Odeon cinemas.....never again!

[George 1978]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

We ended the children's matinees in 1974. Due to Saturday television, there was no call for them any more. As far as I know, no cinemas have special weekly matinees for children these days. The cinema industry has changed radically since I was working in it.

It does seem to coincide with when Saturday morning shows like Tiswas starting up (in the Midlands at least) and youngsters staying in, hence the decrease of cinema shows back then. Looking at old TV schedules from 1973-1974 (as it was before my time), there doesn't seem to be many kids' shows on Saturday mornings up until then apart from the odd cartoons, only things like DIY programmes and adult education which I assumed that the average child would have not got interested about - thinking about it, there were educational programmes on weekdays for schools, and other educational programmes at the same time at weekends! It was not surprising that youngsters were more interested in what was on at the cinema rather than the TV back then!

You have illustrated a lot that has changed in over half a century - the fact of the matter is that even someone works in a cinema is technically a stranger to a youngster, just as much as a bus driver, shop assistant or librarian would be. Admittedly, I obviously didn't know the staff at my local Odeon for obvious reasons as youngster - I couldn't assume that just because someone is a staff member, that I would know and trust them - certainly not these days. Come to think of it, I didn't really know any of the other kids who watched the same film as I did either as they mostly went to different schools!

[staffslad]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

I'm typing this into this text box so that I won't have to paste it in from Word. Its ironic that that in the 1950s, when the films were much better than they are today, going to the pictures was a really cheap night out and these days, you have to pay out at least a tenner, not to watch a film, because celluloid films are no longer used, but in effect to watch a digital presentation on what is effectively a large television screen hung on the wall of a featureless auditorium. You might as well save your money and stay at home and watch a DVD. I was a cinema projectionist for nearly twenty years, from 1962 to 1981 and saw many changes in that time. The British cinema industry began to go to pot in the 1970s and had to re-invent itself with multi small screen multiplexes and films aimed at either a juvenile or soft porn audience. I remember asking my boss around 1980 when we were showing absolute rubbish like 'Sexy Susan and the Sex Slaves' why we couldn't show proper films any more, like 'King of Kings' and he replied that we were in this business to make money and that this was what the punters wanted nowadays. Mind you, he was very strict about age restrictions. I remember when, back in 1968, we were showing the 'X' film WITCHFINDER GENERAL and ten minutes before the show started, I was stood with the boss by the pay box when this young lad came in. He looked about 12 years old. "You're not comin' in t'see this!", the boss told him. "Well, I'm 16", said the boy. "16? You haven't seen 13, let alone 16", the boss told him. "Now get!" and the boy getted. The BBFC changed the certificates in July, 1970 when the 'X' admission age was raised to 18 and, as you remembered, the 'AA' certificate was brought in.

I do agree that films of yesteryear were overall of a higher quality than they are today, and with TVs now getting bigger and bigger, and more affordable to boot, it puzzles me why so many people still go to the cinema. The last time I went was to see Titanic circa 1998 and it bored me silly. I was so sick of the antics of the two romantic leads that I couldn't wait for the ship to hit that iceberg--see A Night to Remember for a far better film about the Titanic tragedy. If it hadn't been for my wife I would probably have left way before the end. No, nowadays I use money I might have spent on cinema trips on DVDs. I always purchase them used and for a £10 cinema ticket cost, I can buy 3 or 4 DVDs.

Interesting about the raising of the age for X films from 16 to 18--I didn't know that and had assumed it had always been 18. Also, about having to be accompanied by an adult for A certificate films was a surprise for me as A when I was growing up just meant there might be scenes some children could find disturbing.

I can't remember my local cinema holding saturday morning shows, but our local council did. I would go with older cousins on a saturday morning to a nearby hall and we would see a couple of films, CFF, Abbot and Costello etc, plus a cliffhanger serial episode like Flash Gordon, plus some cartoons. This would have been in the late 60s.

I have also remembered that our local cinema would give 1/2 price admission to those with a UB40 card for weekday matinees in the early 80s, so when I was on the dole for a while back then, I would go whenever there was something good. Often there would be a double bill of second run features. I saw a double bill of Scum and Midnight Express circa 1981 for 55p with my UB40 card. Mind you, attendance was still poor, and on one occasion I was the only person in the audience, and it was normal to have 2 or 3 rows between patrons.

[Richard1978]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Some cinemas show U rated films early in the day, often ones that have been out a while, which I guess are cheaper to see.

[tex]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Some cinemas show U rated films early in the day, often ones that have been out a while, which I guess are cheaper to see.

Cinemas wont charge depending on the film, its age and sometimes afternoon/evening performance

[George 1978]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Cinemas wont charge depending on the film, its age and sometimes afternoon/evening performance

I used to think that 15 and 18 certificate films would obviously cost more than their U and PG counterparts, and as it is obviously catering for a different taste of viewer.

