No wonder people download films illegally.

No wonder people download films illegally.

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Condi

17,085 posts

170 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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mybrainhurts said:
Of course. It all makes sense now. It's all Cameron's fault. Oh, woe, why didn't I see that before? It's so blindingly obvious, I mean, he's a Tory, isn't he? Everything that ever went wrong in the whole world, nay, universe, is the fault of the Tories.
I thought it was Labours fault for allowing Europe to dictate everything from Brussels?



Anyway RE the flicks - I went last week for the first time in 3 years and was dissapointed. £8 for a ticket, and when the tickets were printed they said £6 on them - was the fat unwashed gentleman behind the desk profiteering £2 a ticket? When we went in, despite the film being advertised as starting at 9.15, it was gone half 9 when the stty adverts had stopped. Several of the seats had 'Out of Order' on them and the whole place had a general air of dissapointment and unlovedness about it. To cap the whole experience it was possible to hear the bass from the nightclub below during quiter moments. And the film was pretty crap as well. Hmm.

neilbauer

2,467 posts

182 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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g3org3y said:
What the shuddering fk
Tears in my eyes, great post OP biggrin

Meoricin

2,880 posts

168 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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I paid £5 for my cinema ticket today (last night, and the only irritation or inconvenience I suffered was a kid who couldn't stick to a whisper while explaining the plot so far to his mother. They were quiet enough outside of this 5 minute window.

Pretty sure even the big chain cinemas I've been to lately have been £6.50-£7 (Odeon, Cineworld), and it's not like you don't already have a set of 3D glasses if you happen to want to watch in 3D - they are reusable, and at £1 for a set they're not exactly expensive.

I can't remember the last time stuff like popcorn was a reasonable option - I know that I used to buy sweets and drinks before the film 10 years or more ago, because the prices are ridiculous in the cinema, and always have been.

zygalski

7,759 posts

144 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Wheelrepairit said:
The OPs post is the very reason why 1996 was the last time I visited a cinema.

Terrible terrible places.
I live in Crawley.
The "innit" crowd constantly chattering & texting using mobiles during the film means that I really don't bother going any more, unless the film has been showing for some time or is one that won't tend to attract that sort of punter.

I also had a rather distracting experience with some people with learning difficulties who went at the same time as me & the GF.
They were seated right at the front & were constantly agitated & actually seemed distressed (or perhaps excited?) with one of them shouting at the top of his voice "who's he?" "who's she?" every time a face appeared in close-up.
Not their fault, but totally ruined the film for us. frown

The price of food, drink & the actual tickets is really stupid when you consider most blu-rays of films released only a few months after the initial cinema run can be had for less than £15. And seen in peace & comfort, without distraction, in your own home.

Shuvi McTupya

24,460 posts

246 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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sparks_E39 said:
Well the Empire cinema here is £8ish a ticket, has comfy seats and it's very rare we get any issues. They don't care if we bring our own food either.
I got banned from my local cinema for taking my own food in frown

I tried to justify it by telling them i thought the prices at the concession stand were a total rip-off..and besides, i hadn't had a barbeque in ages!

/stolen joke.

The last time i went to the movies there was a child in there who was at that age where he had just learned to read. As the opening credits rolled he was reading (loudly) every word and name that popped up.

I looked around and saw dozens of faces looking in his direction but no one wanted to tell him to shut up. Half the cinema erupted in fits of giggles when someone shouted:

"This movie doesn't have subtitles does it?" hehe




Animal

5,246 posts

267 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Just go to The Rex in Berkhamsted and none of these problems will occur. You can also drink a nice pint whilst watching the movie too...

andy-xr

13,204 posts

203 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Last one I went to a bunch of students decided to talk through the film, in French. My limited vocabulary and the general quizzical looks on their faces said they didn't know what was going on and felt the need to ask each other, 5 of them, in a row, what they thought was going on

Mrs Miggins dealt a harsh 'Shush you' midway through and got some approving smiles from people who were too scared to tacked 5 French girls in their teens. Me included

CedGTV

2,538 posts

253 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Animal said:
Just go to The Rex in Berkhamsted and none of these problems will occur. You can also drink a nice pint whilst watching the movie too...
Add to that the fact that the person who got the Rex back and into business is now starting the long process to revive the old 20's Art Deco Odean building in St. Albans.

I'd go to that.

Can't stand going to the flicks in Watford with it's Mouth breathing, bed wetting, festering, no volume control on the people audience.

Council Baby

19,741 posts

189 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Took a bird to the IMAX on Wednesday night, her choice of film being Titanic 3D rolleyes

3 1/2 hours of bum numbing dross, uncomfortable seats, some kicking the back of mine, £34 for tickets, £28 for a bottle of st wine, £14 for nibbles and soft drinks, £20 in transport costs. Best part of a fking hundred quid to watch a film and have a drink.

fk right off, my home cinema is better and I can drink, smoke, take a break, get naked... whatever... Never again.

Unless she's fit hehe

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Cinema is now a rare treat for rhe kids usually on a birthday or for a special film. Its just got too expensive . Last time it was about £70 , we can have a day out at a theme park for less

Oh and no chance of taking in your own food/drink all bags searched if you have your own stuff you have to ditch it or not be let in

poo at Paul's

14,116 posts

174 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
biggrin

I know. I used to love the movies, going near enough every week with a mate. Back then, maybe 5 years ago? It was a fiver or so.


MY CINEMA GUIDE FOR PH'ER's:

Anyway OP - I've found a few things that redress the balance in your favour, that helps to counter all the things you've moaned about!

