Finding a decent cinema these days is nigh on impossible. I live in Glasgow, but have settled on Empire in Clydebank as my de rigour cinema of choice for several reasons, mostly related to the contempt I feel for the various alternatives.
Cineworld in town: faaaaaar too busy, I had the misfortune of going one Wednesday night (clementine special pass day) and was virtually in a different postcode when I joined the queue. Also it's rather pricey.
Odeon at the Quay: this place is dirty and smelly, and what's with the seat upgrade thing? What they really mean is you can pay an additional surcharge not to have to sit on some kind of medieval bottom torture device. Rubbish.
GFT: understandably the film lovers choice, and its independent status and classic style is certainly worth a great deal. It's my second favourite cinema, but egad, if it isn't the most middle class, pompous place sometimes. Have you ever been there to see any smarmy, self important, clever-clever, foreign language comedies there? I have, and the self-satisfied smirking of my fellow cinema goers almost had me throwing my popcorn (that's if they sold such crass sub-bourgeois commodities as popcorn).
And so, the Empire in Clydebank. Quite far from home, yes. Limited to only mainstream blockbuster releases, yes that too. Dirty with every surface permacoated in a greasy film, yes, also the case. The threat of casual violence consistently in the air, alas also a fair point. But whenever I've been it's been damn cheap, utterly dead (I've rarely queued for a ticket there) and without incident. There was that time during the second Matrix film that a massive fight broke out behind me, but we were given free tickets to a future film showing of our choice. At least I think that was the reason. Maybe they were so ashamed about the utter absence of any redeeming features offered by second Matrix film that they felt they had to give something back.
Also, near ASDA if you need some milk before hometime. read more