[JCR]

Clapham Picturehouse
Gate Notting Hill
Greenwich Picturehouse
Hackney Picturehouse
Brixton Ritzy
Stratford East Picturehouse
Aberdeen Belmont
Bath Little Theatre Cinema
Brighton Duke of Yorks
Brighton Duke's At Komedia
Bury St Edmunds Abbeygate
Cambridge Arts
Edinburgh Cameo
Exeter Picturehouse
Henley-on-Thames Regal
Liverpool Picturehouse at FACT
Norwich Cinema City
Oxford Phoenix
Southampton Harbour Lights
Stratford-Upon-Avon Picturehouse
York City Screen

Now all owned by Cineworld. Nothing will change, they say: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/businessasusual

**cries**

[Matt D]

I saw this yesterday

I love the Cambridge Picturehouse...I hope they stick to their promise to not mess it up...

[NickClapper]

Have to say that it doesn't really worry me, although some of the comments that I've heard about the transaction have been very irritating.

Here's a rebuttal that I wrote: http://www.theclapperbored.com/2012/...tmas-shopping/

Long story short, I don't think it's too much to be concerned about.

[theonlyweeman]

Hopefully this will see Cineworld start to show a few more indie films. I have no problem with the multiplex experience, but I am a bit pissed that I moved recently and nowhere near me shows any of the indie movies I want to see

[Inkblot]

The Gate is my local Picturehouse. Always been a lovely cinema but technically unimpressive. Curiously it's recently had the sound system souped up and now has first-rate picture and sound quality. I haven't set foot in Hammersmith Cineworld for five years because it was so horrible, with broken seats and cheap and nasty speakers.

So I can imagine Cineworld has just gained thousands of new customers in my area alone. And the Picturehouse M.O. of selling good quality snacks and upmarket drinks - wine by the bottle, for example - has got to be the way forward for cinemas to maximise their revenue.

[theonlyweeman]

Originally Posted by Inkblot

The Gate is my local Picturehouse. Always been a lovely cinema but technically unimpressive. Curiously it's recently had the sound system souped up and now has first-rate picture and sound quality. I haven't set foot in Hammersmith Cineworld for five years because it was so horrible, with broken seats and cheap and nasty speakers.

So I can imagine Cineworld has just gained thousands of new customers in my area alone. And the Picturehouse M.O. of selling good quality snacks and upmarket drinks - wine by the bottle, for example - has got to be the way forward for cinemas to maximise their revenue.

I don't get all the Cineworld hate (from other places as well as this), I've never had a broken seat at Cineworld, and the speakers have always been brilliant, maybe it's a few branches ?

[Ads]

Have been to the Brixton Ritzy a few times and it wasn't that well maintained - a few of the seats were dodgy for example. It was not cheaper than Cineworld either. A lot of the movies they show there are pretty commercial as well.

So am not sure too much will change. I don't think Cineworld are that bad, their worse point is their horrendous prices for food and drink.

[James2001]

Originally Posted by Ads

their worse point is their horrendous prices for food and drink.

That's the same for any cinema chain unfortuantly. It's how they make their money!

[cunningham1471]

Hopefully this means the former Greenwich Picturehouse will be cheaper. I look at it a few times as they seem to have a few fims that Cineworld and the Odeon aren't showing but I won't pay their prices.

[Fizzbin]

Will this mean the Cineworld Unlimited card could be used at the Picturehouses?

[darkjedimaster]

Originally Posted by Fizzbin

Will this mean the Cineworld Unlimited card could be used at the Picturehouses?

It sates in the link that it wouldn't be allowed to be used.

[Inkblot]

Originally Posted by theonlyweeman

I don't get all the Cineworld hate (from other places as well as this), I've never had a broken seat at Cineworld, and the speakers have always been brilliant, maybe it's a few branches ?

Here's the Hammersmith Cineworld: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3773

That site has some photos over the years - it's possible it's been smartened up a bit since I last went but really, it was a dump in 2007. In fact when Al Murray presented the 5 Live film show earlier this year he mentioned he'd just seen a film in "a fleapit in Hammersmith", which is that very cinema.

The Cineworld opened in 1936 (as the Regal), so it's 25 years younger than the Gate, but it has none of the older cinema's charm. I suspect it'll be bulldozed fairly soon, which would be a shame as it would leave the soulless Vues in Shepherds Bush and Acton as the only first-run cinemas in this part of London.

[Zapomatic]

Originally Posted by Inkblot

Here's the Hammersmith Cineworld: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3773

That site has some photos over the years - it's possible it's been smartened up a bit since I last went but really, it was a dump in 2007. In fact when Al Murray presented the 5 Live film show earlier this year he mentioned he'd just seen a film in "a fleapit in Hammersmith", which is that very cinema.

