CINEMA SWEETS - FOOD FOR THOUGHT

30-06-2007

The Stirrer recently had a rant about the “Gobstopper Gestapo” now in operation at Cineworld on Broad Street in Birmingham. They’re stopping customers taking in their own sweets and drinks. Broad Street manager Mike Olley hits back

Dear Stirrer,

You’re right to point out that they have notices regarding personal searches -the film distributors nowadays insist upon it.

All to do with film piracy; apparently you can record an entire film on a half decent mobile, let alone some of the equipment people have been caught with.

So no notice, no film is the policy of some of the larger distributors.

What I must say is that you’re wrong about the food policy, although at Cineworld HQ they think your right..!!

Let me explain, at Broad Street Cineworld they are in fact told to allow no food in at all. However certain realities do kick in so bottles of Oasis and packets of Walkers Crisps (so you would have got in, had you attempted to half hide them) are allowed, along with wine gums and gobstoppers.

What certainly is not allowed in is Hot Chicken, Chinese, Indian, Pizza takeaways that you would be surprised people on a regular basis try and bring in?

The reason for this is because they stink and end on the floor and all over the seats. Sandwiches also are not allowed in, along with sausage rolls, Cornish pasties and other fine fare from Greggs.

Not that the management have anything against this, but apparently (again) in large numbers, those that bring it in eat half and leave the rest on seats and the floors, not good for us civilised types.

Your dead right about the prices of the sweets, pop and other stuff, they are very expensive, but that’s the same at most (if not all) cinemas. Bottom line is that’s how they make their money.

Broad Street Cineworld is one of the only specialist cinemas in the City, the rest in general just show blockbusters. So last week they had on several “fringe” films.

By way of example, last week “Grow your Own”, a British film which deals with racism and communities in a fascinating comedic way (worth a look).

This was placed in a 170 odd seat theatre and sold to 150 - 200 people. At £5.50 (£6.50 most other cinemas in Brum) a head did a little over £1,000. Over half of that would have gone to the distributor, so Cineworld would take less than £500.

With the big blockbusters the distributor can take up to 95% of the ticket price. So in many respects they are very reliant upon inflated sweet and pop prices.

Mike Olley, Broad Street Manager

(To see The Stirrer’s original Birmingham mail article, click here)