Comments from PhilipWW

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PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Glasgow Silverburn on Apr 5, 2018 at 1:14 pm

I have just uploaded a photo taken from Cineworld publicity showing one of the auditoria with just a 1.85 screen.

Despite most films nowadays being made in Scope, Cineworld sadly continues to build new cinemas with these 1.85 screens necessitating that Scope movies have to be letterboxed. This is never what Scope was designed for. To me, this dilutes the whole cinema experience. It ceases to be a cinema and becomes just a large TV set.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Dover on Apr 5, 2018 at 12:18 pm

Photo uploaded from the Cineworld Facebook page showing on e of the screens. I presume it is that in the main auditorium but don’t know.

An excellent Scope screen. I hope that all the other screens are also full Scope but I have my doubts. For reasons best known to Cineworld many of their screens in recently built cinemas are only 1.85 despite the majority of films being made in Scope.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Southampton on Apr 5, 2018 at 11:02 am

It opened in 1989 with INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE as the main draw in Screen 1. Then it was Southampton’s premier cinema. Since than it has faced competition from first Harbour Lights, literally yards away, then the Odeon multiplex in Leisure World to finally, last year, the new Showcase Cinema de Lux in the city centre. Now I think it is struggling and is probably the one most likely to close if times get rough.

At opening, all 5 screens were 1.85 with top down masking for Scope films. With digital presentations, I presume the masking has gone but don’t know for sure. At one point, in Virgin’s time, there was talk of redesigning the auditoria and giving them full Scope screens but I don’t think it came to much.

I used to go to there regularly in the 90s but stopped going as the cinema went into a gentle decline and there were better presentations on offer elsewhere. I gather Cineworld are not investing in keeping it up to date, though that comment is heresay.

The cinema is on a stand-alone site so could be redeveloped for other uses when the lease is up. However, a lot of apartment blocks have been built very nearby in recent years so it may remain a popular venue for those within walking distance and confound everyone and survive. I don’t think it is a cinema anymore that people would want to drive to for the experience.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Apr 5, 2018 at 10:34 am

I presume that the main difference between the IMAX and Superscreen is the equipment in the projection both rather than the screen itself.

I presume that the IMAX screen is 1.90 ratio, perfect for a digital IMAX presentation. For a non IMAX presentation, a 1.85 film would appear very slightly pillarboxed and a Scope film would appear letterboxed.

If the Superscreen is 1.90, the same would be true. However if it was 1.85, as it may well be, a Flat film would fit perfectly while a Scope film would not just be letterboxed but also slightly trimmed at the sides, down from 2048 to 1998 pixels giving an aspect ratio of around 2.32, not be ideal for a premier cinema.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Futurist Cinema on Apr 5, 2018 at 10:25 am

I saw THE GREAT ESCAPE and ALFIE there in the 1960s. I remember that it has a very impressive size Scope screen in its wide proscenium.

This was a better place to see a movie in than the ABC Forum over the road, which had a far smaller proscenium and was not ideal for Scope movies

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Scott Cinemas-Sidmouth on Apr 5, 2018 at 10:21 am

I have not been but the screen size at 41' sounds very impressive.

Some of these old cinemas with wide prosceniums can have very impressive Scope screens, often larger than that on offer from many modern multiplexes.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Showcase Cinema de Lux Bristol on Apr 5, 2018 at 10:17 am

I visited Screen 4, one of the medium size auditoria. It had an impressively sized wall-to-wall Scope screen and together with the black matte walls making the auditorium very dark during the film, I found it an excellent place to see a movie in; I was impressed.

Speaking to the duty house manager afterwards, he told me that all the auditoria had Scope screens. Looking into some of the screens near Screen 4, that was generally true but Screen 5 (a smaller one) was showing a Scope film letterboxed onto a 1.85 screen.

Sadly this is not the first time that a cinema manager has told me incorrect information about his own cinema. Whether he knew or was just fobbing me off, I can only surmise.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Yeovil on Apr 5, 2018 at 9:06 am

I visited Screen 2, the largest auditorium. It has an impressive large Scope screen with no movable side masking. The auditorium was impressively very dark during the film itself.

Cineworld often gets criticism (on this site and other forums) about its modern multiplexes, typically comments about the auditoria being too light and some screens being ‘Flat’ necessitating Scope films to be letterboxed.

Back in the early 2000s, Cineworlds were designing their cinemas correctly, Yeovil being a good example. I could not fault Screen 2, it was excellent. I am told that all the other screens are Scope as well.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Everyman Muswell Hill on Apr 5, 2018 at 8:22 am

I see from the photo that Screen 1 has movable side masking.

Are all the screens Scope ?

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Omniplex Ipswich on Apr 5, 2018 at 3:29 am

Impressive Scope screen in the main auditorium

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Impact Screen 1 on Apr 5, 2018 at 3:27 am

Impressive Scope screen

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Odeon Luxe London Haymarket on Mar 27, 2018 at 8:11 am

I never went into the old Odeon but may be tempted now it has been refurbished.

Can anyone tell me about the screens? I guess they must be relatively small given the size of the cinema, but are they a good size relative to the auditorium sizes? Have they changed with the refurbishment? Are they Scope?

