This is what I find aggravating about the Odeon's 'Luxe' mini-chain. It's literally just the USP of Being A Cinema presented as some kind of add-on when it's the whole of the thing.
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They are starting to get quite worn now, six or seven years after the Luxe refit - I get the impression that Odeon aren’t putting as much money into maintenance as perhaps they should.
There are times I’d *consider* paying that - e.g. director Q&A, IMAX, 70mm, etc. - but for the privilege of the cinema being the same standard as others are as a matter of course? Yeah, nah.
Cinema is expensive for what it offers, and that's before you get to the insane markup on food and drink. Besides anything you want to see is available to stream, often for free or much less within a few weeks.
Again: it’s just a damning indictment on most picturehouses and some films that you think this, but no, the difference between, e.g. Bardo at a good cinema and at home is not expensive for a fiver!
Here's the thing - I don't begrudge paying much higher prices than that for theatre, live music or similar because you can't recreate a facsimile of that experience at home - but you can for film, even with a cheapish surround sound system and 50" telly. Film feels like it shouldn't be an expense.
My cinema membership costs £25 a month, I see a film a week, even assuming I don’t use my tokens for a plus one I am getting away with just a fiver. I think I paid maybe £3 for Poor Things all things considered.
Peckhamplex FTW. You couldn’t describe it as fancy, but they’re friendly staff, all local, and every movie is a fiver. Adore the place. Bit of a London jewel.
I go back and forth on whether it’s just me being snobby - e.g. I currently have a ticket to see The Matrix on 35mm in its original colour grade - but ultimately I agree: the cinema experience, as it should be, is substantially better than even the best at home experience.
And I think it holds true for e.g. documentary and cosy arthouse movies as much as it does blockbusters.
The flipside is when you get a duff sound system or a rude audience, e.g. the young lady I had to ask to stop Googling the events on which Ferrari was based *during* Ferrari.
Honestly the problem with film is often that its too cheap. A lot of cinemas, particularly ones focused on adults, would do well to increase ticket prices both to scare off troublemakers and invest more in making the experience more pleasant/premium
completely disagree. my relationship with the cinema has changed now that I live near one that's cheap, that I can go to without considering whether it's "really worth it". sometimes there are annoying kids! but that's what happens when you step out the house into an environment you don't control.
Agree, I basically wouldn't go if I couldn't pop to the vue for cheap. And it's always packed! But I suspect the economics only make sense because it's in a shopping centre.
I think there's a balance but I think there's a need to establish going to a cinema as a prestigious experience because for most people it cannot win on cost alone. Now you can mix and match delivery models (i.e. cheap cinema screens in kids playhouses), and reward power uses with subscriptions BUT
fundamentally cinema cannot but be a premium product. The cinema tickets could be free but its still going to be more expensive for me and the kids to go to the cinema than watch at home because of the travel/food costs involved
You may be right on the price point (but please, my poor wallet, she is very sick), though I feel like there are entire chains (Picturehouse, Everyman) and lines (Luxe) that purport to offer a more ‘plush’ experience - and the standard as a whole has risen beneath them. *
I'm not a big cinephile (it's books, games & music for me), but my partner getting an Everyman membership, and with that free tickets/bring a friend for free on Mondays, has been a revelation, and seen us watch way more films than we would otherwise.
A fiver? Our nearest arts cinema charges upwards of £13 per person! It's also 45 mins by car away and it would cost at least £10 on top of that for parking.
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Though admission was only 3/6d, or 5s for the balcony.
The flipside is when you get a duff sound system or a rude audience, e.g. the young lady I had to ask to stop Googling the events on which Ferrari was based *during* Ferrari.
Also, sometimes we get a cinema to ourselves!