The main three (Cinemas in Liverpool in general)

Member Name: donnaford

Product:	Cinemas in Liverpool in general
Date:	03/04/02 (1551 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Films, Snacks

Disadvantages: Some are cleaner than others

***Showcase cinema***
East Lancs Rd (A580), Junction 4 M57

Advance Booking Number : 0151 548 0444 (Visa/Mastercard/Switch)
24 Hour Phone Number : 0151 549 2021

Showcase cinema is pretty large and ideal if you live in North Liverpool/Knowsley area. There are 14 screens at the cinema and it is located extremely near to McDonalds. Inside the cinema lobby there are 2 small seating areas which you will be glad of whilst waiting for your film to open. My one criticism of this cinema is that they let you into the film as the trailers are starting therefore the foyer becomes extremely cramped and it is dark as you attempt to find a seat.

The refreshments at this cinema are pretty good - at the main refreshment stand you can get drinks (£1.80 - £2.50), popcorn, ice cream, frozen yoghurt, hot dogs and packets of sweets. Through the barriers there is a pick & mix stand, which is incredibly tempting. Remember though that it tends to be very expensive - expect to pay about £4.00 if you fill the bag up half way.

The ticket prices aren't too bad - £3.75 for students, children and OAPs, as well as off peak/ matinee performances. During peak times e.g. Friday and Saturday evenings, adults will pay £5 a ticket.

The screens themselves are pretty large with decent Dolby surround sound but sometimes they can be a little messy, there are no drinks holders and the seats are looking a little worn & old (probably why they only let you in once it is dark!) Likewise the toilets are large but they can be a little smelly.

The car park at the Showcase is one of the largest I have seen and there is good access to the car parks via the exit doors in most screens. You will never have to worry about finding a parking space if you visit the Showcase.

If you're in the area, why not phone up or check their website http://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/) for film viewing times.


***UGC cinemas***
Edge Lane

Telephone: 0870 155 5146

UGC, the French chain of cinemas recently took over all of Virgin cinemas.

Offering a monthly pass for just £10, they offer the perfect opportunity to
catch up with all the latest films. Unfortunately you have to sign up for a
year. However, UGC cinema passes are certainly your best bet if you're an
avid film-viewer.

The UGC in Wigan is brand new, comfortable, spacious and shiny. There's an
upstairs bar and lots of refreshment stands in the foyer as well as the
cleanest, nicest public toilets I've ever seen. How does the Edge Lane
cinema compare?

The cinema in Edge Lane is getting on in years which is reflected in the
shabby seats and less than pristine toilets. Don't get me wrong, the toilets
are clean enough and usually have toilet roll they just look a little old.

The cinema is reasonably large but there isn't a lot of legroom between
seats. For about £4.50 for a standard ticket you might expect nicer seats.
I'd definitely say they need to be re-upholstered.

One redeeming feature about the UGC are the seats in the lobby - its nice to
be able to sit down whilst you wait for your film screen to be opened. I
didn't have to wait long last time I went but I'd have hated having to stand
around.

The cinema sells sweets, drinks and the usual cinema snacks but if you'd
like to go for a drink/meal either before or after your film there's Fatty
Arbuckles just a few minutes walk away, and nearby are McDonalds and KFC.

How to get there:
UGC is on Edge Lane so public transport is a bit tricky. It's about a 10
minute walk from Wavertree Technology Park train station and some buses do
pass Edge Lane, including the 60 from Aigburth/Bootle.


***Odeon***
London Road, Liverpool

There are 2 Odeon cinemas in Liverpool but this is easily accessible fr
om all areas of Liverpool being located 5 minutes from the centre.

Just a 3-minute walk from Liverpool Lime Street, the Odeon is situated on London Road, not far from the Empire or Norton Street coach station. There's a pub a couple of minutes away if you arrive early and fancy a drink. The Odeon was refurbished a few years back, moving the bar but modernising it and making it a much nicer place to watch movies.

Entering the Odeon, the ticket stalls are to the left. There are about 3 counters so you don't usually have to queue for too long. If you show your NUS card you can get a student discount. Standard tickets (student) are £3.70, £5.00 for non-students but you'll pay more for superior seats. I'd highly recommend this if you are tall/large because you get lots of legroom and the comfiest seats.

Before going through to the film, you'll probably want to stock up on refreshments. In the area between the ticket stalls and the entrance to the screens you will find plenty of snacks and drinks to choose from. There's a fridge for bottled drinks such as mineral water, a fizzy drinks dispenser, popcorn stalls, crisps, bags of sweets and of course the compulsory pick and mix. Mmm! It can be pricey if you get pick and mix but there are some snack & drinks deals.

There are about 12 screens at the London Road Odeon, the later numbers being downstairs and very small. The more popular films are screened in 1-4, unless of course there are 2 showings of the same film. Screens 5-12 are downstairs, and screens 5-10 have wheelchair access so I guess people in wheelchairs can only watch films that are shown in those screens. (Daft, I know) Still the disabled facilities downstairs are pretty good - they have wheelchair spaces with about 2 seats next to them so you can remain in your chair and still sit with your mates.

Inside the screens, the seats are colour coded - blue seats are standard and green for superior.
They do usually check your tickets so don't try to pull a fast one! The standard seats are fine, but I prefer the superior seats even if I'm not very tall. They are slightly wider, have more legroom and drinks holders. The regular seats have drink holders in most of the screens. The larger screens are generally more spacious and comfortable than say screen 11, which is very small.

There are toilets upstairs and down. The women's toilets are fairly clean and usually have toilet roll, which is better than a lot of cinemas. They're not as nice as the UGC in Robin Park, but then nowhere is!

The Odeon is without a doubt my favourite cinema in Liverpool (and I've been to most - UGC Edge Lane, ABC Allerton Road, Showcase on East Lancs). It's modern, has surround speakers and isn't too expensive. Next time you want to go to see a film, try the Odeon.

Opening Times:
Daily, 12:00 until last show
Telephone Number:
08705050007
Website:
http://www.odeon.co.uk/

Well, there's what I think of the main three cinemas in Liverpool. As you can tell, I'd highly recommend the Odeon, followed by UGC and finally the Showcase.

Summary: