New arthouse cinema (Pálás)

Smegging hell

smurf492 wrote: »

When I said bunch of idiots I meant the youngsters who intentionally make noise to ruin the experience for others

Fair enough if you like the Pálás, but I think arguing that it is somehow magically exempt from attracting rude people is a weak defence tbh. The vast, vast majority of instances of rudeness I've experienced in cinemas have come from other adults.

Arghus

smurf492 wrote: »

I have absolutely no involvement in the running of the palas... Just annoyed at the never ending negativity of this thread. And I'm expressing an opinion which I feel I have a right to do

No problem.

My opinion is that The Palas is as ugly as sin and is laid out atrociously. And, as many have said, the fact that the box office is actually outside is beyond stupid.

It’s a boards.ie thing. For every positive thought written there’s an entire community getting its rocks off of destroying it & making sure it’s drowned out by negatives. I’d say it’s subconscious, more pleasure from sticking the knife in than from throwing roses.

Anyways, Palas is a cinema. Decent location. Odd layout. Film I watched was enjoyable. No complaints so far.

ben.schlomo

Deleted User wrote: »

I have had no issues in the IMC or Eye in years and in fact the worst screening I have been at in about 5 years was in the Palas where two groups refused to shut up.

IMC and Eye both show classics, in fact the IMC had a Gibhli season not too long ago and routinely get in older films to screen. Neither cinema got 10 million in tax payers money either whereas the Palas is a lump of concrete paid for by us so that a private company can clean up.

Also IMC are cheaper than the Palas and every screen in there is much better laid out than the Palas.





I don't know what you mean by a bunch of idiots, I assume you're having a sly dig at the audiences in other cinemas in town and this implication that the Palas attracts a better class of people which is crap. The actual presentation is superior in the Eye and most IMC screens as at least the screens aren't lit from a half dozen light sources and the seats aren't so near the screen that you can actually enjoy a film. Screen 3 in the Palas is the worst laid out cinema I have ever been in.





It's not about standing at a box office but that in the middle of winter when it is pouring down you'll be forced to do so outside in the elements. Maybe you've not been to the Palas yet but when I went recently I spent almost 10 minutes queuing in the rain and got soaked. It may be a crack but if you are behind people then you are outside and even at the box office you are standing under the open sky

Ever read the IMC have thread? You seem like the one person with anything other than a poor opinion of it.

J.pilkington

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It’s a boards.ie thing. For every positive thought written there’s an entire community getting its rocks off of destroying it & making sure it’s drowned out by negatives. I’d say it’s subconscious, more pleasure from sticking the knife in than from throwing roses.

Anyways, Palas is a cinema. Decent location. Odd layout. Film I watched was enjoyable. No complaints so far.

And while it might seem that this forum is a fair reflection of Galway sentiment (not talking about the cinema in question but the city in general) it couldn’t be further from the truth. A handful of negative nancies always giving out about something and drowning out and debate to the degree that posters know not to bother and it’s turned into an echo chamber of doom and gloom. I’m only thankful potential tourists don’t look here before they visit or else we wouldn’t have any!

Smegging hell

Deleted User wrote: »

Anyways, Palas is a cinema. Decent location. Odd layout. Film I watched was enjoyable. No complaints so far.

Yeah, I think that's a good assessment. It has a weird layout overall but the screenings I've attended have been good.

Bredabe

How serious are they about 'you cant bring your own snacks' rule?
Has anyone seen anything around this?

Bredabe

Bredabe wrote: »

How serious are they about 'you cant bring your own snacks' rule?
Has anyone seen anything around this?

No cinema has ever done anything to anyone with their own food

The staff are on minimum wage and get no cut of the shop takings, translation, they couldn't give a fiddlers

Bobeagleburger

I think it looks good anyway.

Should hopefully get to check out the inside in the next while, and get to see a film.

smurf492

smurf492 wrote: »

When I said bunch of idiots I meant the youngsters who intentionally make noise to ruin the experience for others...the palas is very much a reminder of how are local council can throw away money and not take any responsibility for their actions. I reckon if not for Element pictures taking it over and trying to make it work we would still be looking at an idle concrete tower

I have not seen this in a cinema in years, the worst cinema-going experience I have had in years was in the Palas at the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford where a group of people talked amongst themselves even after repeated shushing and "shut the fuck ups."

I think that had Element not been given it in a sweet heart deal then we would have seen other groups interested. Element got a once in a lifetime deal and there is talk that promises have been made that if it does not perform as expected then much like with the tolls the government will prop them up.

smurf492 wrote: »

I have absolutely no involvement in the running of the palas... Just annoyed at the never ending negativity of this thread. And I'm expressing an opinion which I feel I have a right to do

The negativity is justified, the Palas is ugly on the outside, poorly laid out with an incredible amount of wasted space and the screens simply are not suitable for purpose. Screen 3 is an absolute joke, whoever designed it appears to have never set foot in a cinema in their life. Seriously, the only place in there where you can even comfortably see the screen is in the back row and even then it's not great. Screen one is a joke with multiple light sources illuminating the screen and that's before you mention the fact that the lights on the roof have bright led lights in them that turn on once the film starts.

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Ever read the IMC have thread? You seem like the one person with anything other than a poor opinion of it.

Perhaps I have read it but I have not had an issue there in years. Sure it's a little run down but the screens are clean, the presentation is good and the audiences are fine. Maybe on a Friday night at the latest horror or blockbuster you may see teens making noise but that is the same for every cinema and God help you if you ever see a film in America as parts of the audience see the cinema as audience participation.

A lot of locals down around the Palas are furious with how it is being run, every weekend they seem to have outdoor events and this past Friday they were blasting music from multiple outdoor speakers till well after 11 pm. Locals have been complaining about it for awhile and getting nowhere and one was told to pretty much fuck off when he went in to complain on Friday and that if he "has a problem with the noise in a city he is welcome to move."

Darko, two posts sticking the knife in? Yeah, of course you don’t just hate the Palas & will find any reason possible to hack at it with a hatchet......

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Darko, two posts sticking the knife in? Yeah, of course you don’t just hate the Palas & will find any reason possible to hack at it with a hatchet......

I don't hate it, in fact, I am a staunch supporter of independent cinema and want to see it succeed but you cannot look past its many faults. The Palas is a commercial enterprise that is less about highlighting independent and underrepresented cinema as it is about making element pictures as much money as possible. How else can you explain their nonsense decision to have Solo on 66% of the screens in there when it was released or why it is that they are showing Ocean's 8, a major Hollywood film last week.

Maybe you have no issue with a cinema in which the seats in one screen are so close to the screen that you cannot comfortably watch a film unless in the very back row. Screen 3 in the Palas is a joke, the majority of seats are well below the bottom of the screen and you are stuck sitting back in your seat craning your neck and turning it from side to side in order to watch the film. No matter how you dress that up it is simply not acceptable. Screen 3 also has multiple light sources affecting the screen when a film is playing.

Pointing out shortcomings with something is not sticking the knife in. As someone who has a genuine interest in seeing less Hollywood crap, I want the Palas to succeed but it is simply impossible to look past the numerous faults.
As a cinema it's layout is shocking and whoever thought to have light fixtures with bright LEDs on them in a cinema was a good idea clearly has no ideas about the ideal viewing experience for a film. The bar in the Palas is like the back room of a country pub, it has zero personality, it's a cinema and they can't even be bothered to hang a few posters in there. Same for the restaurant, having to walk through it in order to get to screen 1 is plain dumb and it's the kind of idiotic decision which has plagued the cinema.

