641 posts
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Post by jek on Jun 25, 2024 16:39:49 GMT
I have just had an email to tell me that my local Picturehouse is closing down as of July 28th. I can't say I am surprised - given how few people are generally in attendance and the lack of building maintenance over recent times. As I understand it Bromley and Fulham branches are also to close. It's very sad.
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Post by kallyloo on Jun 25, 2024 19:21:53 GMT
Love, love, love Picturehouse and although Central and others are sometimes fairly vacant, I thought the Q&A’s, the seasons and unique experiences counterbalanced the drier periods. They have dog friendly screenings for goodness sake.
The staff are all absolutely wonderful and above and beyond what you generally find in the average cinema.
Partnered by Kia as one of their more artistic ventures, I’d hoped Kia money would also provide a decent buffer in tough times. Really sad.
Edit: Not as bleak as it first looks for Bromley at least. They’re closing but have proposed building another Picturehouse a few miles away in a new development area.
Really sad though for Fulham and it’s lovely Art Deco style interior.
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7,175 posts
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Post by Jon on Jun 25, 2024 23:31:50 GMT
I wouldn't be surprised if these sites were losing money but also the areas they served have cinemas within walking or driving distance, Bromley for example has Vue as well which has recliners and likely cheaper and Fulham Road is not far from Everyman Chelsea which caters for the well heeled and for blockbusters, there is a Vue in Fulham Broadway.
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641 posts
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Post by jek on Jun 26, 2024 8:21:26 GMT
Yes, we are in Stratford (forgot to mention that in my orginal post!) We have a Vue and are also getting an Everyman very soon (obviously that is a very different market). What does surprise me about it is that Stratford has so much student accommodation (including a huge Kings College London block across the road from the Picturehouse) and you would think that would be enough to support the cinema. It is such a shame for Stratford as the cinema was purpose built in the late 1990's, garnering much praise in the architectural press. It's part of Stratford's 'cultural quarter' along with Stratford Royal Theatre and Stratford Circus. Stratford Circus no longer hosts events (we saw some great dance and circus performances there) as it has been reinvented as a youth hub. So only the theatre remains.
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5,156 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jun 26, 2024 17:24:39 GMT
Part of Cineworld, aren't they, which has been really struggling with its debt mountain post-Covid.
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Post by amyja89 on Jun 26, 2024 20:18:12 GMT
I must admit I haven't been to the one we have in Oxford since the Curzon opened a few years ago, but it was always a great spot away from the Odeons and Vue.
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2,760 posts
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Post by n1david on Jun 27, 2024 5:37:42 GMT
I am a little surprised not to see Finsbury Park Picturehouse on this list given that of its seven screens, four have been closed for the last few months for "maintenance". The "exclusive members bar" is now open to everyone but still rarely see anyone else in there. The last film I saw there, in its largest screen, had 8 people in the audience. It's been open three years and was part of a huge new housing development, so I suspect any section 106 obligations may be coming to a close. It's a shame, but I think all cinema is struggling right now - I think so many people got out of the habit during the pandemic and what's been onscreen hasn't been enough to get tham back. Having said that, my Picturehouse membership has just come up for renewal and it has gone up from £96 to £190. Even I can't drink enough with the 20% bar discount to make that good value...
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Post by marob on Jun 27, 2024 6:22:05 GMT
They opened a new cinema in Chester late last year as part of the redevelopment of the market. I went to see The Boy and The Heron there just after Christmas and it was packed. I went about a fortnight ago to see Dr Strangelove and I was literally the only one in the screening. That’s happened a handful of times when I’ve seen films both late in their run and the afternoon before, but here where it was a one-off screening, seemed unusual, especially as I didn’t see anyone else on the way in or out either.
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2,760 posts
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Post by n1david on Jun 27, 2024 6:50:35 GMT
I find the staffing levels at all the Picturehouses bizarre - I am not sure I have ever had a ticket checked on the way into a screen. I guess they assume that the cost of employing staff exceeds the inevitable revenue loss. If one were so minded, one could spend all day seeing films at the Finsbury Park Picturehouse and never buy a ticket. At Central, you probably have to buy one ticket but once you're in, you're in....
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Post by SilverFox on Jun 27, 2024 8:21:30 GMT
As others have said, Cineworld (the parent company of Picturehouse) is in serious financial trouble, the sites earmarked for closure are largely in prime redevelopment areas - i e the most valuable sites to sell for a substantial amount. As an example, if Bromley was losing so much money, why would they be talking about opening another site nearby?
