The Cinema in Carlow

HugoIrl

There's only 2 of those ones in Ireland I think, we'd be well lucky to get anything near to it. Did someone say its an omniplex for carlow?

stick-dan

HugoIrl wrote: »

There's only 2 of those ones in Ireland I think, we'd be well lucky to get anything near to it. Did someone say its an omniplex for carlow?

Yupp yupp you heard correctly, at least to my knowledge anyway.

aynon

i have been told though its going to be owned by UCI, might double check that info, but 99% sure i'm correct.

patrickc

Wednesday April 01 2009

A state-of-the art multiscreen digital cinema complex is set to open in Carlow later this year.

The €10.4m project at Fairgreen Shopping Centre will provide seating for around 1500 in eight separate cinemas -- two of them equipped with the latest 3D technology.

It will be operated by Omniplex Cinemas which currently runs 16 cinemas in the Republic and eight in Northern Ireland.

"Our new Carlow complex will be the epitome of luxury,"

Mark Anderson, operations director at Omniplex Cinemas commented.

Due to open this side of Christmas, it will most closely resemble the pioneering Omniplex digital complex in Wexford -- the only cinema in the south providing latest digital technology.

The cinema will comprise around 4,180sqm on the first floor of the centre's second phase.[/quote]

aynon

right, but i just heard off my mate who works in storm naas, who is now owned by UCI but still operates under Storm cinemas inc., he told me about the staffing setup and how he was requested to join the team by his new regional manager for 6 months. may haps i shall double check info,

carlowguy32

just wondering what becomes of the old cineplex now? will they still be running it or will it lose down? maybe if they revamped it and got a digital upgrade?

stick-dan

Well i'll put it this way, if we get a new cinema would you go to the old one then?

If they upgrade after the new one arrives then it's pointless as 5 years ago it needed an upgrade.

aynon

probably be like naas, old might stay open but wont see much business.

fitzyshea

The old cinema is to close after the new one opens. Its owned by the company (Anderson Ward) who are opening the new one.

paddycanada

I am the General Manager of the current cinema in Carlow Cineplex. Cineplex and Omniplex are the same companies operating different brands throughout the country. The company is owned and operated by the Ward/Anderson cinema group and has no affiliation with UCI. IMC is affiliated with us but is not the same company. I will also be the General Manager of the new Omniplex in Carlow.

I would be glad to answer any questions within reason of course either on here or at the cinema. There has been no work start on the new place as of yet but we still anticipate finishing by the end of the year.

Patrick Ryan
General Manager
Omniplex Carlow

patrickc

Hi Paddy Canada thanks for that, it's useful to know.

kildareash

That's great.
I'm so excited bout the new cinema, I can barely read this thread!!! Afraid to get my hopes up.

Wld be great if new or current cinema operated some kind of loyalty card system or annual pass or something like that.

shenanigans1982

Yeah I think an annual pass would be a great idea.

Also can you tell us the reason why nobody other than UCI does buttered popcorn?:D.....I have heard its to do with claims which does sound outrageous enough to be true.

paddycanada

There are a couple reasons we don't do buttered popcorn. Claims are one of them, it is very greasy when spilled and therefore a safety hazard. We used to offer it but due to some incidents have pulled it. Our current popcorn has a butter flavour and is still quite tasty.

The biggest reason is the mess. I have worked in cinemas where its been offered and it is quite quite messy to clean.

I will suggest the loyalty card option to the powers that be.

cashback

So this will be an eight screen cinema. Does this mean we will get eight screens of Vin Diesel/Teen Comedy/Romcoms every night?

Is there any chance that maybe even one or two nights a week, one screen could show something a little off the radar. I don't necessarily mean subtitled Ukrainian dramas but just something more interesting than the usual.
Even just to see The Damned United recently, we had to go to Tallaght and it's not as though it's a little indie movie or anything.
There's currently a vampire movie called Let The Right One In which is getting lots of attention, would be nice not to have to travel to Dublin to see this kind of thing.

Also not sure if it's feasible, but how about a Classic film slot once a week? E.g. Jaws, Alien, Reservoir Dogs.

patrickc

the current cinema i know does the screened and unscreened on a tuesday evening, maybe this could be expanded as you say cashback

paddycanada

This program has been largely unsuccessful. I doubt if it will continue. As for the Vin Diesel and Rom/Com comment well, 8 screens versus three and the flexibility of digital will allow us to show a far wider variety of films. One additional suggestion I have put in for the new place is that we show a throwback movie on our midnight shows (starting times between 11-12 Friday and Saturday nights) for example Jurassic Park or Godfather, Clockwork Orange or take suggestions. Sounds very similar to what you cashback said. I would appreciate some feedback on this one if you don't mind.

