Cinemas and new ideas

Hyndsy85 · 29-07-2009 4:40pm #1

I was in Australia for a year and noticed how very different the cinemas there are and how much more they offer. Now i cant stop thinking why dont any of the cinemas in Ireland provide a similar service.

1) You can become a member of a cinema chain (for free). The membership card gives you a 10% discount on food & drink.( which was already much cheaper than ireland anyway. You could get 2 large popcorns and 2 large drinks for the price of 1 large popcorn and drink in ireland) And from time to time they'd give you special prices on certain movies.

2) They served popcorn in a much neater way. They would fill the popcorn into a box shaped like a cereal box and close the lid. it made it easier to carry and created less chance of a mess for both customer and cinema employee.

3) Tuesdays were called Super Tuesdays because prices for cinema tickets were half price on Tuesdays. (for same day showings only)

4) On a sunday they would make one movie ( usually one that has been out for a while) a dicounted movie. that 1 particular movie would be half price

5) Village cinemas in Oz offered a gold class service. It is basically a vip service. The price for a gold class ticket was double the normal price of a cinema ticket. What you get thas different is that every seat is a recliner. There were only 20 seats in a gold class screen and had a waiter like service for bringing food and drink out to you while the movie is showing.

6) In a different cinema chain there was a beanbag screen. Instead of normal seats your chair was a beanbag

All this has got me wondering why cinemas here havent evolved much more.

Are there any changes you'd like cinemas in ireland to introduce? Or any new services you'd like to see become available?

][cEMAN** · 29-07-2009 4:50pm

lol sounds a bit mad. What i've heard a few of you saying (Paying once for an all you can see ticket for a week or a month), is something that they don't have here yet.

As for those suggestions, I don't necessarily think having a waiter like person walking about bringing people food would be good for the cinema going experience. The beanbag sounds a bit too novelty for here as well. I guess all of this would depend on supply and demand. If people aren't going enough, there won't be enough money coming in to make the big changes.

tbaymusicman · 29-07-2009 4:53pm

Man that sounds cool:D i miss the old cinema in waterford storm are just robbers like 30quid to watch a movie with a popcorn and drink:rolleyes:

lostexpectation · 29-07-2009 4:58pm

so more choice or twenty screens of harry potter?

frag420 · 29-07-2009 5:02pm

some great ideas there.

How about a dedicated screen night for old movies. How cool would it be to see some classics like the Godfather or Blade runner on the big screen again.

How about an adult screen where you can enjoy a beer or wine etc while watching a movie?

Would also like to see a superman day or a police academy weekend wherebye they show the entire series over a weekend or evening. They could have special theme nites for stoners(withnail and I, cheech n chong, the big lebowski) superhero nites(batman, superman etc)classic comedy nites(blazing saddles, brewsters millions etc)

I like the idea of the recliner seats too. The cinemas here in Ireland need to start thinkin outside the box a little more. Here in Sligo they have a deal on a wed where its half price on a wed and when the movie is over you can go next door to the niteclub and get in half price with your cinema stub.

you can see what i am getting at here. The days of paying silly money to sit in a packed roon eating over salted popcorn and flat cola has to end.

Im of to get a DVD now

see ya.........

Eirebear · 29-07-2009 5:06pm

I was getting ready to punch the guy behind me who was trying to eat his packet of crisps eeeeeevvvvveeeerrr soooooooo quuuuuuuiiiiieeeeettttlllllyyyy... feck sitting in a cinema where everyone is rustling about in beanbags!

Eirebear · 29-07-2009 5:08pm

frag420 wrote: »

some great ideas there.

How about a dedicated screen night for old movies. How cool would it be to see some classics like the Godfather or Blade runner on the big screen again.

How about an adult screen where you can enjoy a beer or wine etc while watching a movie?

