Empire Cinemas
45 Queensmere Centre,
Slough,
SL1 1DD
45 Queensmere Centre,
Slough,
SL1 1DD
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Placed its 1st ad as Gallery Cinemas Slough on May 3rd, 1989. The logo is the same as Cineplex Odeon.
Photos of the Empire taken in October 2019 here:–
SLOUGH EMPIRE – ENTRANCE
SLOUGH EMPIRE – SCREEN 6
SLOUGH EMPIRE – SCREEN 5
SLOUGH EMPIRE – SCREEN 4, PLANET THEATRE
Watched a bunch of movies at this cinema during the early to mid 90’s. Think it was run by MGM in those days?
See that it has changed ownership a number of times since then but it is sad to read that there has been little to no investment over the past two decades.
When did Empire Cinemas take over? I notice they have converted one of the auditoriums (screen 4) to an IMPACT screen. The bookings page quotes 283 seats yet on the auditorium information page it states 354 which is a noticeable difference. Also screen, which the largest auditorium, quotes 435 seats on the bookings page but 467 on the auditorium information page.
Pricing seems good value, peak times £8.50 for adults or £8.75 for 2D IMPACT (£10.25 for 3D IMPACT). A mere 25p (£1.75 for 3D) uplift charge for IMPACT screenings is a no-brainer!
A couple of things I don’t like are unreserved seating for all performances and have the aisle running right through the centre of the auditorium. What is the point of booking in advance if you still have to arrive early in order to obtain a good seating position?
Screen 10 has all ‘premium’ seating which carries no additional charge. Not sure if these are the same so-called ‘premium’ seats as found at Empire, High Wycombe or not? But I found there to be nothing particularly premium about them. They are located in the back three rows only in screens 3 & 4 (the two identical largest auditoriums). No uplift charge for these seats but previously these could only be booked online and not in person at the cinema. Not sure if that is still the case or not? When I watched The Wolf of Wall Street I opted for premium seats to see what they were like and was disappointed. They didn’t seem any more premium than the standard seats. The leg room is poor if you are a tall person. Have not chosen those seats again since.
I was a senior projectionist there in 1999-2002 when it was UGC with Ian Bolton and ron shepard who where original from the abc central in reading .screen 4 still has the changing rooms for the theatre under the stage also the projector could be seen through the glass fronted projection room
As perhaps imagined due to the huge amount of former owners, the inside styling is a mishmash of 1990s and 2000s design from its various former incarnations.
The top floor (screens 6 to 9) in particular appears to have been completely untouched since around the turn of the millennium, to the point where as of February 2015 it continues to advertise the long, long closed Virgin Megastore on the ground floor – a brand defunct since 2007!
The Architects for the refurbishment of the building into Maybox Cinemas were Farringdon Dennys Fisher, formerly of 1 Mercer St., London. The building had been used as a community center previously. The partner in charge was Bill Fisher.
Photographed as the Cineworld in January 2004:
http://flickr.com/photos/itslefty/422010646/