I visited yesterday and was appalled to see the stalls now being used to store general junk. There was even an old coffee machine on its side and on view to anyone in the circle who cared to look.
The stalls could easily seat 100 or more still – despite the rear being closed off. Why doesn’t Odeon ever use any imagination with their old buildings? Seeing films in Screen 1 could really be made an event if anybody had any enthusiasm to do so. Can’t Odeon learn from success stories like the Regal in Evesham, the Rex and the Ritzy in Brixton. Odeon seems under the impression that it can only cater for the IMAX enthusiasts or nothing.
People will pay money to see films in special places IF they are cared for with enthusiasm and marketed with some degree of imagination.
I was astounded to discover this week that NONE of the cinemas in Leicester Square have listed status. This accounts for the ease with which Empire were able to do away with the legendary screen 1.
Whilst Leicester Square is a preservation area, that doesn’t protect the interiors of any of the cinemas and – as we have seen with the Odeon West End – does very little to protect the exteriors as well.
So I fear there is very little protecting the Odeon Leicester Square in the future from some horrible IMAX-related rate. I ranted about the Empire at length here:
I visited yesterday and was appalled to see the stalls now being used to store general junk. There was even an old coffee machine on its side and on view to anyone in the circle who cared to look.
The stalls could easily seat 100 or more still – despite the rear being closed off. Why doesn’t Odeon ever use any imagination with their old buildings? Seeing films in Screen 1 could really be made an event if anybody had any enthusiasm to do so. Can’t Odeon learn from success stories like the Regal in Evesham, the Rex and the Ritzy in Brixton. Odeon seems under the impression that it can only cater for the IMAX enthusiasts or nothing.
People will pay money to see films in special places IF they are cared for with enthusiasm and marketed with some degree of imagination.
Perhaps the Odeon, Leicester Square?
I was astounded to discover this week that NONE of the cinemas in Leicester Square have listed status. This accounts for the ease with which Empire were able to do away with the legendary screen 1.
Whilst Leicester Square is a preservation area, that doesn’t protect the interiors of any of the cinemas and – as we have seen with the Odeon West End – does very little to protect the exteriors as well.
So I fear there is very little protecting the Odeon Leicester Square in the future from some horrible IMAX-related rate. I ranted about the Empire at length here:
http://fleapits.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/the-brutal-death-of-a-london-legend/