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on Mar 27, 2018 at 8:06 am

Could someone kindly give all the new Screen numbers, new versus old. I am confused. I presume the IMAX and Impact (if it is still called that) screens are unnumbered, albeit perhaps with implied numbers, as before.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Olympic Cinema on Mar 12, 2018 at 1:32 pm

I have just added a photo (from the cinema website) of the main auditorium showing a very impressive screen for the size of the auditorium (130 seats). I wish all cinemas near me were as good as this.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Odeon Luxe London Leicester Square on Feb 4, 2018 at 4:01 am

What is a “large format” screen ?

I sincerely hope it is a proper Scope screen. However I suspect that it is PR jargon for a 1.90 screen which will mean that all Scope films, the majority of films nowadays, will be letterboxed with no top/bottom masking. Hardly a step forward.

I hope I am wrong.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Odeon Luxe Swiss Cottage & IMAX on Dec 14, 2017 at 7:09 am

Four of the five screens (Nos 2 to 5) have been refurbished and rebranded as ‘Odeon Luxe’.

The IMAX Screen 1 remains the same with 307 seats. The new (and reduced) capacities in the other screens are: Screen 2 (71), Screen 3 (50), Screen 4 (53) and Screen 5 (49) which gives a total capacity of 530. The figures have been taken from the Odeon web-site.

The seating capacities of screens 4 and 5 are only slightly reduced because they were already fitted with luxury seats.

Mention is made in a comment below to a photo in a ‘Time Out’ article. I rather think that Odeon are using generic photos in their publicity for Luxe cinemas, so that photo is probably not of one of the Swiss Cottage auditoria. I think I have seen it used before.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Reel Cinemas Fareham on Nov 20, 2017 at 11:02 am

Scope screens with side masking in all 5 auditoria. As can be seen in own of the photos the screens rather strangely have lights all around them. They do go out during the film so not a problem.

As also shown there is a rather inconspicuous entrance at ground level leading to the stairs which take you the main foyer on the first floor.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Vue Eastleigh on Nov 19, 2017 at 7:02 am

All 9 screens are wall-to-wall Scope with no side masking. Very dark during the film with black matte walls and no ceiling lights on. Stadium seating, aisles on the side and plenty of leg room.

This is a well designed multiplex; I cannot fault it. All 9 auditoria are to the same design, it is just a matter of size. It is a joy watching a movie on any of the screens.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Odeon Luxe Putney on Nov 17, 2017 at 6:11 am

Odeon web-site confirms that it will be re-opened as an Odeon Luxe in Decemeber 2017.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Odeon Luxe Leeds-Bradford on Nov 16, 2017 at 7:39 am

Refurbished and re-opened as ‘Odeon Luxe’ in November 2017.

Seating reduced to 1062. The largest auditoria are Screens 6 and 7 with 144 seats in each and the smallest is Screen 1 with 49 seats. These seating figures are taken from the Odeon website.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Odeon Luxe Glasgow Quay on Nov 16, 2017 at 6:21 am

Refurbished and re-opened under the ‘Odeon Luxe’ brand in November 2017.

The seating capacity is now 941 with Screen 1 the largest with 139 and Screens 3 and 9 the joint smallest with 35 each. These capacities are taken from the Odeon web-site. The photos there seem to be generic ‘Odeon Luxe’ ones rather than at Glasgow Quay specifically.

This is now the fourth Odeon to be rebranded as ‘Odeon Luxe’ in 2017 after East Kilbride, Edinburgh West and Leeds-Bradford.

Two more are in the pipeline at Putney and Panton Street, London with probably more to follow in 2018.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Whiteley on Nov 16, 2017 at 5:50 am

The two largest auditoria (Nos 1 and 9) have Scope screens with side masking. The other 7 auditoria have just 1.85 ‘Flat’ screens necessitating that Scope films are shown letterboxed with the inevitable slight truncation to 2.32. There is no top/bottom masking.

Given that most films nowadays are in Scope it does seem strange that anyone would build a new cinema without proper Scope screens. I did write to Cineworld about this but received no understandable answer. In the past (and as recently as 2012) Cineworld were building multiplexes with all Scope screens but many of their more recent builds seem to go for this mixed approach.

Also the lights are not turned off during the film, just dimmed. Together with the fact that the walls are red covered which reflects light (as can be seen in the photo section), the auditorium is not really very dark during the film.

Praise is given on User websites to the good seating and legroom. That may be true, but all in all, the lack of Scope screens, the general brightness during the film and the closeness of the screen to the front half of the seats in some of the smaller auditoria does not make this a good place to watch movies in. It is, simply, just badly designed.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Showcase Cinema de Lux Southampton on Nov 16, 2017 at 5:02 am

Wall-to-wall Scope screens with no masking in all auditoria. Screen 6 has the largest screen branded ‘XPlus’ but the screen size in each is impressive relative to the auditorium size. All have stadium seating with large reclining seats in spacious rows. Very dark during the film enhanced by having black matte walls.

If this is the standard design for Showcase ‘Cinema De Lux’, it is a very good formula. This is an excellent new cinema and great place to watch movies in.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Weymouth on Nov 13, 2017 at 1:59 am

The screens are a mixture of 2.39 Scope and 1.85 with the majority being Scope. I don’t know the Nos of which auditoria are which, though one of the largest ones has surprisingly just a 1.85 screen.

When I was there a few years back the 1.85 screens had top down masking for Scope films, though I presume this has probably gone now as is usual practice with digital projection.

PhilipWW
PhilipWW commented about Cineworld Cinema - Stockport on Nov 13, 2017 at 1:50 am

Is the reason for closing known ? I’m not aware of any new multiplex opening up nearby recently.