Prices have been reduced to £6 for adults, £3.50 for children, seniors and students and £14 for adults, all day every day.
This cinema bears all the hallmarks of an early Cineworld build, with a large, tall foyer with sloped mirrored ceiling in the middle fringed with pink neon, concession counter with popcorn machines raised up in the middle, and wide corridors. There’s an awkwardly placed set of tiny toilets just behind the ticket check, which get overcrowded with people not realising there are larger toilets in the screen corridors.
Screens are a mixture of stadium and non-stadium, all with masking and decent sightlines. Internal signage looks somewhat cheesy by modern standards with screen numbers on backlit stars and toilet signage hinting at aliens or space travel! This theme extends to wall lights in the screens which look a little like toy UFOs.
Curiously the exterior has the current Cineworld logotype, but still features the star from its 1999 opening.
This cinema never seems very busy, and consequently the whole place manages to look a little dated without looking tired – it certainly has the brightest, cleanest version of Cineworld’s purple patterned carpet I’ve seen!
As illustrated in this Instagram post, the foyer lighting feature installed by Virgin in the 90s has been replaced by much more appropriate chandeliers, and the cove lighting appears to have been fixed too. Can’t tell what colour it’s been painted now but seems the white was just undercoat. https://instagram.com/p/BZhoOOEDGbO/
My first visit here since its refurb, and my first experience of 4DX.
Foyer is quite dazzling with its shiny floor and myriad of LED displays, and after I left my film it was really bustling with people including the large Starbucks on the ground floor. The upper floor with its strangely hidden away and soulless bar and access to the old VIP box seating has been closed off.
4DX effects were good fun and certainly suit certain films (Geostorm would have been unbearable awful without them). The screen in this auditorium is large, curved and wall to wall. Picture and 3D was fine during the trailers however once the film started and the screen zoomed to scope, focus was soft, contrast was poor and there was a fair bit of ghosting. Also the very top corners of the screen had a shadow cast on them by the 4DX equipment trusses. Sound was good enough – dialogue from the centre channel sounded harsh during adverts but seemed to improve once the film started.
An attendant sits in the screen throughout the screening, seemingly for safety purposes only.
Customers in the cinema are unsurprisingly confused about the mishmash of signage and branding, particularly with the Impact screen being referred to by Cineworld as Superscreen in marketing, e-tickets and on some temporary signage, and Screen 1 on printed tickets (just yesterday I had to redirect a pair of people who somehow became lost in the corridor to the Superscreen even though it’s the only thing it leads to!).
The next cheapest West End first run ticket I’m aware of is Vue Piccadilly when using their Super Mondays promo, at £4.99 (requires you to get a code from their website first).
Masking also not operational in screens 4 and 9. No idea about 7 and 8, but the bottom masking in 6 worked last time I saw a film in there about a month ago.
Closing on 23 October for refurbishment into ODEON Luxe Haymarket. Very little change externally – panelling under the ODEON lettering to become blue with LUXE lettering on top.
I’m not aware of any plans. Empire’s record with their older acquisitions isn’t brilliant but who knows? Previously UGC had planned to add screens here, and then before Cineworld acquired Picturehouse they had planned for Haymarket to become one of 20 “The Screening Rooms” luxury cinemas. This cinema seems to have been victim of takeovers happening at inopportune times.
It was tripled in 1977, and then had a Virgin refurb in 1997 involving creating a bar in the old circle. 20 years have passed again – what next?
Walked past here today, looked busy due to the BFI London Film Festival (it’s usually deserted). The purple walls in the foyer have been repainted in a cream/magnolia matt paint, with the false columns etc still in their previous yellow and gold. Coupled with the harsh lighting from the now-dilapidated fixture installed by Virgin Cinemas it looks surprisingly stark. Can’t tell if this is a quick fix or the start of something more thorough.
I’m still yet to go to the O2 Superscreen and find out whether the Atmos install fixed the echo issues (I have an Unlimited card and currently there’s no surcharge for Leicester Square’s Superscreen so I’m drawn there!) however I do notice that in early pictures of the O2 Superscreen, the balcony’s back wall, side walls and front are covered in something resembling wooden flooring. This is long since gone/covered over but I wonder who in their right mind thought it was a good idea in the first place?
High prices (especially compared to nearby Dorchester’s Plaza and Odeon cinemas) are being blamed for a decline in the town centre and the closure of the neighbouring bowling alley. http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/yeovil-suffering-because-cineworld-cinema-554663
Prices have been reduced to £6 for adults, £3.50 for children, seniors and students and £14 for adults, all day every day.
This cinema bears all the hallmarks of an early Cineworld build, with a large, tall foyer with sloped mirrored ceiling in the middle fringed with pink neon, concession counter with popcorn machines raised up in the middle, and wide corridors. There’s an awkwardly placed set of tiny toilets just behind the ticket check, which get overcrowded with people not realising there are larger toilets in the screen corridors.
Screens are a mixture of stadium and non-stadium, all with masking and decent sightlines. Internal signage looks somewhat cheesy by modern standards with screen numbers on backlit stars and toilet signage hinting at aliens or space travel! This theme extends to wall lights in the screens which look a little like toy UFOs.
