View Full Version : Odeon cinema news
General Maximus
11-05-2021, 12:10
Yesterday it was confirmed that we will be proceeding with the next stage of lockdown easing on Monday 17th May which means the cinemas will be reopening. The film release date list (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=33709603) is currently up to date and I am hoping things aren't going to change much going forward. Both the UK and US are doing very well with their vaccination programs so things should only get better and hopefully not worse.
So the good news is that there are plenty of good films coming out to see over the summer and the rest of this year. The reason why I wanted to make this post is that I have been looking at the Odeon website to see if they have updated it with new film showing times (and they haven't) and I noticed they have amended their Limitless membership for the better.
For those of you who don't know, Limitless membership is a service where you "used" to pay £17.99/month and you could go and see as many films as you wanted to any time for free. If you are a cinema fan it obviously works out very cost effective and you can save a fortune. My cinema is one of the most expensive in the country and ticket prices are usually around £12 so I was saving money even if I only went to the cinema twice a month.
I don't know whether it is because people have been cancelling their Limitless membership as cinemas have been closed for the best part of a year or whether they are just trying to encourage people back but the monthly cost has now been reduced to £9.99 until the end of September. The important point to make here is that I imagine in most areas it means that it is going to be cheaper for you to have a Limitless card even if you only go to the cinema once a month than it will buying one full priced ticket. If you look at the films being released over the next few months and if you were planning on going to see them anyway then you can save a lot of money. As an added perk you also get 10% off snacks and drinks so come September you will have saved yourself a fortune :)
In the interest of being fair and balanced before anyone whines about me promoting Odeon, Cineworld also provide a similar membership although I am not a member and thus cannot provide any information on changes or benefits.
My Odeon has had new seats with trays fitted which basically means my plus size ass is not comfy on them anymore so Odeon is a no no for me . Damn shame though
I’d love to have a Limitless membership (or the Cineworld one) but at the moment we live too far from any cinema for regular trips to be practical, especially with our kids the age they are. But missus and I have our eye on it and as circumstances permit it’s something we both definitely want to do.
General Maximus
11-05-2021, 12:55
My Odeon has had new seats with trays fitted which basically means my plus size ass is not comfy on them anymore so Odeon is a no no for me . Damn shame though
You are lucky, that is Odeon Luxe. As I mentioned above, my cinema is the third most expensive in the country because Odeon have the monopoly in Lincoln and know they can charge whatever they want and do whatever they want because there isn't another cinema you can go to. About 5 or 6 years ago they revamped some of the screens and put better seats in with more leg room but for some weird reason they didn't do two screens (4 and 9) so we are left with the original seats which are 20 years old, literally falling apart and they expect you to pay the same full price for films shown in those screens as you do for the other screens with far superior seating. I have complained many a time and they refuse to do anything about it. The joke is that the Odeon Luxe in Leeds charges half the price of my cinema and all the seats are two seater recliner sofas with trays. It is so f-ing annoying.
Picturehouse and Curzon, my favourite London cinemas, are reopening too. I was glad because I was worried they might simply not reopen.
You are lucky, that is Odeon Luxe. As I mentioned above, my cinema is the third most expensive in the country because Odeon have the monopoly in Lincoln and know they can charge whatever they want and do whatever they want because there isn't another cinema you can go to. About 5 or 6 years ago they revamped some of the screens and put better seats in with more leg room but for some weird reason they didn't do two screens (4 and 9) so we are left with the original seats which are 20 years old, literally falling apart and they expect you to pay the same full price for films shown in those screens as you do for the other screens with far superior seating. I have complained many a time and they refuse to do anything about it. The joke is that the Odeon Luxe in Leeds charges half the price of my cinema and all the seats are two seater recliner sofas with trays. It is so f-ing annoying.
Hardly lucky if I can not go because it is a luxe
They converted one of the Odeons in Glasgow to a Luxe, which was annoying, because it's the one next to a really nice Chinese buffet I like to go to. I don't need the bells and whistles around my seat, it's a darkened room and I'm there for the film, so I'm not paying the higher ticket price just for a tray and legroom I don't need anyway.