[agfagaevart]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Its ironic that that in the 1950s, when the films were much better than they are today, going to the pictures was a really cheap night out and these days, you have to pay out at least a tenner, not to watch a film, because celluloid films are no longer used, but in effect to watch a digital presentation on what is effectively a large television screen hung on the wall of a featureless auditorium. You might as well save your money and stay at home and watch a DVD.

Exactly right! That's one reason why I stopped going to the cinema. I have a big telly, so why not wait for the films to come on it for free? Also I got fed up of paying a tenner or more, to see really duff movies like Prometheus / Green Lantern / etc. The cinemas are full of sequels and bad remakes. At least the Avengers nonsense is over...for now. I wouldn't mind seeing Sexy Susan tho...

I was a cinema projectionist for nearly twenty years, from 1962 to 1981 and saw many changes in that time. The British cinema industry began to go to pot in the 1970s and had to re-invent itself with multi small screen multiplexes and films aimed at either a juvenile or soft porn audience.

I bet you have some great stories! It's such a shame that many projectionists have been put out of work because now the multiplexes can get the movies on hard drives, and the managers, etc. can run them with hardly any skills.

[George 1978]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Exactly right! That's one reason why I stopped going to the cinema. I have a big telly, so why not wait for the films to come on it for free?

Not quite free if you pay for a TV licence (like most people), but I take your point - it is cheaper in the long run.

[tex]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

i love going to the flix despite the aforementioned drawbacks (see #3) watching a film on tv could never compare to the cinema experience, the huge screen and superior sound and getting lost in the film...pure escapism

[George 1978]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

One could argue that watching a film at home is pure escapism as you don't have people talking and kids messing about...

[staffslad]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

As I've said before, I haven't been to the cinema in 20+ years. Back then, few people had mobile phones, but I wondered if cinemas today had a phones off policy, as I can imagine endless bleeps and tunes from them would become very annoying.

[tex]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

As I've said before, I haven't been to the cinema in 20+ years. Back then, few people had mobile phones, but I wondered if cinemas today had a phones off policy, as I can imagine endless bleeps and tunes from them would become very annoying.

Not a policy as such but in vue cinemas before the main feature starts a patron announcement is made requesting phones be switched off and that people refrain from talking....needless to say both go ignored regularly

[staffslad]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Not a policy as such but in vue cinemas before the main feature starts a patron announcement is made requesting phones be switched off and that people refrain from talking....needless to say both go ignored regularly

It's sad and somewhat disturbing that so many people seem not to be able to switch off their phones for even the duration of a visit to the cinema. The phone is supposed to be the servant of the user, but often it appears to me that the user is the slave to the phone. As for talking, I don't remember it being much of an issue back in the 70s and 80s, in that people went to the cinema to see the film and talking was sparse and at low volume.

[DavidRayner]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

They should electronically block mobile phone signals in cinemas, so that they can't be used. I've never had a mobile phone myself and have never had any need for one. As I have no friends or family, the only people who would call me on them are cold callers and scammers. I do have a landline phone so that I can be connected to the Internet, but when the landlines are eventually faded out, I will lose my Internet connection for good. I would never go to a cinema nowadays since they stopped showing real celluloid films and went digital and I'm someone who grew up going to the cinema during the 1950s; 1960s and 1970s.

[zabadak]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

Also, the screens can be distracting...

[George 1978]

Re: Odeon cinemas.....never again!

They should electronically block mobile phone signals in cinemas, so that they can't be used. I've never had a mobile phone myself and have never had any need for one. As I have no friends or family, the only people who would call me on them are cold callers and scammers. I do have a landline phone so that I can be connected to the Internet, but when the landlines are eventually faded out, I will lose my Internet connection for good. I would never go to a cinema nowadays since they stopped showing real celluloid films and went digital and I'm someone who grew up going to the cinema during the 1950s; 1960s and 1970s.

The same should happen regarding theatres as well where the actors on stage can really be disrupted if someone's phone going off, and that is more annoying because the performance is live - think of when the snooker is played at the Crucible and other places. Although I own a mobile phone myself, I am so used to landlines when it comes to making telephone calls and often forget to take it with me where I go! I can understand the cold callers and scammers - a few years back I lost a few hundred pounds because someone had taken advantage of me that way - the problem is that the police in recent years has downgraded it as a crime, and a bit like shoplifting, it is almost seen as a victimless crime. I am also someone who used use a VCR as well.

Going back to the cinemas, OK, a mobile phone going off won't obviously disrupt the actors in the film, but from an audience's perspective, it is just annoying. I don't mind the mobile phone travelling on the bus or walking down the street, but they should be at least handed into the reception when it comes to cinemas and theatres, and if bags needed to be search as a result, so be it. As I say, I have nothing to hide, and if cinema or theatre staff want to search my bag for mobile phones, sweets, knives, guns, etc, they can do so as I could easily prove that I don't carry any of those items on me. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say.