.
Water
You can ask for water from the counter but you only get a small cup. Why not have a water fountain that people can fill their bottles from? I'd have it on one end of the counter, and probably higher than kids can reach after seeing what they're like when it comes to dispensers.
Better insulation
I don't want to hear the blockbuster action sequences from next door while I'm sitting in a quiet thought provoking film.
Better maintenance
I've fixed seats I've been sitting in before. I've had to move because seats were broken beyond my ability to repair. I'm sure it wouldn't cost a lot to have local handymen come and fix basic things if there's no technician running about to fix something.
Pipe dreams, I know. But a girl can dream.
Happy watching.
Happy watching.
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