Movies @ Swords

Pompous · 02-09-2014 6:34pm #1

So today I went to Movies @ Swords and I had to ask for a refund because the projectionist didn't achieve focus on the screen. The film was slightly blurry and I just couldn't watch it.

The time before this I had to ask the lights be turned off, because they were still on 5-10 minutes into the film.

The time before that I had to ask the film be started, since it was 15 minutes past the time the film was due to begin and nothing had happened. (People around me were becoming increasingly confused, checking their phones and wondering if they were in the right screen).

After the first two incidents I thought I was just unlucky but today I am thinking this is the most unprofessional cinema and business I have ever come across. Maybe it's just me but it seems like a simple job to just turn out the lights, start the film on time, and focus the projector. In fact I bet you could train a monkey to do it.

/rant.

Has anyone had similar experiences with Movies@Swords?

snickerpuss · 02-09-2014 6:42pm

I went there for the first time in ages recently to see Guardians of the Galaxy and the screen was so dark I could hardly make out what was happening. I thought it was my eyesight until my boyfriend said it to me. I should really have said something.

e_e · 02-09-2014 7:35pm

That's poor form. fwiw I've never had a problem with Movies @ Dundrum.

Pompous · 02-09-2014 7:55pm

snickerpuss wrote: »

I went there for the first time in ages recently to see Guardians of the Galaxy and the screen was so dark I could hardly make out what was happening. I thought it was my eyesight until my boyfriend said it to me. I should really have said something.

It was Guardians of the Galaxy that I went to see today. I've really been looking forward to it, hence I wanted a refund instead of missing a few minutes.

I'll be going again tomorrow, hopefully they don't start it 15 minutes late, leave the lights on, and fail to focus the projector

Pompous · 02-09-2014 7:57pm

e_e wrote: »

That's poor form. fwiw I've never had a problem with Movies @ Dundrum.

Agreed, very poor form. I have been to cinemas in town and the one in Santry many times. I have never had a problem anywhere other than Swords.

TheDoc · 03-09-2014 4:27pm

Notoriously poor Cinema. I live in Swords and packed in going there years ago. Odeon all the way for me, I even now travel to Odeon in the Point it's such a good experience everytime.

At first it was issues with other customers, but then it became increasingly more technical issues. I don't think the place is kept up to scratch with investment.

Pity since when it first came along it was good, but when they raised their prices, provided absolute dirt popcorn, and having rows every other visit with teens acting the prik ,just wasnt worth the effort anymore.

Odeon Coolock is a much better experience, and that's saying something imo.

cloud493 · 03-09-2014 5:29pm

Aye, I live close to swords so I go there when I can't be bothered going into town, but the experience isn't really good. I saw GOTG there last week, and half of the screen was black for the first 15 minutes of the movie, and the sound quality was noticeably worse than when I saw it elsewhere. And the fact I've ordered 4 of their loyalty cards now, and apparently they've 'lost' all 4 of them.

Pompous · 03-09-2014 5:49pm

Right, I guess I'll find a new cinema. Cheers for the feedback.

I went again today to see GOTG and they haven't addressed the lack of focus issue I pointed out yesterday. I decided to just sit through it but it was a bit distracting at a few parts. At least I only paid €5 (student discount).

KilOit · 03-09-2014 6:56pm

it's up there with my worst, generally just stick to IMC Tallaght these days and the odd Lighthouse.
Vue is my worst for sheer rip off material, screen is good but **** the robbing bastards, voting with my feet with that place

Elessar · 04-09-2014 2:05pm

I agree shockingly poor management. I've had more than 1 occasion of the screen being way too dark, lights not turning off on time, screen out of focus etc. They clearly have no passion for movies. But its close so myself and my friends always end up going there.

The dream would be Odeon or Cineworld taking it over. They KNOW how to run a cinema.

bren2001 · 15-09-2014 10:05am

I went to see The Grand Seduction last Friday night. The screen cut to black for about 40 seconds twice during the film. Audio continued. For the minute or two before it happened each time, the screen was almost pulsating i.e. going from dark to bright. Joke of a screening but its what I have come to expect in Swords, I'd never go there for a film I am looking forward too.

timetogo · 15-09-2014 8:37pm

Thought I was just unlucky.

