h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"If you can, go to an arts cinema. Generally they attract a more focused movie going crowd who are usually a lot quieter during the quiet parts, and really get into the action/comedy parts." [Pastey]

Excellent suggestion! Plus, the management is usually thrilled to see you, as they don't get the big throngs that the multiplexes get.

The last film I saw was at Multiplex, it was noisy and too crowded, you had to take your own 3D glasses...whereas the film I saw previously had been at a little local place, very few people there, they lent us their (high quality) glasses, and it only cost 60% of the multiplex price. It did have a smaller screen though.

My sister is a big fan of dressing up in costumes to attend a cinema - yes, she saw the Hobbit with Elf ears and clothes that cost an awful lot, not cheap cheesy stuff.

I agree with Pastey about going to an Art House - sometimes they even have special guests such as the director, producer etc. I recently saw a documentary about Ray Harryhausen and they had a couple of the models he made for his films as well as the producer.
If you live near one, attend a showing at a film festival - again they may have special guests. I went to a Silent Film Festival once where they had a film showing in an old church, where they played the original score on the old church organ, with the church lit by candlelight - that was very atmospheric. If you can, go to an Edwardian cinema.

Or buy two puppets and act out the film with them while you're watching it.

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Bluebottle

The art film theater near me has live standup comedy on New Year's Eve every year. I went to it last year, but won't be going this year.

Last year, or earlier this, time blends for me, we went to see Metropolis at the Corner House in Manchester. They were going to show it on a small screen, but they got so much interest they sold out the large screen they have there, several hundred people.

It was introduced by a lecturer in film from one of the local universities, and afterwards there was a group discussion type thing with the lecturer, a couple of professional film buffs and someone I can't remember. It was an excellent evening though, age ranges from teens to pensioners in the audience, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

Pastey


Last year i.e. 2011.



Not surprised it was the closest to the director's cut you could get.



Wish I'd been there I saw it over in Bradford at the Cubby Broccolli cinema.



Same when I saw it. Especially when one of the 6 students at the end said audibly: I really enjoyed that.

I showed the Extended version to my dad this week and he loved it.

The extra 25minutes really does fill out the story.

It pretty much is my favourite film and has been since the first time I saw it when I was in my early teens...I was doomed even at that early age.

Which places it for me, because the following Christmas (2011) the wife bought me the tin box blu ray.

I think that shows though that if you can, get to an arts cinema.

The arts cinemas don't usually get the hordes of moviegoers that the multiplexes get. Occasionally you hear about a respected cinema that is about to get bought out by corporate interests who plan to convert it into something else. I've even sent money to groups that tried to save the cinemas.

I saw Metropolis at the Leeds Silent Film Festival a few years ago at the Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds. It's a gas-lit Edwardian cinema built in 1908.

On the Island, sadly when the new Cineworld multiplex opened, two small cinemas closed immediately. One was my local small one-screen cinema in Lake which had a glove puppet used during the adverts to sing the 'Just One Cornetto' jingle from behind the curtains, just before the icecream lady entered. Cinemas aren't the same without a glove puppet next to the screen.

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I'm not quite sure how it works with the Cornerhouse in Manchester, but it's currently in a lovely old building right next to Oxford Road Station, on one of the main roads in Manchester's city centre. However the council are moving it out to a "purpose built" complex down the road a bit, out of sight and therefore out of mind.

I think it relies on a bit of funding from the council, or it might even be that the building is owned by the council. The only thing I'm pretty sure of is that the purpose of the purpose built complex is so that they can sell off the high value real estate that it currently sits on.

You can have really good indie cinemas in new buildings though. The watershed cinema in Bristol is brilliant.

FB

Like the idea to attract older audiences to the cinema, reported on BBC Breakfast this morning: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20886625

I agree that you can have good, modern independent cinemas. Southampton's Harbour Lights Cinema is an independent one next to the waterfront. It has a fish tank bar, allows drinks in the screen, and shows good films. Still don't think you can beat a cinema with history, though.

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I love the old buildings that Cinemas can be in. The sound is often loads better.

But I hate it when the seats are uncomfortable. I'll be honest compfy seat is one of the most important things for me if I have to sit still and quiet for (increasingly) north of 2 hours.

The Art cinema in Plymouth has such awful seats I just cannot bear to watch films there unless it is literally the only way I can see the film. And I am sure any film I watch there is worse in my mind because I am so uncomfortable.

FB

I think the problem with moving the Cornerhouse won't be the lose of the old building, it'll be putting it out of sight. If I hadn't been walking past and saw the poster outside for Metropolis I'd never have known they were showing it.

The seats are definitely a big factor. We went to see Skyfall last week and I was very surprised that I had legroom I can only remember from a child. I'm well over six foot, and mostly legs. I don't have legroom anywhere, except this cinema we went to. Definitely going back there.

Don't they have e-mail lists you can join? (I used to love going to the cinema or Tourist Information, or buying the County Press to pick up the week's cinema times lists, but since the internet they don't do those any more...)

I always ask for an aisle seat, but even then you end up uncomfortably at an angle the whole way through - and I'm not that tall.
With the Harbour Lights Picture House I always book the seats in advance as there's one row which has leg room.

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The unfortunate thing with email lists is they always send out so much utter rubbish that they just *know* you'll love to know about. Which shows that they don't know me. It is possible to segment mailing lists, but they're unlikely to make the effort.