Curiously the exterior has the current Cineworld logotype, but still features the star from its 1999 opening.
This cinema never seems very busy, and consequently the whole place manages to look a little dated without looking tired – it certainly has the brightest, cleanest version of Cineworld’s purple patterned carpet I’ve seen!
Closing on 16 November, according to Cineworld website
Much better https://instagram.com/p/BWDYcwjDOxb/
As illustrated in this Instagram post, the foyer lighting feature installed by Virgin in the 90s has been replaced by much more appropriate chandeliers, and the cove lighting appears to have been fixed too. Can’t tell what colour it’s been painted now but seems the white was just undercoat. https://instagram.com/p/BZhoOOEDGbO/
Yes, it’s perfect for that and the Atmos audio set up is excellent.
Other cheap cinemas in London include Peckhamplex at £4.99 (3D £5.99) any day and time, and Vue Harrow and Wood Green at £5.99 for all 2D screenings.
Pleased to report the masking in Screen 5 is working!
4DX is screen 9 – on the plans it’s the one where all the seats are clustered in fours.
My first visit here since its refurb, and my first experience of 4DX.
Foyer is quite dazzling with its shiny floor and myriad of LED displays, and after I left my film it was really bustling with people including the large Starbucks on the ground floor. The upper floor with its strangely hidden away and soulless bar and access to the old VIP box seating has been closed off.
4DX effects were good fun and certainly suit certain films (Geostorm would have been unbearable awful without them). The screen in this auditorium is large, curved and wall to wall. Picture and 3D was fine during the trailers however once the film started and the screen zoomed to scope, focus was soft, contrast was poor and there was a fair bit of ghosting. Also the very top corners of the screen had a shadow cast on them by the 4DX equipment trusses. Sound was good enough – dialogue from the centre channel sounded harsh during adverts but seemed to improve once the film started.
An attendant sits in the screen throughout the screening, seemingly for safety purposes only.
Customers in the cinema are unsurprisingly confused about the mishmash of signage and branding, particularly with the Impact screen being referred to by Cineworld as Superscreen in marketing, e-tickets and on some temporary signage, and Screen 1 on printed tickets (just yesterday I had to redirect a pair of people who somehow became lost in the corridor to the Superscreen even though it’s the only thing it leads to!).
The next cheapest West End first run ticket I’m aware of is Vue Piccadilly when using their Super Mondays promo, at £4.99 (requires you to get a code from their website first).
Masking also not operational in screens 4 and 9. No idea about 7 and 8, but the bottom masking in 6 worked last time I saw a film in there about a month ago.
Now closed for refurbishment, reopening December.
Stage performance of Brief Encounter returns from March 2018 https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Emma-Rice-to-Bring-BRIEF-ENCOUNTER-to-UK-20171019
Closing on 23 October for refurbishment into ODEON Luxe Haymarket. Very little change externally – panelling under the ODEON lettering to become blue with LUXE lettering on top.
Ticket prices reduced to £2.90 (Superscreen £3.90m 4DX £7.90). Price war with Vue?
I’m not aware of any plans. Empire’s record with their older acquisitions isn’t brilliant but who knows? Previously UGC had planned to add screens here, and then before Cineworld acquired Picturehouse they had planned for Haymarket to become one of 20 “The Screening Rooms” luxury cinemas. This cinema seems to have been victim of takeovers happening at inopportune times.
It was tripled in 1977, and then had a Virgin refurb in 1997 involving creating a bar in the old circle. 20 years have passed again – what next?
Ah this is just plans of the cinema for their alcohol licence. They’re actually from the 1997 Virgin Cinemas refurb!
PhilipWW: I can’t find any planning applications. Do you have the reference number?
The Plaza is doing a roaring trade, often selling out screens to loyal customers from Dorchester and the surrounding towns.
Now doing £4.95 tickets on Tuesdays – cheapest cinema in the West End?
Walked past here today, looked busy due to the BFI London Film Festival (it’s usually deserted). The purple walls in the foyer have been repainted in a cream/magnolia matt paint, with the false columns etc still in their previous yellow and gold. Coupled with the harsh lighting from the now-dilapidated fixture installed by Virgin Cinemas it looks surprisingly stark. Can’t tell if this is a quick fix or the start of something more thorough.
I’m still yet to go to the O2 Superscreen and find out whether the Atmos install fixed the echo issues (I have an Unlimited card and currently there’s no surcharge for Leicester Square’s Superscreen so I’m drawn there!) however I do notice that in early pictures of the O2 Superscreen, the balcony’s back wall, side walls and front are covered in something resembling wooden flooring. This is long since gone/covered over but I wonder who in their right mind thought it was a good idea in the first place?
High prices (especially compared to nearby Dorchester’s Plaza and Odeon cinemas) are being blamed for a decline in the town centre and the closure of the neighbouring bowling alley. http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/yeovil-suffering-because-cineworld-cinema-554663
Ah looks like I missed out the fact I was referring to its nearest Cineworld neighbour, West India Quay.