This is my local cinema by several miles, but I've not visited for about 20 years. Couldn't bring myself to drive down to Vue on Kirkstall Road, big and glossy as it is, nor to fork out the best part of £10 each for a ticket. What's more unbearable there is the cost of drinks and snacks...I know its a well talked up complaint, but really, £ 5+ for POPCORN???? Gram for gram more expensive than gold as I'm sure you'll have heard...I always feel ripped off and have resorted to taking all my own stuff.
Anyway, back to CRC. Our little group of 3 got there one evening last week for a showing of "Pirates" at 5.30 pm. Very few there, no queue, no frantic scanning of huge electronic boards to find your film screen, just a little glass fronted TICKET BOOTH ( I know! Amazing!) where the tickets come up out of the metal counter - AND they're each on different coloured card depending if you're child, adult or senior!!!! Call me easily pleased but it was wonderful - and we weren't even IN the place!!! Then our first hiccup. Cash only. "WHAAAT!!!" I harrumphed at the poor boy on the counter "In this day and age" etc etc. He very politely explained that they can't afford the technology, what with the film makers taking 80% of the ticket price (£5) and the remaining 20% going on VAT...in fact the only way they make money at all is on the food and drink. I shamefacedly made my way to the very modest snacks counter ( Pringles, Skittles, polystyrene cups of tea for £1...) and parted with my money willingly, hoping my contribution helped.
The auditorium was bigger than I expected, with the pullmans (extra comfies) impressively roped off, I even saw some DOUBLE pullmans!!! The big dramatic red velvet curtain across the screen and a little piano to one side all added to the atmosphere. Even the Pearl & Dean titles were the old ones - it was fab. Granted the sound system wasn't totally mindblowing, and the intermission (it came up on the screen and the curtains closed - our younger guest was most puzzled!) between the ads and the film was odd, but only added to the experience.
We were seated behind the obligatory row of very noisy, misbehaving, seemingly unsupervised kids, which, considering they were accompanied by 2 neglectful mums who sat and talked all the way through the first 10 mins of the film, was hardly surprising. A loud theatrical SSHHHH did the trick - usually does I find - unless you're in an 18 cert of course when its best to shut up and put up we find....thats another story.
At the end of the film, the lights went up, and as we left we all handed our rubbish in to a lady stood at the bag with a binliner. It felt like we were all part of some precious community event, where everyone has a part, very respectful and quite touching really. I'll be back - it knocked spots off Vue for me, long may it continue! The film was good too!
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