The Orpheus

This is a great little cinema in henleaze next to waitrose (a good place to go and pick up your film watching snacks) where there is a free carpark, so essentially you dont need to worry about parking for the cinema.
Up a large flight of stairs you go thruogh the doors and you are back in the 80s. There is a casdhier behind a counter who takes a mere £4 from you and gives you a proper old school type ticket. The range of food and drinks behind the counter is tiny but they do have an old school style popcorn dispenser. you only have to turn around to be in front of the doors to the few screens that they have. They get all the big movies but the cinema is never full but the theatres arereally comfy and the screens large and the sound system isnt too bad either. They even take part in the orange wednesday promotion too so all round a cheap a great way to catch a movie.

I have visited this cinema once and it was like going back in time…in a good way! The place is tiny (they were showing four films when i went) but it’s very friendly. They also show a real mix of stuff. The tickets are cheap and me and my partner both got in for the price of one ticket at the new Cabot circus cinema.

The screen in the cinema i was in was pretty small and the sound wasn’t the best but i can honestly say this didn’t stop me from enjoying the film. I think this depends on what type of film you are seeing though; if i had been seeing an action film or something like that which needs a big screen i think i would have been disappointed.

I like the idea of supporting a local, independent cinema and this is great if you live locally. If you are a real film-buff and fussy about your cinemas though this might not be for you. It’s amazingly retro and i loved that about it but i don’t think it’s for everyone.

I give it 5 stars for authenticity and reminding me of the good old days before the multi-plex. The staff is particularly friendly and enthusiastic compared to other places, staffed by teenagers who want to be somewhere else. The tickets still come up through the metal plate and the prices are reassuringly inexpensive, which encourages me to come to this place more often than other places. Cheaper nights on a Monday and they do the Orange wednesdays here as well. The screens are small and the seats have not been replaced, I imagine for a well while. And that’s why I like it. The crowd may be a little bit more conservative than in other parts of town. That’s okay though.

I love this cosy cinema. It is very cheap and the staff are always very friendly. I like that it shows some of the more obscure films. You may have to wait a little longer to watch the blcokbusters but it makes cinema going more affordable. I like that I am supporting a local indepenant cinema too.

Really great old school cinema. Interesting choice of films. Cheaper than chain cinemas. Monday night is cheap night and really good value. Be warned they dont take cards.

I love this little cinema and when I choose, this is where we go rather than the overpriced chain cinemas. I love the cosiness and the prices of tickets are great. We need to support the independent cinemas in my view as so many have been forced into closure. Discounts for students etc.

I like the orpheus for what it is, a small independent cinema. It gets the balance just about right between showing mainstream popcorn munchers and art house foreign films.

The theartes are tiny and depending on which one you go in the seats can be pretty uncomfy. The thing is when I was a child (in the 80’s) all cinemas were like this and I love it for that reason. I’m not a big fan of multiplex’s and their overpriced tickets, food and everything else. Not every one wants to go bowling after seeing a film!

The orpheus is cheap as chips for tickets but the food and beverages are still overpriced but nowhere near as much as a multiplex.

I’m not sure about disabled access as there is steep steps (about 30) to get to the ticket booth but there maybe round the back.

As I understand it the cinema also has a understanding with the waitrose next door and he cock o’ the north pub (which has been renamed to something else) over the road, for parking. However I recommend you get the number 54 bus which stops right outside and can take you to the centre and back.

To conclude it’s worth going to the orpheus for the experience alone irrelevant of the film you go to see. The screens are probably smaller then most current £1000 tv’s but this place could almost be considered a museum to what cinemas were like before multiplex’s.

My favourite cinema in Bristol.

This cinema is a great choice for kids films - the cheap prices and tiny (yes i mean tiny) theatres are great for a family outing.

However, for an intimate night out or checking out the latest blockuster I reckon you really need:
a) a decent sound system,
b) a huge screen and also,
c) a tad more spce in each theatre in case you need to move away form the inevitable weirdo who sits in front of you!!

If you agree with my a, b & c you’ll need to go elsewhere to get a decent movie!

The Orpheus is like a throwback cinema to the days before multiplexes invaded towns. It isn’t huge or ornate but you can imagine it was a bustling local cinema in its’ heyday. The film choices are more select than your average cinema; with small screens and even smaller rooms, the Orpheus provides an intimate setting for off-beat films.

Ladies stand in the foyer and hand you a ticket rolled from a machine around their necks....... well almost, this cinema is a treat from times gone for flick watching and has sucessfully held onto the feel of the past with its popcorn and closely spaced seats. Special offers including free nights at the moment with a double bill of Modern British Classics such as Secrets and Lies and Trainspotting being shown on a Thursday.

One of nine cinemas in this independent cinema chain, The Orpheus in Bristol has just a couple of screens but offers around five or six films each week. Bargain ticket prices, intimate screens, and delicious popcorn can be had by any customer in the traditional, unique setting. A must for any film boff.