Showcase Cinema de Lux

The cinema itself is excellent, we travel over an hour just to use the Director's Hall.  The big problem is trying to book tickets.  the iPad app doesn't work, and finding whats on at the Director's Hall on line on the website is a nightmare.  When we eventually did find out what's on and tried to book, we got right through the booking and payment process only to get the screen message "transaction failed online service temporarily in available".  Tried to book on the phone at 9.30am, automatic options dodn't allow us to book the Director's Hall, eventually got the option to speak to a human being only or get the recorded message "box office is currently unavailable" with no indication when the box office would be open.  Absolutely dreadful booking service.

Last night I was at odds with nothing to do, being a lonely girl in a new city I felt the dark anonymity of a cinema might distract me from myself for a few hours. 9.20pm was late to decide on such a venture, however from last weeks failed efforts at watching Coco avant Chanel - I knew of one venue that would be playing it, albeit with a hefty price tag, £12.25 to be precise. Such indulgences are usually not fulfilled, however, now and then a girl just has to throw caution (and their job seekers allowance) to the wind. So what did I actually get for my £12.25 - I re-confirm the price as I’ve never paid that much to watch a film, actually tell a lie, I have it was for the open air cinema at Somerset House set in the grounds of a majestic courtyard witness to one-off screenings that take months of licensing and preparation. Needless to say this was a constant charge designed to pull in revenue over a prolonged period of time. Anyway I digress - for my £12.25 (third and final mention) I received an extra large and somewhat squeaky slightly recline-able (what I believe to be leather - no vegans allowed) armchair, with a side table and the honor of purchasing a reasonably priced drink (from a dedicated bar) to furnish it with. Luxury holds no bounds. So luxurious in fact that surrounded by 10 others in a screen with a capacity on 200, we were greeted by a permanent choir of fart noises as the leather creaked and squirmed throughout the film. Needless to say I enjoyed the empty cinema and the little tray for my drink, however my thoughts upon entering the film remained unchanged. Had I been granted the option to watch the 'French speaking’ film in anywhere other than the director’s lounge I would have gladly taken it and saved my meagre recession based budget. Upon reflection the Cinema de Lux Director’s Lounge is a great place to go for a date or a regular outing if money is no object plus their is the additional straight from the car park into the cinema convenience that a larger ‘plex’ has to offer, next stop (at the other end of the cinema spectrum) is the cube.

Directors lounge! Twice the price of a regular cinema, but completely worth it. Great seating, and you can take a drink in from the pleasant private bar. Built for people who want to truly appreciate a film in comfort. Great stuff. You won’t regret it.

As long as you don’t drive there, Showcase de Lux is a decent cinema that rivals its closest (Odeon) in terms of cost and screen size. Saying that, its screen is a normal size, unlike vue, which is a huge disappointment since there are 13 screens and such huge room in the lobby in the seating area outside the lobby they squeezed screen size for it.

The seats are comfortable and the springy idea isn’t too bad and you forget about them if you are into the film. If you are not enjoying the film, you begin to take notice of the odd squeaking and also the struggle to maintain them at a comfortable tilt. The legroom is good though, so you don’t accidentally kick the chair in front. Director’s lounge seatings are much better, and its worth the extra cost if money isn’t the issue. I don’t have much to say about the bars downstairs and upstairs though.

I must add that the toilets are pretty nice for a cinema and the food is fresh but overpriced, which is the same for all cinemas. The glass windows are huge and allows plenty of light in but there isn’t much of a view I’m afraid.

Bad experience for me when a small group of us visited, where we were shown into the screen and then a while later (still during the adverts) a member of staff came into the screen to find us and asked us to show her our tickets - which I found rude, not by her (the staff are all friendly), but that someone further up instructed her to check up on us.

The cinema de lux is a welcome step backwards in time from the gigantic multiplexes that the majority of todays cinemas have become. An impressive lobby, with plenty of friendly staff on hand, leads on to smaller, more cosy lobbies for each group of screens - so no more joining a massive queue for popcorn (which, incidently, is nice and fresh)!

Unfortunately, as well as the best of the old, there are a couple of not-so-good points. Firstly, although the seating is tiered so that the man with the huge head isn’t blocking your view, the screen is…normal.

What’s wrong with that, I hear you say? Well, after the last few years of huge screens that literally required some head movement, even a screen on the larger end of normal just leaves you un-satisfied. You know that, like the giant tub of popcorn in your lap, you shouldn’t really need it and yet you have to have it!

The other minor contention is the seats - it’s just an opinion, but I find them annoying. They’re “floating”, ie as you sit down the seat opens up, and you are able to tilt forward and back. Whilst this allows you to find the perfect position, you have to work through the whole movie to stay that way - which is just a nusance!