Is Luxe the one where they advertise food and drink service DURING THE FILM? I can't image anything more annoying than people eating an actual meal during a film. You want the bigger screen, with the best sound, in the darkest room and that's it.
I had a Cineworld Unlimited card years ago, but it still worked out expensive because I had to pay to park (its in Nottingham city centre).
I switched to Showcase becasue I really like the reclining seats, and free parking, but unlike Odeon/Cineworld, they dont do a season ticket type card.
(They do "Insider", which is free, and you get discounts, but not the same thing).
I'm getting 6 free tickets for Odeon later in the year, so I'll get a chance to see what the Derby one is like (its a Luxe).
---------- Post added at 22:01 ---------- Previous post was at 21:40 ----------
Well I guess I wont be bothering with Limitless, even if I did like the cinema.
The whole site refers to "digital membership" and using "the app".
Obviously another of these pathetic companies discriminating against those who do not have a Smart Phone.
General Maximus
12-05-2021, 00:16
Is Luxe the one where they advertise food and drink service DURING THE FILM?.
That is something new they must be trialling. I think they are calling it "Luxe dining in". Normal Luxe is recliner seats with bucket loads of space. I understand how off putting eating sounds during the film but they have got plenty of experience doing it and it works very well. About 10 years ago Odeon opened a cinema in London called "The Lounge" which was a 5 screen cinema, adults only, proper posh bar and restaurant menu, It was all waiter service in screen and the idea is that you enjoyed a 3 course meal with however many drinks while you watch the film. I went a few films for special films and it worked brilliantly and the food was amazing. The cutlery, plates and trays were all sound proofed and the waiters wore all-black and ran and ducked as they worked their way around people. You really didn't notice them at all. The sad thing is that it was really expensive and even though it was in central London I am assuming it wasn't popular enough which is why it was closed.
The whole site refers to "digital membership" and using "the app".
that is new and it will be interesting to see how that works. The membership is tied to your Odeon account so when you book tickets online or in the app it knows you are Limitless and you get them free however when you collect the tickets from the atm machines in the cinema the only way you can retrieve them is by swiping your card (whether it be debit card or limitless). It will be interesting to see if they have have replaced the machines so they have now got scanners built in which can read QR codes. I can think of better things they can spend their money on.
Response from Odeon ;
Dear Paul,
Thank you for contacting us & I hope you are doing well.
I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the new digital version of myLimitless.
Just so so are aware we are phasing out physical membership cards, instead your membership card is now fully digital and accessible from our new myODEON app.
If you do not have access to a smart phone you are able to still book online using a PC, provided you have an email address that is registered to your myLimitless account. You can also give your email address to a member of staff in cinema, who will then be able to bring up your myLimitless details without the need for a physical card.
General Maximus
12-05-2021, 18:14
It would be nice if they flipping email the limitless members and told them because i have heard sweet fa. I saw them promoting the app and qr code on the website but i assumed it was an "as well as" as another way to do something and not an "instead of" or replacement.
General Maximus
14-05-2021, 19:53
Well there is good news and bad news. The good news is that I have had an email from Odeon confirming the membership price decrease to £9.99 and better yet we aren't being charged until the June billing period so basically the next month is free.
The bad news is that it is just as well because the films they have got on are carp. Talk about a missed opportunity. You have Tom and Jerry, Nomadland, Mortal Kombat, Peter Rabbit 2 and something else which has also been released on a streaming service. They should be trying to motivate people and encourage fans back to the cinema. They could start at the beginning and show 2 MCU films a week in the run up to Black Widow. I am not even going to get started on all the classics they could bring back. We nearly into a new generation of young people who never saw Avatar in 3D at the cinema.
I didn't watch Nomanland on Streaming so might make that my first film back or Minari.
General Maximus
15-05-2021, 19:04
I know everyone has different tastes but unless you are desperate to get back into the cinema I wouldn't bother with either of them, even if you are Limitless. Neither are cinema worthy imho.
Odeon are not the only ones with a limp start.
The only film Showcase have on that interested me was Kong v Godzilla, but I've already seen that.
