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

The Grosvenor

I am actually so excited for going to visit this next cinema; it has been the one cinema out of all the ones in and around Glasgow that I want to check out.  It's the Grosvenor Cinema on Ashton Lane.  I pass it all the time and have always been desperate to check it out, but I have just not really gotten round to it.  Now I am finally going to get to experience it next week and I cannot wait. 

The thing that has always caught my eye with this cinema is the fact that from the outside it looks quaint and modest almost old fashioned, such a massive contrast to the other cinemas I have been too- I can't wait to experience a proper 'theatre' trip.  To me small cinemas are what I always imagined the cinema experience to be like, and I love visiting Ashton Lane it's probably one of my favourite places to go to in Glasgow.  It's the perfect place for a cinema in Glasgow's West End...

Even the Grosvenor's website gets me excited with it's old fashioned, classic feel grosvenorcafe.co.uk/cinema.php.  I like how instead of cinema listings the website has a programme of what is going to be shown it makes it feel more like a theatre than anything else - which I like.

So now here are some interesting facts about the Grosvenor on Ashton Lane:
- There are a total number of 2 screens in this cinema
- With 208 seats altogether - 104 per screen
- The cinema first opened in May 1921

- It reopened on the 28th of November 2003 to the public

I think I am going to go and see Chalet Girl imdb.com/title/tt1487118/ at this cinema as although the trailer didn't look that good Ed Westwick is in it and a few of my friends have been raving about it.  But I guess I will wait and see what is showing and what times suit… I physically cannot wait to visit this one...

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