On the whole, I thought this was a great cinema, and not hugely over-priced for today either (if you’re a student anyway - £5.50 hehe :P). The staff were brilliant - it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a cinema and felt like a valued customer rather than muck to be shifted around. It only gets 4 stars though, because of the normal sized screen and those laze-proof seats

The call for a new city centre cinema was answered and Showcase stepped in to fill that void. The cinema boasts 13 screen showing all the latest movies at what is probably a competitive rate for a cinema this size. You can also join their Card scheme to get advance information and other perks. On a quirkier note, I still haven’t gotten used to the staff making the announcement before each movie that they will be surveying the viewers with night vision goggles in an effort to combat piracy. Then again, that’s a small price to pay for a cinema that serves hot cheese and chips!

A friend and I decided to see the new James Bond film and opted for the new cinema in Cabot Circus.
We were able to go early enough to see a matinee, so tickets were reasonable and we both were surprised to be able to pick our seats!

The lobby is lovely and there is a bar off to one side in an enclosed area. Food & drink are available on both levels so you don’t have a trek to get something.

Our cinema was on the upper level which has both a lift and escalator available. We were led to the cinema by a young lady and were happy to have a rocking seat, leg room, no sight blockage and a nice screen and sound system.

I hope to return soon and maybe take advantage of the Director’s Lounge which seems to be worth the extra cost. We had no parking cost complaints since we took the bus, but maybe the theatre should offer a reduced parking option for patrons.

I was pleasantly surprised and hope to see more films there in the future.

As a treat, you have got to try the DIrectors Lounge, its like having your own personal viewing, I have never seen anything like it. The double chairs are great and becuase you can lift up the middle bit, you can snuggle up to that someone special!! Go on, treat yourself!

f.a.b. this cinema is fantastic with a brilliant bar offering table service and the beautiful directors screen complete with leather chairs however the price reflects the quality boffered at this cinema but you get what you pay for i suppose.

The Directors Hall is a real treat, the seats are so comfy and roomy that I couldn’t believe it when the film finished, it just flew by. We took a bottle of wine in with us and had a sweet bento box which, although a little overpriced at £6.99 was deliciously packed with chocolate fudge cake, bits of cadburys flake, jelly beans, jelly babies, sherbert flying saucers and sweet popcorn. My only complaint was that we seemed to get the bottom of a bad batch of popcorn with loads of unpopped corn and crumbs rather than whole bits of popcorn. It did get a little chilly towards the end of the film but with my jacket over my knees and glass of red in hand I was otherwise very happy.

A real treat in the world of cinema viewing. I enjoyed the food. The directors lounge was great the seats were very comfortable and roomy. Shame it costs so much to park there compared to the likes of vue. I think it is an experience worth recommending.

Excellent cinema. The only problem is the lack of free parking like at Vue.

This should’ve been a fantastic cinema experience. The building is excellent, lots of space, an interesting architecture, it should be a great space to see films- but actually watching a film here is really disappointing (no matter what film you’re watching).

The seats are 'floating’ seats, which basically means they’re wobbly and it also means that if the person behind you nudges your seat with their foot, you feel it- EVERY time. It’s incredibly distracting and totally spoils the film-watching experience.

Seating is reserved by number, which seems like a good idea until you see people in the row in front being shown to their seats by a staff member with a torchlight, so you can’t see the film that’s already started.

I was unlucky enough to also be sat next to the most annoying couple I’ve ever heard in a cinema, who loudly asked each other the most stupid questions (“why is it exploding?”) throughout the film. I know that’s not the cinema’s fault but it certainly didn’t add to it.

Cinema trips like that remind me why people get big TVs and buy DVDs.

The recently opened Showcase Cinema de Lux in Cabot Circus is a refreshing change to the other cinemas around Bristol. The reception is reminiscent of a 5 star hotel, with plenty of staff to sell tickets, serving food and drinks and to show you the way. There is a wide selection of snacks and drinks, and a restaurant serving a good choice of food.

Tickets are for allocated seats, so there was no mad rush to get seated together. Adult tickets cost £7.25, children and Senior Citizens costs £5.50. You can book online for an additional 60p per ticket and select the seats you want in advance. You can also print off your tickets at home, so no panicking when you get to the Cinema to find you have left behind the card that you used to buy them.

We were shown to our seats by a man with a torch. I found the seats were incredibly uncomfortable. They are on a 'rocker’ so you need to keep your feet on the ground to prevent being pushed forward. As I have a disability that affects my legs, this meant that after ten minutes my legs were aching and my back pushed into an uncomfortable position. My 11 year old daughter faired worse as she is not heavy enough to push the back of the chair into a comfortable position, nor do her legs reach the floor!

We were pleased that we weren’t subjected to lots of advertisements prior to the film starting - and it would be nice if it stayed that way.

Cinema de Lux also offers the Directors Lounge - you enter a plush lounge where you can enjoy a drink before and after the film. You can order food and drink to take in with you and enjoy the film in extra wide seats with moveable armrests. The tickets for the Directors Lounge don’t come cheap at £10, but what a lovely treat for a birthday or special occassion.

Overall, we enjoyed the experience and will be going back. The only disadvantage would be that you have to pay for parking on top of the cost of the cinema tickets. This isn’t too bad if you are there in the evening, but during the day, the parking costs are higher and going to watch a film for a couple of hours could seriously dent your car parking budget!