Cut! Glasgow Cinema Review..

Cannot believe that is it, I have reviewed four of Glasgow's cinema's, it's had its high points (popcorn and good movies) and its low points (ticket prices - I am a student after all).  However overall it's been really enjoyable and worthwhile...

I started off by reviewing Cineworld, the only cinema I had ever been to before in Glasgow thinking it was all you needed from a Cinema experience. But I have now realised that the cinema experience is far better going somewhere that has a little bit of character and personality, and Glasgow has a couple of places that offer this - for example the GFT is also close to the shops and it would probably work out to be cheaper.  However, the Cineworld in Glasgow is unlike any other with its glass lift it would definitely be the one I would recommend to tourists - two experiences for the price of one - and it is also probably still is the most convenient.

Before I started this blog I guess I was expecting to like the Grosvenor the best as it is in one of my favourite locations in Glasgow.  On the other hand I guess was expecting to like the GFT the least.  Since prior to my first year at university I hadn't heard of it before and if it weren't for this blog I probably would never even have checked it out.  While I was probably expecting Cineworld and Empire to come somewhere between the two.

Here is my order of preference from the places I went to see:

1. The Glasgow Film Theatre

• I know I totally wasn't expecting this either.  To be honest it has been a tossup between this and the Grosvenor, this one completely took me by surprise.  From location to staff to drinks to the atmosphere in the theatre was just amazing.  However, what won it for me had to be that Art Deco - It was just the most unexpected experience ever.

2. The Grosvenor

• Again fabulous character and experience - The location wasn't too bad either.  However, I guess the reason I preferred the GFT more was because I expected this one to be amazing

3. Cineworld

•  Purely because although the whole chain, "manufactured" experience annoys me.  This unlike every other Cineworld that I have been too, had that something special - how tall it is, the glass lift and its location

3. Empire Cinemas

• Although the staff was so helpful and I loved how it wasn't too big, it was still a warehouse near a shopping complex.  To be honest it is also quite out of the way and inconvenient.  However, I would go back here again as the staff were lovely and they do cheaper tickets on a Tuesday...Maybe it's because luck wasn't on my side that day and Gnomeo was a little bit of a letdown.

This has been such a great experience and I am sure now I know about them I will definitely visit all four again - although I have found myself recommending the GFT to all of my friends (may have formed a slight bias).  Again I really hope that maybe in a few years ticket prices will become more manageable again, although I doubt it.  Therefore I will continue to rely on my Orange Wednesdays, and perhaps I will see if other cinema's- like the Empire Cinemas- do cheaper tickets on a Tuesday - every little helps after all.

Again I have to finish this blog as I started, by reiterating the fact that although the Glasgow Film Festival may be over for 2011 it's definitely worth checking out next year - If not for the films then do it for the venues (cinema's).

I hope you continue to enjoy Films and every venue Glasgow has to offer, don't just stick with what you know, try something new - you won't regret it...

That's all from me, I going to leave you with a youtube clip about my favourite cinema from this experiance...

Hannah xx

Empire Cinemas: An epic tale on a massive scale...

Honestly I have no idea where to begin when it comes to my trip- which turned out to be a mini adventure- to the Empire Cinema in Clydebank.....

Preparation for the trip to the cinema had been really good.  Their website was easy, useful and we had used Google Maps for directions and it had given us an approx time of 18 minutes to get there.  We had left 35 minutes in order to get there in good time.  However, we had also LEFT our directions in the flat!  It was fine though my sister had managed to remember the majority of the directions.  However, the number of traffic lights was insane I swear I would probably have been quicker walking.  Definitely not as handy from the centre of Glasgow as Cineworld is.  Traffic light after traffic light it was sooo slow and frustrating as it was getting closer and closer to our film time, and it is a lot further away (time wise) than google maps had led us to believe.  Five minutes after the start of the showing of Gnomeo and Juliet that we were going to see, we caught sight of the cinema, so we decided to pull over and sprint- In the pouring rain i might add.   After we eventually crossed a canal and continued sprinting we finally reached the cinema, Thank Goodness.  Although we were roughly ten minutes late and we still had to buy our tickets...

The cinema was in a shopping complex and from the outside it looked small, and looked like it had far more character than your average cinema chain.  The inside of the cinema reminded me of what I always imagined the inside of a cinema to look like quite spacious- It's hard to explain it just felt smaller and more homely and less manufactured.  I just really loved the feeling that it gave me!!

We were running terribly late, but the staff were soo polite even quickly telling us about cheaper tickets on a Tuesday.  I have never been served by such kind people on a trip to the cinema before.  However, that may be because the cinema is practically dead. 

Two SMALL tap diet cola's took us to £5.20 which to be honest I think is quite extortionate considering you can get a bottle of diet Cola for under a pound, and ONE small sweet popcorn was £3.60.  There was like hardly any popcorn and I swear we had both devoured it in around five minutes- really disappointing it wasn't even that good. 