Would also like to see a superman day or a police academy weekend wherebye they show the entire series over a weekend or evening. They could have special theme nites for stoners(withnail and I, cheech n chong, the big lebowski) superhero nites(batman, superman etc)classic comedy nites(blazing saddles, brewsters millions etc)

I like the idea of the recliner seats too. The cinemas here in Ireland need to start thinkin outside the box a little more. Here in Sligo they have a deal on a wed where its half price on a wed and when the movie is over you can go next door to the niteclub and get in half price with your cinema stub.

you can see what i am getting at here. The days of paying silly money to sit in a packed roon eating over salted popcorn and flat cola has to end.

Im of to get a DVD now

see ya.........

Lots of cinemas show "classic screenings".

Many cinemas have reclining seats, so do many buses...do they really make that big a difference?

What if i dont want to go to the nightclub next door?

Hyndsy85 · 29-07-2009 5:09pm

' wrote:

[cEMAN**;61366719']lol sounds a bit mad. What i've heard a few of you saying (Paying once for an all you can see ticket for a week or a month), is something that they don't have here yet.

As for those suggestions, I don't necessarily think having a waiter like person walking about bringing people food would be good for the cinema going experience. The beanbag sounds a bit too novelty for here as well. I guess all of this would depend on supply and demand. If people aren't going enough, there won't be enough money coming in to make the big changes.

But surely changes would help bring more money in as it would offer a new/different experience. That super tuesday exists in Oz because im guessing tuesday would be the quietest day of the week businesswise at a cinema and its a way to entice people to come.

Not all the ideas they have in oz would work here but id just like the cinemas here to offer a bit more.

Red Sleeping Beauty · 29-07-2009 6:44pm

Hyndsy85 wrote: »

I was in Australia for a year and noticed how very different the cinemas there are and how much more they offer. Now i cant stop thinking why dont any of the cinemas in Ireland provide a similar service.

1) You can become a member of a cinema chain (for free). The membership card gives you a 10% discount on food & drink.( which was already much cheaper than ireland anyway. You could get 2 large popcorns and 2 large drinks for the price of 1 large popcorn and drink in ireland) And from time to time they'd give you special prices on certain movies.

2) They served popcorn in a much neater way. They would fill the popcorn into a box shaped like a cereal box and close the lid. it made it easier to carry and created less chance of a mess for both customer and cinema employee.

3) Tuesdays were called Super Tuesdays because prices for cinema tickets were half price on Tuesdays. (for same day showings only)

4) On a sunday they would make one movie ( usually one that has been out for a while) a dicounted movie. that 1 particular movie would be half price

5) Village cinemas in Oz offered a gold class service. It is basically a vip service. The price for a gold class ticket was double the normal price of a cinema ticket. What you get thas different is that every seat is a recliner. There were only 20 seats in a gold class screen and had a waiter like service for bringing food and drink out to you while the movie is showing.

6) In a different cinema chain there was a beanbag screen. Instead of normal seats your chair was a beanbag

All this has got me wondering why cinemas here havent evolved much more.

Are there any changes you'd like cinemas in ireland to introduce? Or any new services you'd like to see become available?

So food and seats are your main concern with a cinema ? What about film presentation ? How was the surround sound ? Picture nice and sharp with vivid colours ?

I agree on the cheaper tickets. Cinemas in Dublin need to grab that by the balls and do something to get people in on a Monday and Tuesday cause the cinema used be a graveyard on them nights.

It's not easy making suggestions to the cinemas here because a lot of them are owned overseas so you've to convince the general managers to get on the phone to badger someone in an office in the UK somewhere to give them a tonne of money to get new seats or new food or whatever.

There's not a huge market for older films or obscure ones outside of the city centre and there's not much hope of the "shopping mall" plexes on the M50 belt being allowed serve or permit alcohol. All sorts of problems there.

][cEMAN** · 29-07-2009 7:35pm

Hyndsy85 wrote: »

But surely changes would help bring more money in as it would offer a new/different experience.