General Maximus
18-05-2021, 22:35
Exactly, all the films they are showing have been available for a couple of months. They would have been better off forgetting about them and bringing back some classic blockbusters.
I don't know how it works with them showing movies but I'm guessing that they had already paid for the rights to show them, so they want to try and earn some of that money back.
Went to see Nomanland in my normal cinema. Felt great to hear some of the traditional sounds of the cinema logos and so on. :)
So they were better than the film then :erm:
I liked the film too but my main reason for going was just to be in a cinema again. It is the kind of film I need to see in a cinema though because I need to pay attention and not have distractions. I think the moment I got into it was when she was at that camp with all the other nomads and they were exploring their motivations and from that point on you're really wondering her motivation and where she'll end up.
General Maximus
23-05-2021, 10:37
I was going to say that I want to go to the cinema but I can't find a reason to go because there isn't anything on I want to watch or haven't seen already but I have just checked again Terminator is bring brought back.
Well I guess I wont be bothering with Limitless, even if I did like the cinema.
The whole site refers to "digital membership" and using "the app".
Obviously another of these pathetic companies discriminating against those who do not have a Smart Phone.
that is new and it will be interesting to see how that works...... when you collect the tickets from the atm machines in the cinema the only way you can retrieve them is by swiping your card (whether it be debit card or limitless).
It looks they trying to do anyway with paper tickets now and move to e-ticketing. Putting the app aside, they have always sent you an email confirmation and now you get an e-ticket by email and on your Odeon app with a qr code they can scan.
https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2021/05/3.jpg
What really has wound me up is this:
https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2021/05/4.jpg
What absolute bullshit. Strange how they weren't interested in doing it when we actually needed it last August. I am not downloading the app.
Edit: I don't know what is going on with the screenshot not displaying properly so I have attached the thumbs you can click on.
Limitless looks crap anyway as, so far as I can work out, it's only until September at which point it's full wack again. Their new cinema in Leicester Square is lovely so I would be very, very tempted if I could lock in a year at the cheaper rate.
General Maximus
24-05-2021, 10:29
Funny you should say that because I am going to see Terminator later and I am very very curious to see if they have done any refurbishments to my cinema while it has been closed. On the new website and seating planners we don't have premiere seating anymore and it is all "standard". I don't know if they have done it as a goodwill gesture to keep ticket prices down so people don't have to pay the extra £2 for premiere seating for a limited period of time while they get people going back or whether it is because all seats are now premiere seats so premiere seats are now the "standard". Wishful thinking but we will see.
I don't mind the membership fee going back up to full price in September because by then there will be loads of films coming out I want to see plus films like Shang-Chi which I will want to see multiple times.
I’d have thought it more likely that the seats are all one price so they have the best chance of filling all available seats, given the capacity restrictions they’re still under.
General Maximus
24-05-2021, 13:48
Yeah. Last summer we had a long conversation accompanied with some seating diagrams (lol) of how cinemas may reopen and we discussed automatically blocking off every other row of seats and two seats either side of you. None of that happened and you could sit anywhere you wanted to and when I went to see one film somebody actually sat next me.
They have changed it this time though and when you book your tickets online it automatically makes the two seats either side of you unavailable but people can still sit in the rows immediately behind you and in front of you.
I just don't go to the same cinema enough for these schemes to work. I alternative between three or so around the West End but for a 'big' film the Odeon is very good. It's a huge screen and a huge room. You would want to watch a Marvel film in there with an appreciative audience since the place would pop.
General Maximus
02-08-2021, 19:29
Just had an email through with updated information regarding Limitless membership. Originally the plan was to offer it at a reduced rate at £9.99/month until October and then it would return to the usual fee of £17.99. It October the price will be increasing but only to £12.99 and it doesn't say whether this is temporary until e.g. Christmas or whether it will be permanent. I have a feeling things haven't gone as well as hoped and they are playing it by ear. It doesn't help the few big family films that have been released which would normally encourage larger groups of three or four people to the cinema with the obligatory sweets & drinks have been simultaneously released on a streaming service like Jungle Cruise this week. Either way, it is good news for the movie fans. I only need to go to the cinema twice a month and I am saving money.
pip08456
02-08-2021, 20:05
Good times ahead then General.
