[Inkblot]

Yesterday evening, met my OH after work to see a film at the local Vue in Westfield. We wanted to see Flight, which was at 8pm.

Tickets were £19 per person.

This was in the "Scene" auditorium, which is basically all-VIP seating. But £19? And it's £16.25 for a 3D film in VIP seats in a normal auditorium, and £14 for a 2D film in standard seats in the "Xtreme" auditorium.

I don't normally agree that cinema prices are too high but this is madness. It's not because this is that London, because only a couple of miles away in Notting Hill Gate prices are £7.50 (Coronet, nice cinema) or £12.50 (Gate, very nice cinema). We decided to see a different film and found one at £11, and the screen only had two other people in it. Maybe Vue are loading prices so that the most popular films cost more - but is £19 a fair price for a cinema ticket these days?

[fmradiotuner1]

Surprised its still in business with prices like that?
I would much rather buy a Blu Ray which you get to keep and can watch when ever you like.

[Inkblot]

Originally Posted by fmradiotuner1

Surprised its still in business with prices like that?
I would much rather buy a Blu Ray which you get to keep and can watch when ever you like.

I much prefer the cinema. I can't fit anything bigger than a 32" TV in my living room and there's no room for home cinema speakers, so seeing a film on a huge screen in good quality surround sound is a big draw for me. But not at £19 a ticket.

[nh3com]

is it not all u can eat and drink? starve for a week and fill your boots my son!

[Jack.Dawson.]

Vue are terrible, the constant checks they do during the movie winds me up as well. Do you have a Cineworld nearby? They are good value if you go to one that offers the 'Bargain Tuesday' and with online booking you get a further 10% off. You can see a movie in the evening for under £6, which I think is quite decent nowadays.

Picture houses are also very good, there's one in Stratford that offers under £7 tickets on weekday evenings.

[-GONZO-]

I'm glad we've still got our local independent cinemas since Vue arrived where I live.
There's a 3 screen cinema which we always went to before Vue and recently they've just changed their prices to a rather awesome £2.50 Mon-Fri, £3.50 Sat & Sun.
http://www.westgatecinema.co.uk/

[SXTony]

What is the "scene" auditorium?

[bvmjain]

The 'scene' auditorium:

"Large luxurious reclining seats, a private bar, concierge and cloakroom service"

It's about the cinema trying to add value to the cinema experience- mainly aimed at couples on an anniversary or special night out, as opposed to a regular cinema goer.

You can get the same sort of experience at hotels in central London where they show films in their small luxury screening rooms- and link in a drinks / and or dinner package for around £30-£50 per person.

e.g the new W hotel in Leicester Square

www.wlondon.co.uk/forms/film-club

[Jenbonjovi]

That sounds rubbish! If I drank alcohol in the cinema i'd be up and down to the loo constantly, even more so than when I just have a slush puppy.

[Inkblot]

Originally Posted by nh3com

is it not all u can eat and drink? starve for a week and fill your boots my son!

No, the drinks and snacks are extra and they're premium drinks and snacks so you can have bottled beers etc - but at a price.

Originally Posted by Jack.Dawson.

Vue are terrible, the constant checks they do during the movie winds me up as well.

Aaagh! We were in the smallest auditorium in the cinema, with only two other people, and a member of staff kept coming in and having a look at what was going on (ie four people watching a film). Every time he did it, he banged the door on the way in and the way out.

Also, in case anyone hasn't seen one of the Scene sections, it's a multiplex-within-a-multipex. It has a separate lounge area with sofas and tables, separate toilets, and a bar/snacks counter. But the screens are then down a corridor off the lounge area, so you can't just buy a drink or pop to the toilet without walking out of the screen and back down the corridor to the lounge. Above all, it's just not worth £8 more than a similarly-sized standard screen.

[Delboy219]

Originally Posted by Jenbonjovi

That sounds rubbish! If I drank alcohol in the cinema i'd be up and down to the loo constantly, even more so than when I just have a slush puppy.

That's me that is, i could have a sip of juice, and within mins i'm bursting.

I went to a BBC symphony orchestra concert a few weeks ago, and got caught short. On the radio there was a wait to begin the second half...that was ME running back to my seat with a red face.

[Theo_Bear]

Originally Posted by Delboy219

That's me that is, i could have a sip of juice, and within mins i'm bursting.

I went to a BBC symphony orchestra concert a few weeks ago, and got caught short. On the radio there was a wait to begin the second half...that was ME running back to my seat with a red face.

And hence forth, Delboy's Peckham shall be known as his little Rodney, while Delboy himself will be referred to as you plonker.

