I promised you something for the non- doctor who fans and here it is! In fact it's not about TV at all. Clearly my superior reviewing skillz are beginning to become well known, as today I received an invite to the premier of Bury's brand new shiny cinema, and to see Toy Story 3! A film not yet released in the UK. Charlie McDonnell eat your heart out. There's a new girl on the internet celebrity scene. No I'm totally kidding, but I did get an invite to Bury's new cinema, courtesy of a close friend on the staff *wavey*. I apologize for saying skillz...
This raised a real issue for me. What does one wear to a preview like this? Since it was VIP guests only (aka staff friends and family) I decided it was better to be over dressed, than under dressed. Little black dress never goes wrong ;)
So my friend Emma and I got there half an hour early for the film, drove around for a good 15 minutes trying to find a good parking space before settling about 5 minutes walk away. Or a 3 minute dash in the pouring rain. Have you ever had to get past a bouncer to get into the cinema? It's not easy. "Is your name on the guest list?" The guy growled. "Our friend works here" We smiled... then realised how much of a blag that sounded. Fortunately our winning smiles got us through the elusive glass doors. Following the recent trend in cinemas, there's nothing on A floor. A steep escalator leads to B floor... actually there's nothing there either at the moment. Well there are toilets, but nothing else. Rumour has it there's gonna be a Chiqito's there. I'm not over fussed about Chiqito’s. There's a Frankie and Benny's just round the corner though. Cocktails and New York Chicken to die for is now only a bus ride away. Hell yeah, Bury is going up in the world. There's another steep escalator leading to C floor, where the actual cinema is. God help us if these escalators ever break down. It's a hell of a climb. So we got to the cinema doors to hear the familiar chimes of "You know it's VIP guests only tonight right girls?" Fortunately said close friend was not too far away and finally, we were in. Now, I definitely recommend these VIP events to anyone. Not only did we not have to pay for tickets, we also got free popcorn and a drink! So, the new cinema's got an awesome new waiting area with some high stools, some tables and chairs, and some deliciously comfy couches. The food and tickets area is pretty much like the one at the printworks in Manchester... pretty standard, nothing to write home about there. Something that did disturb us slightly about the waiting area was a TV showing CCTV of the various cinema screens. I have no problem with CCTV; it's just the fact that this screen was available in the waiting area where anyone can watch it. It was a rather large screen as well, similar to the ones used to display trailers, and I really couldn't see any need for it.
Since we'd come this far, we decided to go sit in the VIP seats in the cinema. Many cinemas now have these seats, but for those not aware they are slightly larger than the regular seats, have wider arm rests and more leg room. Verrry comfortable. No word as of yet as to how much these special seats will cost, but I'm going to guess that they are not going to be worth it. But then again I've not tried the regular seats yet... maybe they are evilly uncomfortable. One the great advantages on the new cinema is that it had adopted the slanted seating area that has been at the printworks for YEARS! Fortunately, this means your view need no longer be blocked by a tall person sitting in front of you. Yay! One tiny complaint, the projector seems to catch on the seats, and since the arms are quite shiny they reflect this light back. It's rather distracting and I spent the first half of the film thinking someone behind us was shining a torch light.
Overall the new cinema is a vast improvement on the old one. I think some of those screens hadn't been updated since the cinema was first built. The new one has a very fresh feel and brings Bury into line with the superior cinemas such as those in Manchester and the Trafford Centre. Its biggest advantage though is its proximity. It wasn't so bad since my friend Emma learned to drive, but before going to the cinema was a complete chore due to a crappy bus system. It pretty much meant complete reliance on parents, which meant no seeing anything that finished after 10pm. New cinema is going to be a lot more accessible... at least if you live in the Bury area. Shame for the people who live near the old cinema though.
I don't want to do any spoilers for Toy Story 3. I really recommend you go see it, especially if you loved the original. Andy is now all grown up and leaving for college. A genius move on behalf of the Pixar team as this is something that many of the original Toy Story kids are currently experiencing. It's an incredibly emotional time in any young person’s life and made the whole story very relatable. That's the great thing about this film. My friends and I thought it was awesome, one of the best films we've seen this year (on par with Get Him to the Greek "furry wall!!!"), but it can also be appreciated by a much younger audience. Though I'd say some of the scary bits go far beyond mild peril. I'm going to be seeing that tambourine playing monkey in my nightmares...
p.s. 3D is also very immersive and none gimicky. Producers take note!
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