In the current cinema it won't happen. The availability of the off the radar prints, and the pure cost of them even if you could find them make them financially unviable.

I also read in an earlier post that we are having problems with distributors. This is simply untrue and there is one particular poster here who has posted numerous things which are simply untrue. We only have three screens, it is impossible to always select movies that every single person will want to see. Usually we agree to take on a certain number of prints as a company depending on the cost, and then move them around from cinema to cinema. For example we showed Slumdog Millionaire approx 5 weeks after its release date. We also showed The Wrestler about 6 weeks after its original release. Some distributors just don't make enough copies of certain films therefore inflating the price artificially. That is something a small cinema such as ours simply can not afford.

If any of you care to stop in to the current cinema, please say hi when you are there next. Also as soon as I get news on the opening date you will be the first to hear it here. We are shooting for sometime early fall but its very tentative and nothing is official as we are still awaiting clearance from the fire people for a permit to start building.

Queen-Mise

cashback wrote: »

Also not sure if it's feasible, but how about a Classic film slot once a week? E.g. Jaws, Alien, Reservoir Dogs.

I would agree 1000% with this suggestion. It could be any classics from the age of cinema. I would love to see Citizen Kane for example on the big screen. Especially though the sci-fi/fantasy/action flicks - the likes of Close Encounters, Star Wars, Mad Max, even the LOTR's.

Another suggestion has there ever been a lunch-time/mid-afternoon cinema slot for the older classic Westerns and such like. Have no idea would these be even be available to show on a cinema screen. But I do know for example for mam and dad would definitely go and see High Noon again or any of a thousand others.

ShayK1

Paddy, I'd just like to say thanks for the info. Its great to get a little inside info.

Personally, I think a showing of old school movies would be great. I'd love to go see something like The Godfather in the cinema. However, I'm not a regular customer of the cinema and whether I'd actually go see it would depend entirely on my mood tbh.

cashback

paddycanada wrote: »

This program has been largely unsuccessful. I doubt if it will continue. As for the Vin Diesel and Rom/Com comment well, 8 screens versus three and the flexibility of digital will allow us to show a far wider variety of films. One additional suggestion I have put in for the new place is that we show a throwback movie on our midnight shows (starting times between 11-12 Friday and Saturday nights) for example Jurassic Park or Godfather, Clockwork Orange or take suggestions. Sounds very similar to what you cashback said. I would appreciate some feedback on this one if you don't mind.

That throwback idea sounds good alright. And I'd love to see Jurassic Park on the big screen again!
I didn't actually know much of the screened and unscreened program, I've been away travelling.
Well I'm sure you'll get lots of feedback here.

Cuchulain

I have high hopes for the new cinema. The existing cinema has been substandard for a considerable time, perhaps partially due to the limitations of the current site and the poor attitude of the ground staff. So much so, that I know of numerous people from Carlow who travel to Blanch or Vue in Liffey Valley to watch a decent film.

Personally Paddy I think you should get more feedback from current cinema-goers with regards to what they would like to see introduced in the new cinema, essentially learn from the mistakes being made in the current cinema. Perhaps a survey at the ticket desk or something.

I aint making digs at you Paddy, I just hope that this new cinema isnt a false dawn and that someday soon I wont have to travel 50 miles to go to a decent cinema.

paddycanada

Thanks to everyone here for your ideas. I don't take any of this as digs, but rather constructive criticism.

Particularily to the existing cinema, I took over as manager there in the past october. There certainly were many things that I wanted to address. I was a frequent cinema goer myself but even I refused to go to this one. The reason for the lack of improvements in the current place is that we have intended on moving to the new cinema for about 4 years. So we really only did the bare neccessities as far as improvements. Several people have commented that the place is now cleaner, and the staff friendlier since I took over, but judge for yourself. I will say as well that once you get into your seat the cinema experience is still pretty good.

I will be doing exit surveys as we get into summer.

Thanks again.

shenanigans1982

paddycanada wrote: »

Thanks to everyone here for your ideas. I don't take any of this as digs, but rather constructive criticism.

