Barbican Cinema

I love this cinema- its so so comfy!!

I like the Barbican cinema its a good option for a more discerning movie goer. They have various seasons of films here that cater for those who would rather take in a bit more culture than the average multiplex can provide. I went to see a silent German horror from 1919 called The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari which included live piano music from 2 pianists who I am reliably informed are the leading lights in the field of silent movie music. Although I'm pretty sure this is probably a fairly limited field. Trust me when I say this is a much more avant garde undertaking than I am used to but I thoroughly enjoyed it and that was due in no small part to the setting. Large comfortable seats, an introduction to the movie from the director of film for The Barbican and an absence of obnoxious teenagers made this a step up from the usual cinema experience.

I went to the Barbican to watch Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with my wife today. As everybody has pointed out, finding the cinemas is a bit of a problem- not unless you go to the reception straightaway and ask for directions. Cinema 1 is on level -2 that is two floors down to the basement.

On Mondays you get tickets for half price so we ended up paying £5 each (online), which, in my opinion is quite cheap by any standards.

The cinema was very comfortable and the seats were a breeze.

However, the screen size is small and the projector quality, although not bad wasn’t quite up to my expectations.
The colour contrast is OK at best and the blacks aren’t black enough. The sound, however is quite decent.

To be honest with you, if I were to watch a movie at the Barbican centre again, it would be on a Monday at a discount. That would definitely tip the scales in it’s favour!

Not bad

Yes, yes, yes. Finding the cinema is a trek, getting lost in the Barbican is a common occurrence. You should book ahead. Whatever. Makes it all the better when you get there. In my view, and particularly Cinema 1, this is the most comfortable cinema in London and my favourite. Being there makes any film that much better.

Great cinema but book ahead and get there early - it's very frustrating to find the screen and the lifts can take ages. Great seating and picture/sound is as you'd expect. Pretty pricey on the ticket side but worth it as it's a far cry from the local multiplex meaning you only get serious cinema-goers and the chances of bratty kids talking/someone using a phone and ruining your film, are non-existent.

Conceded, the journey to find screens 1 & 2 is epic to say the least - like a mini Poseidon Adventure without the explosions, cascading sea water and iffy acting. The stroll by the rampant Barbican conservatory is actually rather pleasant and compensates somewhat for the long walk that would have probably even had Moses fretting.

However, once there, this is one of my preferred cinemas in London. Though small, they're comfortable and the view is pretty good. If you book seats in rows 4-8 (or so), the big screen experience is not overly compromised either. And call me fussy, but generally speaking the punters here have actually turned up to see the film and tend to keep their traps shut too saving me the hassle of 'policing' the cinema.

Like everything at the barbican finding the cinema is little like trying to solve a chinese puzzle. But once you get there the experience is pleasant enough.

The cinemas are quite small but the seating is comfortable enough and the screens of a decent size. Sound is pretty good, although one gripe would be the projector is quite low, so as people get up to the loo the silhouette of their bobbng head will pop up on the screen, which tends to take you out of the film a bit!

This isn’t Mann’s Chinese, but it really is a most pleasant cinema-going experience. Starting with the reserved seating! When you book your tickets online, you get to choose your seats, so no more rushing to the theatre only to end up with lousy seats.

I thought that the sound was quite good, but none of the movies I’ve seen here really needed loud surround sound to complete them. They sell drinks (alcoholic & non), if you’d like to take your drink inside the cinema, ask for a plastic cup when you order. The food selection when you’re at the cinema is quite limited (candies, choccies, maybe ice cream), so if you need something more substantial, pick it up from the cafe on the ground floor.

As an added bonus, the person/people who choose the film selection at the cinemas is doing a fantastic job. I’d recommend popping in to see a movie even if you haven’t heard of it, as the quality has always been high. Movies don’t seem to sell out very often, so it’s great for a last minute evening out. Book online to save yourself 2 quid.

Cinema 1 particularly is good for a clear view from all the seats, as it’s quite steep, so big-haired folk won’t block your view.

The barbican centre itself is strangely like a small village in the heart of the city. So the cinema is a good option to go for if you want to stay away from noisy kids and adults. It consist of 3 cinema, cinema 1 is called the pit as its in the basement and the exterior of cinema 3 was recently seen in the new bond move QoSolace.
The cinemas them selves are very spacious with big comfy seats with between 200-300 places in each offering a range of movies from arthouse and foreign cinema to commercial Hollywood block busters. As well a bad movie club( think Robocop 3) and on Monday its only a fiver for any movie.