Trotter's Independent Tiddling

[Delboy219]

Perfect.

[TardisSteve]

i went to Vue in westfield stratford with my girlfriend to see Monsters Inc in 3D, cost us £13.75 each, for a 3d film in the startford picturehoiuse it cost way less, the only reason we didn't go there was because they wasn't showing it

have decided if it isn't on at any of the local Picturehouse cinemas i wil have to wait for the DVD, never want to step foot in another Vue cinema ever again, i prefer the picturehouse cinemas

http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/

[degsyhufc]

I don't even like shelling out £8 for a ticket. I definately don't buy and food or drink.

Last time we went it was to see Skyfall. It was a couple of weeks after the release and IIRC a wednesday night.

The cinema was pretty much empty so we moved ourselves to the VIP seats.

[Andy Birkenhead]

Originally Posted by Jack.Dawson.

Vue are terrible, the constant checks they do during the movie winds me up as well. .

What 'constant checks' ?
The last film I went to the cinema to see was "Ghost" :-)

[Inspiration]

£19!???! Were they wearing masks? It's not even a good film!

[Gort]

Originally Posted by Andy Birkenhead

What 'constant checks' ?
The last film I went to the cinema to see was "Ghost" :-)

For that price, I hope the constant checks are to ensure idiots aren't messing about with their phones, talking and other annoyances that can occur at cinemas during films.

[DANCE OF DEATH]

I recently treated my youngest son to the cinema. For VIP seats it cost us £15 each, but that also included a large popcorn and a large drink each. We were the only two in the VIP seats and really enjoyed it. Didn't have to put up with kids screaming or getting up during the film.

[pete137]

And the industry wonder why people download !

The last time I went to the cinema was 1999 !

[abigail1234]

Originally Posted by Inkblot

I much prefer the cinema. I can't fit anything bigger than a 32" TV in my living room and there's no room for home cinema speakers, so seeing a film on a huge screen in good quality surround sound is a big draw for me. But not at £19 a ticket.

It's the same for me - I love the cinema. I have to go to a Vue cinema and love it but haven't yet had to pay those prices! I'm going to see Hitchcock tomorrow - but a matinee screening

[Rowan Hedge]

Originally Posted by degsyhufc

I don't even like shelling out £8 for a ticket. I definately don't buy and food or drink.

Last time we went it was to see Skyfall. It was a couple of weeks after the release and IIRC a wednesday night.

The cinema was pretty much empty so we moved ourselves to the VIP seats.

We never attend the cinema now, waiting for Skyfall to become available on BT Vision and the most it will cost is £6, the cinema is far too pricey ticket wise.

As for Flight, saw a bootleg copy and it was boring.

[Jack.Dawson.]

Originally Posted by Andy Birkenhead

What 'constant checks' ?

In Vue they have a member of staff that comes into the film at random intervals to check that nobody is recording the movie illegally. The problem is, they are over cautious and come in every 20 minutes or so which can be extremely annoying as they aren't always quiet. What makes things even worse is they use these night vision goggles and you can sometimes see the light shining from it directly into your line of vision. They take ages standing at the end of each row looking at each patron too! There was an article about it a while back.

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2009/08/07/8179-1550/

[fhs man 2]

Originally Posted by fmradiotuner1

Surprised its still in business with prices like that?
I would much rather buy a Blu Ray which you get to keep and can watch when ever you like.

It is only that high in London. Everywhere else is cheaper.

[Fio Montoya]

I love the Vue. In my town we have a Screen. Two screens, no gradient in the seating so that you can almost always guarantee you will spend the entire film craning your neck to see anything if you're short like me, not if you're tall with fuzzy hair like the person who always sits in front of me. People lately have been complaining that the place is freezing cold, though I haven't experienced that, but maybe it's because I no longer watch movies there.

Beacuse far worse than any of the above, is the Screen's innate snobbery regarding films. Years ago I remember there was a Pokemon movie coming which my son was desperate to see. They didn't show it, At all. In the summer holidays. When I complained, I was told they were running Garfield. For six weeks, take it or leave it, basically. And this goes on with all sorts of films, all the time. I prefer to make the choice, not have it made for me.

Then a Vue opened 8 miles away. My god it was heaven!!! Proper gradients, so the person in front of me is lower than me!!! I can see!! The seats have cupholders which might not sound all that amazing, but it does get tiring scrabbling around the floor in the dark for your cup at a Screen. The seats are also VERY comfortable. The whole movie experience is so much better than what I've been used to that it's worth spending the extra money to get there.