I went to Vue to see GOTG with mates on its opening weekend.
A couple of days later I forced my OH to come with me to see it in Swords. I noticed the screen was way too dark. E.g the pit Starlord jumps over in the start was full of animals. In Swords you couldn't see them.

I noticed recently that some movies that are available in 3d only get 3d showings in Swords. E.g Edge Of Tomorrow was only shown in 3d. Transformers was only available in 3d for the first few weeks. Seems like a money grab to me.
My wife can't see 3d so we went to see Edge Of Tomorrow in Santry. Was impressed with that cinema. It was cheaper too. Haven't been there in years. We've been there since that. It's a pity. Swords is a closer to me but there are cinemas better not far away.

TheDoc · 16-09-2014 6:37pm

Swords is a predominantly teen /young population so its not surprising things are 3d only and not great maintenance. Teens arnt going to complain.

Josey Wales · 16-09-2014 9:41pm

I posted about my experience seeing Pacific Rim last year. They had the film playing in the wrong aspect ratio. I went out to complain and they person said they would sort it out. Nothing changed and I asked to speak with the manager after the film. He tried to convince me that it was the way they filmed it and nothing was wrong with the projection. I still got some free tickets.

A short time later I had the same issue with another film but this time they did fix the issue during the screening.

charlietheminxx · 16-09-2014 10:59pm

I tend to go to swords with friends or to odeon/cineworld in town with the boyfriend. After reading this thread, I am wondering if perhaps the last Pirates of the Carribean movie and The Hobbit weren't intended to be so dark, maybe the whole time it's been the screens in Swords. I'm actually annoyed now! I was putting it down to nighttime/dark scenes not working well with 3D.

cloud493 · 16-11-2014 10:21pm

I went there today to see Say When, probably the worst movie experience I've ever had. The whole place was too hot, smelled, but that wasn't the biggest problem. There was about 15 or so teenage girls in there, who spent the whole film taking selfies, with the flash on, didn't stop for the whole thing, there was no attendant in there, ruined the whole movie for me, they were loud, they threw popcorn at me and other people in the screen, it was abysmal.

People moan about cineworld a lot but its never been as bad as that in there for me.

FlyingIrishMan · 16-11-2014 10:45pm

cloud493 wrote: »

I went there today to see Say When, probably the worst movie experience I've ever had. The whole place was too hot, smelled, but that wasn't the biggest problem. There was about 15 or so teenage girls in there, who spent the whole film taking selfies, with the flash on, didn't stop for the whole thing, there was no attendant in there, ruined the whole movie for me, they were loud, they threw popcorn at me and other people in the screen, it was abysmal.

People moan about cineworld a lot but its never been as bad as that in there for me.

Should have gone out and complained to someone, it's not reasonable for the staff to be attending to every movie when there is probably only about 3-4 staff on.

cloud493 · 16-11-2014 10:54pm

I (and someone else) did go out to complain, there was no around to complain to.

Pompous · 16-11-2014 11:21pm

Wait around until there is someone and get a refund, you definitely deserved one.

There is a phone on the wall beside the staff entrance on the left. See if the number for it is written on/near it and call it. That should make someone appear.

positron · 25-11-2014 4:30pm

I went to Movies @ Swords to watch Interstellar - 2:00 pm show on Saturday.

Walked into the hall aroun 1:45 and sat down. A staff comes in and checks if the place is clean and on the way out he knocks the lights out (I assume he did it anyway). Pitch black and public coming in and wondering what the heck, and then improvises flashlights with their phones or stumbles over steps trying to find their row. After 10 minutes of this I went out and asked someone to sort this out, and the girl checking tickets came in and turned on some lights (brighter than your usual lights). Ads started around 2:00, and went on till 2:15, and finally someone turned off the lights, movies comes on some twenty minutes later than it should have.

Then there were at least three instances of people walking around with mobile phone as flash light (not just the screen - the flash at the back) looking for a seat or looking for someone. But I suppose that's not just the quality of people there.

Movies @ Swords

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