Element pictures complete lack of respect for the local residents by blasting loud music till late at night even after being repeatedly asked not to by residents shows just how little they care. To them the Palas is nothing but a money-making venture that beyond a couple of screenings here and there offers nothing to Galway as a city. And that is that biggest shame, it had so much potential but so far the Palas hasn't delivered a tenth of that promise and seems happy to exist as another example of government spending gone made.

ben.schlomo

Deleted User wrote: »

A lot of locals down around the Palas are furious with how it is being run, every weekend they seem to have outdoor events and this past Friday they were blasting music from multiple outdoor speakers till well after 11 pm. Locals have been complaining about it for awhile and getting nowhere and one was told to pretty much fuck off when he went in to complain on Friday and that if he "has a problem with the noise in a city he is welcome to move."

Quick resolution to that if the locals complain to the relevant dept (possibly environment) in the council. Did it when I lived in town and the speakers were removed from the establishment.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Quick resolution to that if the locals complain to the relevant dept (possibly environment) in the council. Did it when I lived in town and the speakers were removed from the establishment.

I imagine it is what they plan to do but it still does not excuse the Palas for doing so and the fact that the locals who complained were told to get lost.

ben.schlomo

Deleted User wrote: »

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Quick resolution to that if the locals complain to the relevant dept (possibly environment) in the council. Did it when I lived in town and the speakers were removed from the establishment.

I imagine it is what they plan to do but it still does not excuse the Palas for doing so and the fact that the locals who complained were told to get lost.

If that is what happened then it's poor form.

Arghus

I too hope that Palas will find it's way and be a successful addition to the city but, as it stands, all of Darko's complaints are absolutely dead right.

Everything about the cinema feels slapdash and, sure it'll do. It's not good enough considering how much money - yours and mine, lest we forget! - and time went into it. I'm a regular movie goer and I looked forward to the day when the place opened for years and years, but the final product leaves me disappointed, despite all the goodwill I was willing to give to it.

Raging_Ninja

That music was coming from the Palas? Heard it when walking during the evenings and thought it was somebody in Sea Fest taking the absolute píss as it was extremely loud.

claddagh69

It looks like a cold war era prison from outside..horrible concrete finish.

claddagh69

claddagh69 wrote: »

It looks like a cold war era prison from outside..horrible concrete finish.

Dead right, the one on the Headford rd is much better, nice square metal box

In fact we should build more of those

Metal boxes ftw!

Thankfully, most architectural design these days ignores the average punter otherwise that is exactly what we would end up with

This building has serious architectural chops. Show me another building in Galway put up in the last decade which has generated as much discussion about the design of it

The Eiffel Tower was hated when that was built

Same with the George Pompidou Centre

Let's not start on the creations of Gaudi.

The Palas may not be to everyone's taste, it may not be an icon in the world of design but damned if it isn't a very welcome change from the utterly boring ****e that counts as architecture in Galway city today

I am looking forward to seeing future architecturally significant buildings going up in Galway city. I can only hope that the Palas is the start of a trend of more daring designs

As for everyone else, go out to Terryland if you want your metal boxes

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Dead right, the one on the Headford rd is much better, nice square metal box

In fact we should build more of those

Metal boxes ftw!

Thankfully, most architectural design these days ignores the average punter otherwise that is exactly what we would end up with

This building has serious architectural chops. Show me another building in Galway put up in the last decade which has generated as much discussion about the design of it

The Eiffel Tower was hated when that was built

Same with the George Pompidou Centre

Let's not start on the creations of Gaudi.

The Palas may not be to everyone's taste, it may not be an icon in the world of design but damned if it isn't a very welcome change from the utterly boring ****e that counts as architecture in Galway city today

I am looking forward to seeing future architecturally significant buildings going up in Galway city. I can only hope that the Palas is the start of a trend of more daring designs

As for everyone else, go out to Terryland if you want your metal boxes

It may be striking but as a cinema, it is incredibly poorly laid out and it seems that being fit for purpose was low down on the list of demands. Inside it is a mess, stairs that go nowhere, railing that exists simply to cut a corridor in half. Having to walk through a restaurant in order to get to screen one. What about the fact that the screens themselves are poorly laid out, screen 3 is a disgrace and whoever designed it appears to have no understanding of how a cinema should be laid out.