Particularily to the existing cinema, I took over as manager there in the past october. There certainly were many things that I wanted to address. I was a frequent cinema goer myself but even I refused to go to this one. The reason for the lack of improvements in the current place is that we have intended on moving to the new cinema for about 4 years. So we really only did the bare neccessities as far as improvements. Several people have commented that the place is now cleaner, and the staff friendlier since I took over, but judge for yourself. I will say as well that once you get into your seat the cinema experience is still pretty good.

I will be doing exit surveys as we get into summer.

Thanks again.

I must admit I have enjoyed the Carlow cinema most times I have used it. The main problem I have is the lack of variety in the movies being shown, and I along most people will go elsewhere to see a movie rather than wait five or six weeks after its release. But as you have said thats outside your control. Hopefully with the extra screens there will be a bit more variety and no longer an hour drive to the cinema.

kildareash

Thanks PaddyCanada.

Have to agree with Shenanigans, haven't had any majorly negative experiences in the cinema, and we go alot.
Standards have definately improved there over the last year.

We go to Liffey Valley a couple of times a year for the big films, just to watch it in the big screen with the nice big seats etc. And even if the new cinema is as great as it promises to be, we'll probly still go to LV occassionally for the day out!

The throwback idea sounds good...maybe a reason why the screened/unscreened wasn't very successful was because it wasn't marketed at all.
Sometimes I'd notice posters in the cinema.
Friday or Saturday will be a much better night for these films, but you need to create a bit of a buzz about it.

I know advertising can cost alot, but maybe there is someway you can get editorial in the local papers for these nights considering you advertise with them every week.

Cuchulain

paddycanada wrote: »

Thanks to everyone here for your ideas. I don't take any of this as digs, but rather constructive criticism.

Particularily to the existing cinema, I took over as manager there in the past october. There certainly were many things that I wanted to address. I was a frequent cinema goer myself but even I refused to go to this one. The reason for the lack of improvements in the current place is that we have intended on moving to the new cinema for about 4 years. So we really only did the bare neccessities as far as improvements. Several people have commented that the place is now cleaner, and the staff friendlier since I took over, but judge for yourself. I will say as well that once you get into your seat the cinema experience is still pretty good.

I will be doing exit surveys as we get into summer.

Thanks again.

Good stuff Paddy, its been about 3 years since Ive been in the Carlow cinema and its great news to hear that improvements have been made there recently. Any likelihood of a bar/hot food/pick n mix in new cinema.

Owwmykneecap

Will it be the same crowd running this as the old one?
I was told they had a row with a distro company and couldn't get saw III (no great loss) in a a few years back and seem to regularly miss out on big movies and not just because of lack of screens...

edit: read the full thread not just page one, everything i said was covered....

Have you thought about using the facilities of the cinema in a non conventinal manner.
For example Sports events like the world cup and boxing have been held in cinemas before, Capcom recently had a gaming tournament in one, niche groups often have events and marathons in large cinemas.

All vague i know, but what I'm trying to say is they can be used for more than movies alone.

also a question, my local cinema in arklow often have on their website announcements of Old films being shown, like The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, I assume these are reprints and often done on anniversarys, will this be the kind of thing you'll look at doing.
Digital will probably make that much easier to pull off i imagine.

oxygen_old

feckin hell, its soo bad. Really makes it tougher living in Carlow. See tonights line up? No Coraline, Terminator, 12 Rounds, and thing the male/female demographic of 10-40 would want to see.

Kilkennys line up for tonight is just as bad. Can anyone recommend a decent cinema in driving distance of Carlow.

aynon

Storm Naas, under new management. Usually a good line up. Not too Far, and just off the motorway. Naas North exit.

shenanigans1982

aynon wrote: »

Storm Naas, under new management. Usually a good line up. Not too Far, and just off the motorway. Naas North exit.

I have only been in there once and didn't like it. Found it dirty and having to pay for your parking is ridiculous. I know Carlow is like this but the car park belongs to the shopping centre.

Much prefer using the UCI's, its a long drive but worth it especially for the big movie's you really want to see.

oxygen_old

Thanks for the suggestion guys. Ill be coming back from Dublin on the train later, so prob wont. More of a weekend thing. I defo will bring the car up to work and head to Naas after next time theres something I want to see on.

On the Carlow side of things, someone recommended I love you man, on Carlow tonight, think Ill give it a go.