Well special offer days would help pull in cash on slow days, definately, but i'm on about the novelty stuff. Novelty stuff tends to be a novelty for a very short time, then it wears off. In order to redecorate a place, or remodel it, you'd need a fair amount of money. Considering the only way to make extra cash would be profit from selling tickets, and you'd likely already be selling tickets to that screen# anyway, the novelty would probably have to double or triple the amount of customers. It might do initially, but might not keep it up based solely on the novelty of bean bags

I like the idea of classic movies though. I really love that idea. All day or all weekend specials going over a series, or through an actor's filmography.

Ever see those american films or TV shows where they go to an old theatre where they do old bogart films or 60's 70's horrors, or like Hitchcock season. That would be great. Slow film month? Slow weekend? Go through old films.

In some cases great films come into our local cinema and are gone by the next week, so an option to get to see them again at some point would be brilliant.

29-07-2009 7:44pm

I was in a cinema in London at the beginning of the year. "The Electric" I think it was called. It had leather arm-chairs with leather footstools, a small table between seats and a bar in the screen. It only had one screen but was the best cinemas I've ever been to. Something like that would be brilliant in Ireland. Definitely wouldn't mind paying a bit extra to go see a film in a place like that.

Hyndsy85 · 29-07-2009 7:55pm

Alan Rouge wrote: »

So food and seats are your main concern with a cinema ? What about film presentation ? How was the surround sound ? Picture nice and sharp with vivid colours ?

Um I was stating what cinemas do in Oz and simply saying is there any changes people would like to see in irish cinemas.

I wasn't even saying that they were all good ideas or that they would all work over here.

Food and seats aren't my main corcern with a cinema. I wasn't even listing problems i have with cinemas.

Red Sleeping Beauty · 29-07-2009 8:07pm

Sorry if you took offence. It's a pet hate of mine. Most people seem more concerned with the food a cinema sells and the seats it has rather than the film presentation.

29-07-2009 8:09pm

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Sorry if you took offence. It's a pet hate of mine. Most people seem more concerned with the food a cinema sells and the seats it has rather than the film presentation.

To me the food is not important, but the seats are. (not as important as the presentation though). Nothing worse than watching a film in an uncomfortable seat.

][cEMAN** · 29-07-2009 8:49pm

Drafty theatres as well....when you're sitting there and your nipples are poking through your t-shirt, or when they're too hot in the summer.

GET A THERMOSTAT!!!

I'd love to see a bar in a cinema. There're a lot of people who sometimes go for a pint before hand, or afterwards, and it would keep them going in between.

I know it wouldn't happen, but i'd love there to be an over 18's only section of a cinema (where beer could be served), and where teenagers trying to impress dates by being loud mouthed pricks, and little kids shouting to their mommies, would be OUTLAWED!

][cEMAN** · 29-07-2009 8:50pm

ha ha we're all having a good time, lets giggle loudly and say what someone else is doing, or texting

SHUT THE FNCK UP!!!!

Red Sleeping Beauty · 29-07-2009 8:53pm

' wrote:

[cEMAN**;61370540']Drafty theatres as well....when you're sitting there and your nipples are poking through your t-shirt, or when they're too hot in the summer.

GET A THERMOSTAT!!!

I'd love to see a bar in a cinema. There're a lot of people who sometimes go for a pint before hand, or afterwards, and it would keep them going in between.

I know it wouldn't happen, but i'd love there to be an over 18's only section of a cinema (where beer could be served), and where teenagers trying to impress dates by being loud mouthed pricks, and little kids shouting to their mommies, would be OUTLAWED!

The UGC in Dublin has a bar and there's Odeons in the UK with bars. I just don't think you'll see them in "family friendly shopping mall multiplexes" anytime soon due to licensing laws.

Well cinemas could restrict under 18s after a certain time or partition off a section of the cinema so that there's a split. You could also have two screens running the same film at the same time and send the kiddies/teenagers into one screen and the more mature into another for your popoular Transformers type films.