Go to the late night showings - and preferably on a Saturday - or better, Sunday night. Most people are out on the piss at 10:30pm on a Saturday, or don't want to go to a late show on Sunday because they have to get up for work. This way I find the screen is shared with maybe 10 or 20 other people at most, (and occasionally I've been the only punter in there!) and you can find somewhere to sit well away from others, and even better, if you sit nearer the front, most people tend to sit at the back. Hence, I often feel like I'm the only one in there anyway, as I can see nothing but empty seats all around - and it's much quieter.

Don't bother with Wednesday nights - 'Orange' Wednesdays mean it's packed, and your face will become 'Orange' with rage!

The other thing which helps to ensure an empty auditorium, is to wait until a film has been out for 2 or 3 weeks - especially if it's a big blockbuster type. Most people will have seen it by then.

Always book online - and book yourself a 'student' ticket. It's 2 quid cheaper, and in years now I've never had one of the kids who checks the tickets ask to see my'Student ID.'
And even if they did, I would say 'sorry haven't brought my student card, but I'm a mature student doing a PHD in gynaecology at the University of Bullst...' how likely is he to stop you going in and make a song and dance? Not very likely...

Never buy a 'luxury' seat. With the above student ticket, on a Sunday night when it's not busy, no-one ever comes in with you to show you to your seat. So you can go sit in a 'luxury' seat with your student ticket, for about half the price.
Even if they do show you to your seat, just wait until they've left and move!

If you must eat and drink (I never see the need - or at best, I take a small bottle of water with me) then take your own snacks. If you stop at a petrol station on the way, you can get identical big bags of sweets as they sell there, so no-one's gonna stop you taking them in. Or better still, if you want to take something different in to eat, just hide the snacks under your jumper or in the missus' handbag!


Try these tips - they work! biggrin
The tips might well work to have a cheap night out, but also tend to contribute to the sort of behaviour that causes the OPs rage. Sitting in more expensive seats than you've paid for, well that's why if you do pay for them, you have some student pyekish tt sat next to you munching on a smuggled in Ginsters and drinking cinzano and lemonade from a Tizer can.


TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Dodsy said:
Cinema is now a rare treat for rhe kids usually on a birthday or for a special film. Its just got too expensive . Last time it was about £70 , we can have a day out at a theme park for less

Oh and no chance of taking in your own food/drink all bags searched if you have your own stuff you have to ditch it or not be let in
They search your bags? Seriously?

al1991

4,552 posts

179 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Agree entirely OP, the cinema is crap.

For the price of one ticket I can buy about 3 brand new DVDs from Amazon, and several times that if willing to go second hand, many of these being less than £1.

These films I can watch when I want, as many times as I want, in the comfort of my own home, eating food that I haven't been charged an extortionate amount for and I can pause it if I want to go for a piss.

Pvapour

8,981 posts

252 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
we left the UK four years ago, my reasons were mainly this ^

I could no longer enjoy the things we loved doing together because of attitudes from paople, to be fair its a result of cramming to many people onto a little island, but that another story...

Now we live in France, our local cinema shows english films regularly, its quiet (like most french social interaction) €5 a hit and we have an intermission where a lady brings round refreshments like the old days thumbup

I really feel for the OP, I can remember vividly what it is like back there, but it is fading cloud9

bucksmanuk

2,311 posts

169 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Animal said:
Just go to The Rex in Berkhamsted and none of these problems will occur. You can also drink a nice pint whilst watching the movie too...
I concur - a most civilised and enjoyable experience. Judging by the fact whenever I look at listings most of the evening shows are sold out, it appears others think likewise.

King Herald

23,501 posts

215 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Turn7 said:
Welcome to Camerons Big Society.....
bks, it has been like this for decades!

Even in the Philippines where I live it is exactly the same! People take phone calls, make them, talk, come in halfway through and fidget about getting settled, talk loudly, totally ignorant of the fact that it is rude and wrong.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Try it when the OAP's truck in. Nothing wrong with that but once they started it was hell. Mint wrappers, choking on mints (thinking what can I remember from my first aid), do you hear Doris died last week, ohhh yes, she knitted seat covers, no she knitted tea cosies.... and an ork (LOTR) got an axe in its head there was general OHHH I say, that was a bit violent..... coughing for the UK olympic coughing team.....


When I get old, I am going to do the same.

I find a "keep it down in the front" usually works.


I love the cinema really.

10 Pence Short

32,880 posts

216 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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Local Vue Cinema on a Wednesday. Adult ticket is less than £6, Orange 2-1, means the OH and I can watch a film with a drink for about a tenner.

No reason to stream anything illegally.

Nickyboy

6,700 posts

233 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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I rarely go to the cinema, when i do its because i really want to see something or as a day out with some mates.

I work on the following rules.

Never ever buy food, there's a wlko's next to our local one who sell Pick n Mix etc, no-one has ever questioned taking it in. A combo meal of drink and hot dog is £9!!
Never go within a week or so of a movie coming out, i want normally a couple of weeks, by then its usually relatively quiet.

Go for the late showings, watched Titanic last week at 9pm, was almost dead in there.

Oh and £12? my local is £7.95

Dodsy

7,172 posts

226 months

Sunday 22nd April 2012
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TheHeretic said:
They search your bags? Seriously?
Yes, its in the Ts&Cs when you buy a ticket you agree not to bring food onto the premises. This is an out of town multiscreen place and prices for food, drink and sweets are unbelievable!