For some reason all of the warm white LED spotlight bulbs in the foyer and corridors have been replaced by much brighter, cool white ones which has a really negative effect on the ambiance. This has the unfortunate side effect of showing up how worn the carpet, paintwork and bar furniture have become! Also on one or two of the escalators blue fluorescent tubes have been replaced by white LEDs.
Could definitely use a refurb, the seats haven’t been touched since the cinema opened and have become quite uncomfortable.
Picture quality was very good however the red LEDs on the stair edges unfortunately cast a glow at two points on the screen. Seating is steeply rake and the ceiling sloped. I found row H provided a good viewing position. Sound is not Atmos – I would describe it as clear and competent but perhaps lacking impact for such a large and immersive screen. It’s a shame Atmos wasn’t installed in here as an alternative to the flawed acoustics of the Superscreen
Absolutely baffled by the design choice of the extended foyer: a vast expanse of glittery red and black flooring, dimly lit with a few sofas around the edge. Seems very strange not to have used this space for a Starbucks and/or a bar.
Tickets for the new 4DX screen are now on sale, for Avengers Endgame. It has 152 seats plus two wheelchair spaces spread across 10 rows.
Tickets are also on sale for VIP. VIP 1 has 61 seats plus 1 wheelchair space across 6 rows. VIP 2 is the same in a mirror image layout. VIP 3 has 56 seats plus 1 wheelchair space across 6 rows (curiously this screen seems to have been configured wrongly in the booking system so no premium over regular screens is being charged – will be interesting to see if they honour bookings)
This unit has in the past been used as an ice cream kiosk (as seen here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Cinemas#/media/File:EmpireLeicesterSquare.jpg)
The cinema extension doesn’t look anywhere near ready to open, with a hole still in the outer wall and the interior still showing bare plasterboard. (See photo added today)
CF100: No, not as far as I can recall. I can only imagine some kind of leak or major spillage necessitated its replacement. (The auditorium was quite dark when I entered and I nearly fell over after being caught unawares by the deep pile!)
Carpet at the front of the Superscreen has been replaced, to match the carpet in the corridor and other screens. Carpet on the steps inside this screen remains in the old red carpet as fitted by Empire Cinemas.
Following a campaign, this cinema is now grade II listed: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/londons-empire-cinema-home-kneehighs-brief-encounter-granted-listed-status-following-campaign/
The shopping centre it sits in is being redeveloped – plans do include a replacement cinema at basement level: http://whiteleysdevelopment.co.uk/development.php
Scaffolding and barrier material has been removed from the front of the building revealing a gaping hole where once there was glass. It’s possible to see scaffolding inside the auditorium (photos added)
The seating is newer than the blue flooring so they must have decided retain it in the refurb. In screens 1-10 the seats, lighting and carpet are new. Ceiling, hard flooring, hand rails and wall coverings (including the bulges housing the surrounds) are all from the original fit-out for Vue.
The blue vinyl flooring and grey handrails in the screens here are all left over from the original fit-out, which is why they perhaps look slightly out of place.
That’s an impressively large screen but does look a bit like a temporary set of scaffolding! Shame the masking has gone.
The canopy lighting was installed just prior to Brief Encounter. From the photos the seats are not new but in fact the old ones with covers fitted over the top, done for Brief Encounter.
Skyscape was a temporary structure and dismantled after the Millennium Experience closed. I believe it actually ran as two side by side 2,500 seated cinemas and could be used as one large space for live performances.
Peak adult ticket price to be £16.90 – the same as Picturehouse Central.
For some reason all of the warm white LED spotlight bulbs in the foyer and corridors have been replaced by much brighter, cool white ones which has a really negative effect on the ambiance. This has the unfortunate side effect of showing up how worn the carpet, paintwork and bar furniture have become! Also on one or two of the escalators blue fluorescent tubes have been replaced by white LEDs.
Could definitely use a refurb, the seats haven’t been touched since the cinema opened and have become quite uncomfortable.
Closes as a Cineworld on 7 October. No details on Picturehouse website as to when it will reopen as a Picturehouse.
