Vue cinema, Portsnmouth

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PJ.

In an Ideal World ...
Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
2,009
Location
Fareham, Hampshire
I am a self confessed cinema geek, so much so if I went on Mastermind I would do it on this cinema. It has THX sound in one screen and really great sound and screens in the others.

The last three times though they have now taken the decision not to mask the screen correctly for the right aspect ratio, as in after the trailers it is thinner top and bottom and wider left or right. The screen mask normally moves after the trailers to allow the film in cinema scope 2.39:1 without any blank screen top and bottom.

Now they have stopped doing it you can see the white screen top and bottom clear as day so it looks like a pop up cinema that didn't align the screen to the projector right. I have complained and was told the managers decided it would be better like this. It is about £11 for a comfy seat so why should we have to put up with that? I could watch it on my TV if I wanted to have space top and bottom.
 
I'm slightly bias as an ex projectionist but I'd be surprised if it's ever going to change. There are very few projectionist's left in the world and then the ones that are left are not in the usual companies like Vue, Odeon and Showcase. It's been a while since I worked in cinemas but I do keep in contact with old projectionists from all around the UK via a club and they talk a lot about the falling standards that the cinemagoers are now subjected too. I'm afraid the customer is not always right in this case and they are happy to sacrifice the presentation now for the sake of all the lovely money they have saved, digital has become king which has lead to managers putting on film shows via remotes and I hear some terrible stories of major errors in shows. As a projectionist, you hadto have pride in 'putting on a good show' and it was very satisfying, I have worked for ABC and UCI in 5 different cinemas and I adored my job. (First female projectionist ever) absence of masking would gall me too, in fact, my hubby is an ex cinema manager and we both never go to the cinema anymore. Happy to have our own lcd set up at home.

What I will do is ask some of the ex proj's if they know anyone at Vue Portsmouth and if there's anything to report will get back to you. I visited ABC Portsmouth back in 87' and have a family connection to Portsmouth area so one of my old haunting grounds.
 
Apparently it's the norm in cinemas now to never repair masking (or curtains) if it breaks, maybe that's what has happened here, it's broken so won't be repaired, as there is no one qualified or able to repair now as a projectionist did. The film companies are not happy with this so the policy may change but for now, cinema chains have no intention of forking out the dosh and customers suffer. Yes, they are effectively ruining the cinema industry and there's a total lack of caring now days.
 
Some more info from those in the know, only 3 screens' masking work out of the 14 at Vue Portsmouth and there's no intention of it ever being repaired I am afraid. They just see it as a waste of money to repair when they can get by with it as is.
 

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