Would Question The Value For Money (Showcase Cinema Coventry)

Member Name: lynton1983

Product:	Showcase Cinema Coventry
Date:	14/06/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location and cinema in general.

Disadvantages: Cost and cold

Living less than half a mile from the Showcase Cinema in Coventry it's no surprise that it gets pretty much all of my cinema going money.

Showcase in Coventry is well located being close to the M6 (junction 2) as well as numerous restaurants (Nandos & Frankie and Bennies), fast food joints (Burger King, Pizza hut and McDonalds isn't far away) and there is also a Megabowl walking distance away. There's also a Tesco's if you want to combine the pictures with a bit of shopping!

I was at the cinema last night (saw Terminator Salvation - good film) and was unpleasantly surprised to see the prices had gone up to £7 per adult (£5.10 for a child's and senior citizen's ticket). When put into perspective I can't believe how expensive it is. When I go it's usually just with my girlfriend or with my dad so the most is usually £14. I would really have to question whether the costs present value to money for a family of four who would have to pay £24.20 before paying over the odds for the popcorn, drinks and confectionary!

As mentioned, the cinema does have the usual popcorn etc to buy but because of the costs I rarely make a purchase. I believe the price the last time I bought popcorn it was about £3 - £4 for a large. Although I can't say exact prices, I can say they're more than you should be paying!

The car park at the cinema is extremely large and I have never had a problem finding a spot to park. If this was the case there are so many facilities with large car parks within a 5 minute walk from the cinema that I would just park there.

The cinema has two cashier desks on the left and right as you enter. At peak times you are looking at a 5 minute wait at most (usually). Staff at these desks are usually cheery and efficient getting you sorted quickly. The cinema has 14 screens and will have a good number of daily screenings of new releases as well as those that have been out for a while.

The auditoriums are large and relatively comfortable. The rows are spaced far enough apart so that anybody sitting behind you shouldn't disturb you, as long as they have some degree of consideration. The screens themselves are large enough and the sound quality has always been good. You can sometimes here the sound from neighbouring screens but I've never found this to be so loud as to be a distraction.

One problem with the cinema is the air conditioning. I prefer temperatures to be cool rather than warm but it does get cold in the auditoriums and my girlfriend often has to put her jacket back on because of it. This is also something I've seen other people doing throughout films. Personally it has never affected my enjoyment of films but I can appreciate how it would bother other people.

What I do thinks good about this showcase (I'm not sure if it's applicable at others) is the live comedy that they have in one of the auditoriums on a Saturday night. This is very good and offers an alternative to the films that are on.

As far as cinemas go with regards to watching and enjoying films, Showcase Coventry is pretty good. However it is expensive so I think I'll be limiting myself to films I really want to see or be making the most of Orange Wednesdays which this cinema participates in. There is also the issue of it being cold in the auditorium which would affect some peoples experience at the cinema.

Summary: A good place to watch a film if the price is right!