Oh and temperature control of a cinema is a pretty serious thing. If it's too hot/cold a quick word with one of the staff should sort it out.

][cEMAN** · 29-07-2009 9:32pm

You'd think so, but the local staff aren't always that responsive.

purple_hatstand · 30-07-2009 2:52pm

In an age when lots of people have better systems in their homes than they can find in their cinema, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that attendances are down. Does anybody know if numbers of people in Ireland/elsewhere going to the cinema are up/down/same as previous years/decades etc...

I've pretty much stopped going to the cinema altogether for various reasons - one of the main ones is the appalling quality of film presentation. I just got sick of scruffy, out-of-focus, off-centre picture and muddy sound. Not to mention textin', chatterin', sweet-bag rustlin', drink-slurpin', jacks-visitin' types with nothing better to do and scant regard for their fellow cinema-goers.

Bean-bags? Pffffffttt. Sounds like another reason to watch decent movies in the comfort of my living room with mates and with proper picture/sound quality.

Pop's Diner · 30-07-2009 4:48pm

Hyndsy85 wrote: »

3) Tuesdays were called Super Tuesdays because prices for cinema tickets were half price on Tuesdays. (for same day showings only)

I believe the unofficial name is Tightárse Tuesday (or at least that's what everyone I met over there called it). They had them in NZ as well.

These ideas are all good ones. The problem is over in Oz there actually is stuff to do so the cinemas have to compete for the public imagination. Over here however the weather's shít and there's nothing to do so people flock to them regardles. So why bother make an effort when the customers are gonna come anyway? (and I'm not talking about DVD film fans - who are a lost cause in this regard).

Red Sleeping Beauty · 31-07-2009 12:42am

' wrote:

[cEMAN**;61371253']You'd think so, but the local staff aren't always that responsive.

purple_hatstand wrote: »

In an age when lots of people have better systems in their homes than they can find in their cinema, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that attendances are down. Does anybody know if numbers of people in Ireland/elsewhere going to the cinema are up/down/same as previous years/decades etc...

I've pretty much stopped going to the cinema altogether for various reasons - one of the main ones is the appalling quality of film presentation. I just got sick of scruffy, out-of-focus, off-centre picture and muddy sound. Not to mention textin', chatterin', sweet-bag rustlin', drink-slurpin', jacks-visitin' types with nothing better to do and scant regard for their fellow cinema-goers.

Bean-bags? Pffffffttt. Sounds like another reason to watch decent movies in the comfort of my living room with mates and with proper picture/sound quality.

Don't overestimate home entertainment here. There might be people buying home kits from Power ****ty and whatever but ask them to tell you the difference between DTS and THX and you'll get a

kinda face.

There was a statistic a few years ago that Ireland had the highest cinema going audience in Europe. I really doubt it's dwindling. Dublin has a very high concentration of cinemas. Especially multiplexes. There's nothing else to do other than drink or go cinema and people don't just go to the cinema to watch a film. It's something to do, hence the textin', chattin', ridin' and all the other noise with the food and desire for the comfiest seats.

I can't help but blame picture/sound quality being poor on mangement's interference in the managing of the projection booth but ye gotta complain man. If it's fuzzy or the sound's crap then just demand yer refund.

Mackman · 31-07-2009 5:52am

Eirebear wrote: »

Lots of cinemas show "classic screenings".

Many cinemas have reclining seats, so do many buses...do they really make that big a difference?

What if i dont want to go to the nightclub next door?

The reclining seats in the gold class cinemas are not just seats, they're armchairs, big soft comfy ones like you would have at home, although i havent gone into the gold class yet, a bit too expensive, its like 80dollars (50euros) for 2, just for tickets.