The Cineworld opened in 1936 (as the Regal), so it's 25 years younger than the Gate, but it has none of the older cinema's charm. I suspect it'll be bulldozed fairly soon, which would be a shame as it would leave the soulless Vues in Shepherds Bush and Acton as the only first-run cinemas in this part of London.

I guess Cineworld Fulham Road and Cineworld Chelsea aren't too far from Hammersmith either?

[Zapomatic]

Originally Posted by Inkblot

The Gate is my local Picturehouse. Always been a lovely cinema but technically unimpressive. Curiously it's recently had the sound system souped up and now has first-rate picture and sound quality. I haven't set foot in Hammersmith Cineworld for five years because it was so horrible, with broken seats and cheap and nasty speakers.

So I can imagine Cineworld has just gained thousands of new customers in my area alone. And the Picturehouse M.O. of selling good quality snacks and upmarket drinks - wine by the bottle, for example - has got to be the way forward for cinemas to maximise their revenue.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody19...n/photostream/ - love the holes in the ceiling and the bin liners over the seats!

[Inkblot]

Originally Posted by Zapomatic

I guess Cineworld Fulham Road and Cineworld Chelsea aren't too far from Hammersmith either?

In distance terms they're very close. In terms of convenience the Odeons in Richmond or Kensington would be easier to get to and they're pleasant enough cinemas. And there are plenty of screens in the local Vues - they're just not very congenial venues.

[theonlyweeman]

The Cineworld in Nottingham has always been good, and the staff efficient and helpful, but that branch does not look or sound nice?

[CLL Dodge]

Which ones will close first?

[James2001]

Originally Posted by theonlyweeman

The Cineworld in Nottingham has always been good, and the staff efficient and helpful, but that branch does not look or sound nice?

The one in Nottingham's quite new though, whereas the Hammersmith one looks quite old and run down.

[mwardy]

Originally Posted by James2001

The one in Nottingham's quite new though, whereas the Hammersmith one looks quite old and run down.

That's right. And given that they have just installed a digital IMAX screen which will open with The Hobbit (yay!) I can't see it closing any time soon!

[rfonzo]

The Picturehouse at the Duke of Yorks in Brighton needs to be revamped and could do with a few more films being shown there. I went to see the Blair Witch Project at that cinema.

[Jonwo]

The Cineworld in Hammersmith is run down but it one of the few non multiplex cinemas Cineworld own. I quite like the one on Haymarket which is three screens but very pleasant and its shows mostly indie and foreign films.

[rfonzo]

The Duke of Yorks in Brighton has always shown independent films it also show iconic and film noir movies such as 'Brighton Rock' and 'The Third Man.'

[Sesay2000]

Originally Posted by Inkblot

The Gate is my local Picturehouse. Always been a lovely cinema but technically unimpressive. Curiously it's recently had the sound system souped up and now has first-rate picture and sound quality. I haven't set foot in Hammersmith Cineworld for five years because it was so horrible, with broken seats and cheap and nasty speakers.

So I can imagine Cineworld has just gained thousands of new customers in my area alone. And the Picturehouse M.O. of selling good quality snacks and upmarket drinks - wine by the bottle, for example - has got to be the way forward for cinemas to maximise their revenue.

Originally Posted by Inkblot

Here's the Hammersmith Cineworld: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3773

That site has some photos over the years - it's possible it's been smartened up a bit since I last went but really, it was a dump in 2007. In fact when Al Murray presented the 5 Live film show earlier this year he mentioned he'd just seen a film in "a fleapit in Hammersmith", which is that very cinema.

The Cineworld opened in 1936 (as the Regal), so it's 25 years younger than the Gate, but it has none of the older cinema's charm. I suspect it'll be bulldozed fairly soon, which would be a shame as it would leave the soulless Vues in Shepherds Bush and Acton as the only first-run cinemas in this part of London.

It was still a craphole when I went to see The Lion King there last year. Plus they used a damaged film print rather than the digital version it was supposed to be. I was pretty ****** off and that was on top of the entire place being a horrible fleapit. Closing it would probably put it out of it's misery unless they can convert it back to its former glory.

So glad I'm only a short bus ride away from Wandsworth now.

I would love to see the Vue let go of one of their cinemas in Shepherds Bush and give it to Cineworld.

[SHANK0055]

Kermode discussing it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermo..._reaction.html

[thomasDrooney]

Originally Posted by James2001

The one in Nottingham's quite new though, whereas the Hammersmith one looks quite old and run down.

Hammersmith isn't as much of a sh*thole as it used to be - being a regular visitor of it, it's made a big improvement & they clearly want it to stay (it became all digital in July of this year) although the sound in Screen 2 is quite tinny and there is still the odd broken seat dotted around so they need to fix that too