London Odeon West End premiere

Chains don’t get done on here often, but this one is more about occasion – there’s more on my sister blog.

I think it’s greedy that Odeon has four cinemas on top of each other – three particularly are in chucking distance. It’s confusing to have two Odeons in Leicester Square: the actual Odeon Leicester Square, which is the big black towered single screen, now with 5 tiny studio screens; and the two screen cinema at right angles to it. (There’s also Empire in the Square and a Vue just off it, Odeon Panton St just off the square, as well as the most interesting cinema in the vicinity – Prince Charles).

I went to my first red carpet as I describe here, but it wasn’t what I hoped of a premiere. I was surprised to learn that there are 800 seats, for the auditorium at screen 2 didn’t feel large (many screens are 100-300 seaters, some as little as 40) and nor is the screen itself big. The ceiling was low and the décor ordinary – a typically 1970-90s subdivision of a larger room which has lost much of its character and grandeur in doing so. Whatever features the facade may have had are covered by a huge billboard, and I saw nothing in the foyers of interest. Despite being a premiere venue, there isn’t a bar, just a table area serving a few drinks that night. (Do any of the Wend End cinemas have a proper bar, other than the Curzons?)

Staff were friendly (one was witty – see my other post) and despite the many security every few feet, no-one was rude or threatening and no-one did a dreaded bag search.

Outside, we were told if you wanted to view the carpet (the celebrities, not the shag pile!), to go in a cattle pen and squish up, possibly dangerously, but several of us opted to stand on the stone seating in the square where we could see more. However, the cattle railings around the carpet were arranged with a tall black board so we could hear a cry and see lots of flash bulbs, but not who for!

At £20 per ticket plus illegal booking fee (which came from the festival venue, the BFI) I did hope for a little more, as I explain on my other blog…