What i find great about the cinemas here is the choice. Im going to see Public Enemies tonight and i have to decide between: the local one, which is on a par with storm cinemas at home, or i can make the trip to Perth and go to the Innaloo Megaplex, when there i have the choice between regular screens (cheapest), VMAX(better sounds, bigger screen, better picture, average price), or the gold class. then maybe go to Sizzler

You just dont get that at home, at least not in Kilkenny. there i have a choice between Cineplex Kilkenny, Cineplex Carlow or Storm Waterford. Its a real pity that they dont even try at home, it actually made me stop going to the cinema, except for movie i really wanted to see. But now i can actually enjoy the cinema

mikemac · 31-07-2009 6:49am

I will happily pay a euro surcharge to have a bouncer in the film with us.
I'd even pay two euro to get two bouncers with a no-nonsense attitude.

If only 50 of us paid the surcharge, that's a handy 50 euro for the bouncer as long as he does his job.

Draupnir · 31-07-2009 9:56am

Mackman wrote: »

What i find great about the cinemas here is the choice. Im going to see Public Enemies tonight and i have to decide between: the local one, which is on a par with storm cinemas at home, or i can make the trip to Perth and go to the Innaloo Megaplex, when there i have the choice between regular screens (cheapest), VMAX(better sounds, bigger screen, better picture, average price), or the gold class. then maybe go to Sizzler

You just dont get that at home, at least not in Kilkenny. there i have a choice between Cineplex Kilkenny, Cineplex Carlow or Storm Waterford. Its a real pity that they dont even try at home, it actually made me stop going to the cinema, except for movie i really wanted to see. But now i can actually enjoy the cinema

Tell me you didn't just compare Kilkenny, Ireland with Perth, Australia? Hardly a realistic comparison.

One thing I've always wanted at the cinema is a cloakroom idea, so people can check in coats and bags. I nearly broke my next trying to go to the toilet during a movie last night because the group of girls in the same row as me had twenty Penneys bags each. I also hate having my coat on my lap or crushed underneath me.

Totally agree with the thermostat idea, Cineworld almost destroyed Apocalypto for me because of how hot it was in the screen.

I'd like to see a dedicated classics screen in places like Cineworld with a constant flow of classic movies, might not get the trade but would appeal to me.

mikemac · 31-07-2009 10:18am

Draupnir wrote: »

One thing I've always wanted at the cinema is a cloakroom idea, so people can check in coats and bags. I nearly broke my next trying to go to the toilet during a movie last night because the group of girls in the same row as me had twenty Penneys bags each. I also hate having my coat on my lap or crushed underneath me.

Some cinemas have this........sort of.
As in if you show with a bag they make you put in their storeroom, they won't let you go the screen with a bag.
If you insist, you'll be asked to leave

I always got grief, used to go the cinema on Fridays after getting the bus home from college.
"You think I' feel confident about storing my laptop in your storeroom...and you're not even going give me a receipt??" :eek:

Red Sleeping Beauty · 01-08-2009 12:58am

Mackman wrote: »

The reclining seats in the gold class cinemas are not just seats, they're armchairs, big soft comfy ones like you would have at home, although i havent gone into the gold class yet, a bit too expensive, its like 80dollars (50euros) for 2, just for tickets.

What i find great about the cinemas here is the choice. Im going to see Public Enemies tonight and i have to decide between: the local one, which is on a par with storm cinemas at home, or i can make the trip to Perth and go to the Innaloo Megaplex, when there i have the choice between regular screens (cheapest), VMAX(better sounds, bigger screen, better picture, average price), or the gold class. then maybe go to Sizzler

You just dont get that at home, at least not in Kilkenny. there i have a choice between Cineplex Kilkenny, Cineplex Carlow or Storm Waterford. Its a real pity that they dont even try at home, it actually made me stop going to the cinema, except for movie i really wanted to see. But now i can actually enjoy the cinema

Yeah you can't really compare Kilkenny, Carlow and Waterford to places abroad I don't think. Come to Dublin and you'll get your choice of screens. Thing is though, the basic idea of film projection hasn't changed though. don't think there's anywhere in Ireland with a THX certified screen. That'd be interesting though.

btw, do Australian cinemas leave a dim set of lights on their wall/ceiling ?