It's great that the building looks nice but the thing is that a building needs to be fit for purpose, it needs to be both aesthetically pleasing and actually make sense for its usage. Do you honestly think that anyone should celebrate a building that put the box office outside under the exposed sky in Galway, one of the wettest cities in the world? Seriously, are you going to tell us that makes sense to anyone, given the choice between queueing in a metal box and queuing outside in the middle of December, I know that as ugly as the box looks at least you won't get soaked.

There is so much wasted space in the Palas that it's genuinely shocking just how small the screens are. Someone with some actual knowledge of the interior of a cinema should have been brought in to look everything over but instead, all the emphasis was placed on the exterior.

Maybe I'm alone in this and maybe my opinion is uneducated but honestly, I would much prefer if the Palas was less architecturally artistic and more fit for purpose.

claddagh69

The imc being a metal box does not make the palas any more pleasing to the eye !

Utopia Parkway

claddagh69 wrote: »

It looks like a cold war era prison from outside..horrible concrete finish.

Couldn't believe that when I read it. It looks like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. A concrete mental asylum.

Now it might be nice on the inside but on the outside? Not for me Clive.

LucyBliss

We went to see Ocean's 8 the other week in Screen 1 and I have to say the seats in that screen are the most comfortable I've been in since the time I went to an AMC in Braintree, MA, and sat in a seat that reclined. (Talk about notions and living the high life!) Also, the person with me is quite tall and was delighted to find that he wasn't crippled from sitting in a narrow aisle for the duration. Seating and aisle width in that screen get a thumbs up.

Having worked in a few cinemas, I do wonder how the outdoor box office will pan out on busy winter evenings for the staff in there as well as cinema patrons. The layout of the entire building - well it's not to everyone's taste. We took a quick look around, it did feel a bit like being in a tower going up and down, and I'd be interested in how accessible their screens and the building as a whole is for anyone in a wheelchair or with limited mobility. (That's not a dig, I genuinely am interested as I work with a group that, before we organise anything, we have to take such things into consideration so it's kinda ingrained at this point).
I also found that the lights at the side of the tiered seating in screen 1 were laid out in such a way that it actually hampered my vision going down the steps to my seat. I was a bit afraid I was going to come a cropper. Granted, that could be me - my vision isn't 100% anyway - but even going up the steps, I felt a bit blinded.

I think it has the potential to be an asset - I don't know that I'd be interested in eating or drinking there though - but I do think the layout has the potential to be problematic. Certainly to this lay person, the architecture seems to be more style over substance but as they're not a multiplex and don't expect the same kind of footfall where nine screens are full at midterm and they're not catering to the kiddie crowd, they chose an aesthetic and went with it in the space they had, I suppose.

(I really wish someone had that kind of cash and government backing to build a good theatre though somewhere locally. I think Galway needs a better performance space than it has right now more than it needed another cinema. But hey, it is what it is, right?)

Topgear on Dave

Oh Galway, Galway, Galway... your on Primetime again!

Not the cinema this time, Galway2020 and its finances :pac:


Oh wait, it involves "many of the same people". And large amounts of cash.

tototoe

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

Oh Galway, Galway, Galway... your on Primetime again!

Not the cinema this time, Galway2020 and its finances :pac:


Oh wait, it involves "many of the same people". And large amounts of cash.

How Galway gets so much public money under the guise of culture is astonishing...and zero accountability. Someone is doing well here.

Whereisgalway

She got a soft interview, didn’t get asked one hard non rehearsed Question

ben.schlomo

Aideen McGinley spoke well in the interview, came across passionate about the whole thing.

ben.schlomo

Whereisgalway wrote: »

She got a soft interview, didn’t get asked one hard non rehearsed Question

What didn't he ask?

Harry Palmr

tototoe wrote: »

How Galway gets so much public money under the guise of culture is astonishing...and zero accountability. Someone is doing well here.

The current President of Ireland can tell you all about that, when he was a government minister in the various FG/Lab coalitions it was not for the state it was for Galway - huge amounts of money were pushed into the Capital of the West at the expense of other urban centres and that has continued to a lesser or greater degree ever since.