What I did like though was that the cinema was small and the screening we were in was quite a small room and I really like that as it makes the film more personal, in my opinion.  Plus the seats were very comfy and it was easy to see the screen even though we were sat quite far back!

When we finally got into the screening we had already missed the first five to ten minutes which really ruined the film I thought.  I was actually so excited for Gnomeo and Juliet guardian.co.uk/film/2011/feb/13/gnomeo-and-juliet-review-elton-john it has been the one film that I have wanted to see for ages.  However, I was seriously disappointed, perhaps it was because I had just seen Tangled and it was so good but I just didn't think the story was that strong apart from the occasional funny moment.  James McAvoy with an English accent to me just isn't James McAvoy and for me that also weakened the film.  It was NICE but only nice I’m glad I saw it but I definitely won't want to see it again in a hurry!!

Overall apart from the timing issues, film and traffic I definitely will consider going to the Empire Cinema in Clydebank again.  It gave me a special feeling when I was there that added to the cinema going experience.  Something I think that the majority of cinema chains just can't give you, and the staff were so friendly, I would check it out again....:)

Slightly disappointed with Gnomeo but you can't have it all...


Hannah xx

Empire Cinemas

I am absolutely desperate to go see Gnomeo and Juliet the trailer looks well good so i have decided that this is the next film I am going to go see- super excited!  I have high expectations though, after Tangled turned out to be really good!

Now as this is the Glasgow Cinema Review I just need to pick another cinema in and around Glasgow to review.  I am absolutely desperate to visit the Grosvener on Ashton Lane as I have walked past it a couple of times and it looks so quaint and old fashioned – I have never really been to a cinema like that before.  However, after looking on it’s website at the moment it only seems to be showing films that I have already been to see,  so I think I might wait a couple of weeks before I visit there.  Another cinema that I really want to visit is the GFT (Glasgow Film Theatre), although I might be going to visit that one next week.  So I have settled on going to visit the Empire Cinema in Clydebank. 

I personally have never been to an Empire Cinema empirecinemas.co.uk/?page=nowshowing&tbx_site_id=24 before so I genuinely have no idea what to expect.  I don’t know whether it will just be another Cineworld or Odeon or whether it will be something a little different.  The website seems easy to use and the cinema seems to be showing a good range of all the new releases.  We are going to go see 2D Gnomeo and Juliet, however, looking at the ticket prices on the website for the 3D showing it looks to be slightly cheaper than Cineworld by 25 pence – that 25 pence makes a difference when you are a student. 

Here are some general facts on the Empire cinema in Clydebank:

-     Empire cinema Clydebank was formally part of the UCI cinema group.

-    The cinema has 10 screens altogether.

-    Empire Cinema group was formed in 2005.

-    There are 17 Empire cinemas altogether, based in 17 cities

I am really intrigued about this cinema and am actually really looking forward to going to visit it, also partly because I am absolutely desperate to go see Gnomeo and Juliet imdb.com/title/tt0377981/.  James McAvoy imdb.com/name/nm0564215/who is from Glasgow is one of my all time favourite actors and I absolutely loved him in Atonement and Wanted.  In this film he is the voice of Gnomeo, and I feel a slight connection to him as I have met his father – who is the spitting image – even though James McAvoy has not been in touch with his dad since he was young.

I honestly cannot wait to see the film and review the cinema.  Will keep you updated....

Hannah xx

Cineworld

Tonight is the night that I am going to try out the Glasgow, Renfrew Street, Cineworld experience.  Unlike all the other cinemas in Glasgow I have actually been to this one many times with my flatmates.  This cinema is based right in the centre - perhaps the perfect location - surrounded by shops, restaurants and near all three Glasgow universities. 

Before my visit to the cinema I thought that I would present some of the basic facts about Renfrew Street Cineworld...
- The cinema was first opened on the 21st of September 2001 by owners UGC, and it changed ownership to Cineworld in 2005.
- It is the tallest purpose built cinema in the world, with 6 floors and 12 stories.
- In 2003 the cinema attracted 1.8million people making it the busiest in the UK.
All these statistics look really impressive but as I have been there before I am going to try my hardest to keep an open mind.  I pass this cinema almost every day for one reason or another and to me it seems like a landmark in Glasgow - a proper tourist attraction.  I think that this is really successful as it entices people into cinema therefore increasing revenue for the cinema and the Glasgow Film scene.

Another thing that interests me about the venue is the fact that this cinema supports the Glasgow Film Festival glasgowfilm.org/festival (which I recommend you all check out!).

So far from looking at film times I have found the website (cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/28) to be quite easy and I am looking forward to going.  What I also found from the website is that cineworld is actually currently advertising showings for around 45 different Film Festival movies.  This shows Cineworlds support and involvement in developing the Glasgow Film Scene.

Tonight my friend wants to go see 3D Tangled...got to be honest not a huge Disney fanatic.  I really want to see NEDS or Gnomeo or Juliet but I guess I can save them for my next trip to a different cinema!  We are hoping to go to the 18.40 showing will keep you guys updated to how the whole experience goes.......


Hannah xx