Picture quality was very good however the red LEDs on the stair edges unfortunately cast a glow at two points on the screen. Seating is steeply rake and the ceiling sloped. I found row H provided a good viewing position. Sound is not Atmos – I would describe it as clear and competent but perhaps lacking impact for such a large and immersive screen. It’s a shame Atmos wasn’t installed in here as an alternative to the flawed acoustics of the Superscreen
Screen 16 is an impressively large wall to wall scope screen. The 4DX is flat. I am yet to try the other new screens.
I didn’t notice any effects on the sound but they certainly were noticeably reflective in brighter scenes in the film.
Superscreen logos have been added to the side walls of the Superscreen
Ground floor: Starbucks to become a restaurant/cafe. Historical display in foyer. New rubber floor in foyer.
First floor: circle bar to become private hire/dancing. First floor foyer to become a bar and lounge with original parquet flooring restored.
Looks like screens will be re-stepped, reducing (but not eliminating) the asymmetrical nature of screens 1 and 2.
Screen 1: 5330x9660, 1.81 Screen 2: 5082x9200, 1.18 Screen 3: 2470x5730, 2.34, 141 seats Screen 4: 3100x7250, 2.34, 176 seats Screen 5: 3100x7250, 2.34, 174 seats Screen 6: Details not shown on planning application
Opened on 7 June 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G57tji7YCaY
Absolutely baffled by the design choice of the extended foyer: a vast expanse of glittery red and black flooring, dimly lit with a few sofas around the edge. Seems very strange not to have used this space for a Starbucks and/or a bar.
Screen 13: 157 seats across 10 rows with a slightly off-centre aisle
Further details for currently bookable screens:
Screen 12: 309 seats across 13 rows all in a single block plus 4 wheelchair spaces Screen 16: 442 seats across 17 rows with an aisle by the entrance
Tickets for the new 4DX screen are now on sale, for Avengers Endgame. It has 152 seats plus two wheelchair spaces spread across 10 rows.
Tickets are also on sale for VIP. VIP 1 has 61 seats plus 1 wheelchair space across 6 rows. VIP 2 is the same in a mirror image layout. VIP 3 has 56 seats plus 1 wheelchair space across 6 rows (curiously this screen seems to have been configured wrongly in the booking system so no premium over regular screens is being charged – will be interesting to see if they honour bookings)
This unit has in the past been used as an ice cream kiosk (as seen here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Cinemas#/media/File:EmpireLeicesterSquare.jpg)
The cinema extension doesn’t look anywhere near ready to open, with a hole still in the outer wall and the interior still showing bare plasterboard. (See photo added today)
CF100: No, not as far as I can recall. I can only imagine some kind of leak or major spillage necessitated its replacement. (The auditorium was quite dark when I entered and I nearly fell over after being caught unawares by the deep pile!)
Carpet at the front of the Superscreen has been replaced, to match the carpet in the corridor and other screens. Carpet on the steps inside this screen remains in the old red carpet as fitted by Empire Cinemas.
Following a campaign, this cinema is now grade II listed: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2018/londons-empire-cinema-home-kneehighs-brief-encounter-granted-listed-status-following-campaign/
The shopping centre it sits in is being redeveloped – plans do include a replacement cinema at basement level: http://whiteleysdevelopment.co.uk/development.php
Scaffolding and barrier material has been removed from the front of the building revealing a gaping hole where once there was glass. It’s possible to see scaffolding inside the auditorium (photos added)
The seating is newer than the blue flooring so they must have decided retain it in the refurb. In screens 1-10 the seats, lighting and carpet are new. Ceiling, hard flooring, hand rails and wall coverings (including the bulges housing the surrounds) are all from the original fit-out for Vue.
The blue vinyl flooring and grey handrails in the screens here are all left over from the original fit-out, which is why they perhaps look slightly out of place.
That’s an impressively large screen but does look a bit like a temporary set of scaffolding! Shame the masking has gone.
The canopy lighting was installed just prior to Brief Encounter. From the photos the seats are not new but in fact the old ones with covers fitted over the top, done for Brief Encounter.
Saw a film in screen 1 today – flat ratio, no masking however the stadium seating has a nice curve to it.
Skyscape was a temporary structure and dismantled after the Millennium Experience closed. I believe it actually ran as two side by side 2,500 seated cinemas and could be used as one large space for live performances.