Draupnir wrote: »

Tell me you didn't just compare Kilkenny, Ireland with Perth, Australia? Hardly a realistic comparison.

One thing I've always wanted at the cinema is a cloakroom idea, so people can check in coats and bags. I nearly broke my next trying to go to the toilet during a movie last night because the group of girls in the same row as me had twenty Penneys bags each. I also hate having my coat on my lap or crushed underneath me.

Totally agree with the thermostat idea, Cineworld almost destroyed Apocalypto for me because of how hot it was in the screen.

I'd like to see a dedicated classics screen in places like Cineworld with a constant flow of classic movies, might not get the trade but would appeal to me.

Yeah some places will require you to leave your buggy/pram in as it's an aul safety hazzard to have one sitting in the middle of an aisle. A proper safe cloakroom I suppose isn't on the agenda but would you pay your €1/€2 to leave a coat in ?

purple_hatstand · 01-08-2009 5:10pm

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Don't overestimate home entertainment here. There might be people buying home kits from Power ****ty and whatever but ask them to tell you the difference between DTS and THX and you'll get a kinda face.

There was a statistic a few years ago that Ireland had the highest cinema going audience in Europe. I really doubt it's dwindling. Dublin has a very high concentration of cinemas. Especially multiplexes. There's nothing else to do other than drink or go cinema and people don't just go to the cinema to watch a film. It's something to do, hence the textin', chattin', ridin' and all the other noise with the food and desire for the comfiest seats.

I can't help but blame picture/sound quality being poor on mangement's interference in the managing of the projection booth but ye gotta complain man. If it's fuzzy or the sound's crap then just demand yer refund.

Excellent points...I suppose my rant was based on the fact that my "local" cinema is a 40-minute drive away in a provincial town and it only shows the standard fare (blockbusters, rom-coms, kids movies etc...) which I have little enough interest in anyway. The facilities for film presentation are at the lower end of the quality spectrum and the clientele seems to be mostly made up of bored teenagers.

I don't feel much of an incentive to make that effort tbh.

Maybe I should move out o'the sticks...:D

Red Sleeping Beauty · 01-08-2009 10:12pm

I was in a "provincial" cinema outside Dublin once. Down in a holiday home camp kinda place in Wexford. Saw Into the West, many many moons ago. Don't know if the cinema is still there but those cinemas is a totally different scenario. They're probably similar to sometihng like the Stilorgan Ormonde which smoe regular "shopping mall 'plex" goers may look down on.

Mossy Monk · 01-08-2009 10:40pm

tbaymusicman wrote: »

Man that sounds cool:D i miss the old cinema in waterford storm are just robbers like 30quid to watch a movie with a popcorn and drink:rolleyes:

No. That is incorrect

Average-Ro · 01-08-2009 11:43pm

THe EYE cinema in Galway has some of these covered already. It has a RUBY TUESDAY, where students can see any movie before half 8 for €4. They don't let you take in bags so the aisles are generally clear. They have a "Luxery Screen" with reclining chairs and possibly a waiter of sorts (that I'm not too sure about) I think it might be €15 or so... And thay also have a bar upstairs as well as an arthouse screen. They do a decent job it has to be said, I much prefer going there than the Omniplex.

constitutionus · 04-08-2009 11:10am

i dont really go there that often but vue in liffey valley do an "adult only " show of some releases like star trek, transformers, and harry potter for those fans that dont want to be surrounded by kids running all over the place or screaming their heads off.

personally i'd like some way of telling the cinema what films im looking forward too, like a survey or something, in terms of up coming releaes as twice now films ive wanted to see never materalised at my local. if enough people reference the same film it should help it.

the same mechanism could be used on a classics night. give a selction an show the most popular with a space for suggestions for the weeks ahead.

little stuff like this makes a difference.

Cinemas and new ideas

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