General Maximus
02-08-2021, 21:15
Yeah, my cinema is one of the most expensive in the country so I end up saving a fortune even when membership is full price at £18/month.
General Maximus
05-12-2021, 18:39
Odeon are doing a pseudo-triple bill in the advance of Spiderman 3 being released on Wednesday 15th December. They are showing Spiderman 1 and 2 on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th December respectively.
General Maximus
08-12-2021, 18:58
Tickets for Matrix Ressurections and Kingsman 3 are up
General Maximus
05-03-2022, 15:12
I think Odeon learnt a lesson after lockdown No. 1. They brought a few older films back to show as there weren't any new releases and the old films proved to be quite popular. I have noticed they reopened for the second time last year that they have made a concerted effort to show even more old films for special anniversaries or seasonal events (e.g. Halloween).
In just over a weeks time (Monday 14th March) they are showing Apollo 13 in the evening so you can go after work. It is a fantastic opportunity and I can't wait to see it again, I can remember going to see it for the first time back in 1995. Also on the same day and the following (Tuesday) they are bringing back Dune (2021) which you can see for £3.50, another bargain imho. Two great films which I can't wait to see at the cinema again.
I decided the other week to give limitless a try, as you can pay monthly.
General Maximus
05-03-2022, 23:56
that's what I do. It was always worth it for even at full price because my cinema is one of the most expensive in the country for ticket prices however they reduced the monthly cost to £10 after lockdown No. 1, they increased it last year to £13 which is what it currently is atm and if they haven't told you yet it is going up to £15 next month. I imagine that by the end of the year (and the industry as a whole returns to normal) it will revert to the normal price of £18/month. On average I go to the cinema pretty much every week so it is well worth it for me when one ticket costs £14.
General Maximus
06-04-2022, 15:26
Tickets for Dr Strange are up. It is very very rare they do it this far in advance so they are expecting it to be huge. The last time I can remember tickets going up this early was Star Wars Ep VIII. It is literally taking over the cinema, atm there is a showing every 30 minutes starting at 9 o'clock in the morning :shocked:
General Maximus
12-04-2022, 22:56
Odeon are continuing their investment in bringing back old films. I am thrilled to be able to share the following dates with you:
Starship Troopers (https://www.odeon.co.uk/films/starship-troopers/HO00002797/) - Wednesday 27th April
Basic Instinct (https://www.odeon.co.uk/films/basic-instinct-30th-anniversary/HO00002799/) - Monday 2nd May
Total Recall (https://www.odeon.co.uk/films/total-recall/HO00002808/) (Arny) - Monday 16th May
Robocop (https://www.odeon.co.uk/films/robocop-35th-anniversary/HO00002804/) (original) - Monday 23rd May
I can remember going to see Starship Troopers when it was originally released and I can't wait to see it again. I was too young for Total Recall and Robocop so I am looking forward to seeing them on the big screen.
General Maximus
28-04-2022, 20:00
Tickets for Jurassic World: Dominion are available for advanced booking.
General Maximus
05-05-2022, 13:57
Tickets for Top Gun are available for advanced booking. Out on Wednesday 25th May.
Tickets for Dr Strange are up. It is very very rare they do it this far in advance so they are expecting it to be huge. The last time I can remember tickets going up this early was Star Wars Ep VIII. It is literally taking over the cinema, atm there is a showing every 30 minutes starting at 9 o'clock in the morning :shocked:
Meanwhile, in New York…
https://www.cableforum.uk/board/attachment.php?attachmentid=29882&d=1651764757
General Maximus
05-05-2022, 18:03
That is amazing. My Odeon is doing 24 which is the most i have ever seen. Well i hope it does well; it isnt just a Dr Strange sequel but also a continuation of the $1.3bn Spiderman 3 story and a continuation of the MCU overall as it progresses Wandavision etc. If everyone who went to see Spiderman goes to see Dr Strange you are looking at $1.3bn and i expect a little bit more. My prediction is $1.6bn.
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