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Post by kallyloo on Jun 29, 2024 9:29:06 GMT
I am a little surprised not to see Finsbury Park Picturehouse on this list given that of its seven screens, four have been closed for the last few months for "maintenance". The "exclusive members bar" is now open to everyone but still rarely see anyone else in there. The last film I saw there, in its largest screen, had 8 people in the audience. It's been open three years and was part of a huge new housing development, so I suspect any section 106 obligations may be coming to a close. It's a shame, but I think all cinema is struggling right now - I think so many people got out of the habit during the pandemic and what's been onscreen hasn't been enough to get tham back. Having said that, my Picturehouse membership has just come up for renewal and it has gone up from £96 to £190. Even I can't drink enough with the 20% bar discount to make that good value... Picturehouse is listed as £170 on the website for Central and West End inc 10 tickets, so might be worth a check if you decide to renew. I’ve recently found that Empire Magazine VIP membership currently offers free Picturehouse membership along with 2 free tickets and their magazine in the app for £8.99 a month or £99 pa. You lose 8 tickets but gain £90 and a film magazine. |
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Post by n1david on Jul 1, 2024 10:19:29 GMT
Picturehouse is listed as £170 on the website for Central and West End inc 10 tickets, so might be worth a check if you decide to renew. Yes, that's the offer that I got, only at £190 if not paying by direct debit. But tickets for mainstream showings at Picturehouse Central are only £10.20 at the moment, so those 10 tickets are worth £102. The members' bar is very nice, but I don't think even I spend enough to accumulate £90-worth of bar discounts! As I said, last year it was £96 so it made financial sense. There are free showings and special events open to members but those are often difficult for me to attend so I think I've only attended one in the several years I've been a member. I'm hoping that if I let it lapse they come back with a more meaningful offer. |
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Post by jek on Jul 1, 2024 10:31:32 GMT
I know it's a bit niche in terms of what it shows but I would really recommend Garden Cinema membership. £20 membership gives one free film, £2 discount on tickets and - importantly - access to their very nice bar even if you aren't seeing a film. I love the way it's run as pretty much a hobby by a man in his 80s who loves cinema. And it's near to Holborn and Tottenham Court Road tubes. www.thegardencinema.co.uk/ |
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1,482 posts
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Post by mkb on Jul 1, 2024 13:44:04 GMT
Picturehouse is listed as £170 on the website for Central and West End inc 10 tickets, so might be worth a check if you decide to renew. Yes, that's the offer that I got, only at £190 if not paying by direct debit. But tickets for mainstream showings at Picturehouse Central are only £10.20 at the moment, so those 10 tickets are worth £102. The members' bar is very nice, but I don't think even I spend enough to accumulate £90-worth of bar discounts! As I said, last year it was £96 so it made financial sense. There are free showings and special events open to members but those are often difficult for me to attend so I think I've only attended one in the several years I've been a member. I'm hoping that if I let it lapse they come back with a more meaningful offer. There's usually a Black Friday offer that brings the price down substantially. |
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2,760 posts
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Post by n1david on Jul 4, 2024 19:55:07 GMT
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Post by showgirl on Jul 5, 2024 4:05:13 GMT
PH have been emailing me for weeks saying my renewal is due & that they're no longer taking DDs; instead members are "invited" to set up a "recurring card payment" which I believe is another term for a "continuous credit card authority" and which consumer organsitions such as "Which?" warn members to avoid. However, the issue is postponed for me as I knew very well that my renewal was not due as I only paid in December & sure enough, after a very protracted email correspondence about the whole issue (their Customer Service staff seem quite unable to give straight answers to anything, even when it should be a "yes" or "no" option), they've agreed that they got my renewal date wrong. So by the time I do come to renew we should now which sites remain in their estate.
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2,760 posts
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Post by n1david on Aug 23, 2024 10:22:14 GMT
Picturehouse is listed as £170 on the website for Central and West End inc 10 tickets, so might be worth a check if you decide to renew. Yes, that's the offer that I got, only at £190 if not paying by direct debit. But tickets for mainstream showings at Picturehouse Central are only £10.20 at the moment, so those 10 tickets are worth £102. The members' bar is very nice, but I don't think even I spend enough to accumulate £90-worth of bar discounts! As I said, last year it was £96 so it made financial sense. There are free showings and special events open to members but those are often difficult for me to attend so I think I've only attended one in the several years I've been a member. I'm hoping that if I let it lapse they come back with a more meaningful offer. And indeed there's a 40% off deal for new memberships over the weekend, so for West End membership that's £114, so for cinema tickets alone that's £11.40 each, with the discounts and events on top. |
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641 posts
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Post by jek on Sept 8, 2024 13:01:25 GMT
I walked past Stratford Picturehouse this morning and there are signs on it saying that Metro Cinema is opening soon. Googling brings you to a website which just repeats the 'coming soon' message. It will be interesting to see what transpires.
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Post by sph on Sept 15, 2024 16:55:43 GMT
It doesn't surprise me that cinemas are struggling these days. Pandemic effects aside, the way that people consume media is constantly evolving and "new" movies are soon accessible for immediate streaming at your leisure a few months after release. People only seem to go in large numbers to the big franchise films these days - superheroes etc. I haven't been to one myself for a few years and even then the place was always virtually empty.
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Post by kallyloo on Nov 8, 2024 17:48:29 GMT
I’ve just discovered there’s no more £1 coffee at Picturehouse.
I’m thinking of revoking my membership 🤨
They really aren’t helping themselves to attract new members, are they?
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3,575 posts
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Post by showgirl on Nov 8, 2024 18:54:49 GMT
They did email members before the £1 coffee offer ended, which I think was sometime in October. I wasn't able to use it that much as the "weekdays only" issue was a barrier; also, I found that the interpretation of "coffee" varied from one site to another, which was annoying. The free coffee at Waitrose is slightly more reliable (if revolting), except that most branches now seem to have an issue obtaining the special cleaning tablets so machines have been out of order everywhere I've tried recently. Pret do a basic coffee for 99p which is also horrible. At this time of year, reviving the PH offer might well lure customers back in from the cold; in fact, it's nearly time for mulled wine, which Curzon certainly do for Xmas, though I don't recall PH offering.
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Post by mkb on Nov 8, 2024 19:53:35 GMT
... Pret do a basic coffee for 99p which is also horrible... It's fine if you don't mind filter coffee, but it went up to £1.25 a couple of years ago, so might be more now. Even if you don't like it, it's always worth asking for, because, if they've none ready (which used to be about 50% of the time pre-Covid), you'd get a free upgrade. You can always "change your mind" if the filter is available. |
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