Not just a cinema

The Grosvenor cinema in Ashton Lane not only screens films but has a cafe that is used to hold events so there is a variety of entertainment offered. April is full of events taking place for all ages to offer something different than your usual trip to the cinema.

                                         The "One Pound Sale" is taking place from the 16th to the 19th of April. This offers a meal for a pound in the Grosvenor Cafe. One meal for one pound, two meals for two pounds and three meals for three pounds. This is definitely not to be missed as your getting a three course meal for three pounds but you are also tasting the Spring/Summer menu before anyone else.

The Grosvenor Weekend will take place from the 4th to the 6th of May. This will feature Federation of Disco Pump, Den Haan and the Shivering Shrieks as well as many other live acts. There will also be puppet shows, a silent lunch, face painting and plenty more activities to take part in.

 

There's also plenty for the kids to take part in. On Saturday the 7th of April there will be an Easter Craft Corner to make cards and paint eggs, on Easter Sunday the 8th of April there will be an Easter Egg Hunt, on Saturday the 14th of April there is Rod Puppet Making and on Sunday the 15th of April there is Story Telling with Maggie Smith.

 

This Easter Sunday the Grosvenor Cafe will be holding a 50's style party, Be-Bop-A-Lula. There will be live acts and a DJ as well as swing dancers, special 50 style makeovers and retro milkshakes. So get in the spirit and get your 50's outfits on.

Brat Pack is held every Saturday and Sunday. This is where the Grosvenor show favourite kids films for only £3, for £10 you can get the whole Brat Pack package getting a film ticket, A Brat Pack buffet, private room hire and a goody bag.

Make Your Own Coctail (MYO) is held every Friday and Saturday night from 6pm until 8pm in the mezzaine bar. This is where the bartender will teach you how to make your favourite cocktail for free, when you buy a cocktail they will show you how to make it.

There's so much to do at the Grosvenor something must suit you, so book your event now online.

Give something back today

Passionate about film? Want to gain some experience working in cinema? You can volunteer at the GFT. You can volunteer as little as 3 hours a week and work times that suit you. Volunteers help with the front of house and with events held at the GFT. This will allow you to work beside people with the same interests as you and build on your experience within the industry to further your career. This adds to the sense of community of the GFT as everyone gives a hand to make sure the GFT runs smoothly.

The GFT

Cineworld VS The Odeon

During the recent credit crunch people are desperate to save money where they can but why should a trip to the cinema be off the cards? You can still enjoy a trip to the cinema regularly and save some money. Both Cineworld and the Odeon offer member cards to save money on tickets as well as discounts within the cinema. But what card is better value for money, Cineworld's Unlimited Card or Odeon's Premiere Club?

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Cineworld offer an Unlimited Card for £14.99 per month that will allow members an unlimited amount of tickets. This means for £14.99 a month you can go as many times as you like which will be amazing value if you are a regular attender. With adult tickets at £7.20 and all concessions £6.00 you only need to do some quick math to discover if you go to the cinema more than three times a month you will be saving money. You will also receive discounted food and drink within the cinema, invites to advanced screenings and exclusive competitions but not only this you will be entitled to discounts out with the cinema. Glasgow's Unlimited Cineworld customers can use their card for discounts in Barolo Grill, Amarone, Cafe Andaluz, Di Maggios, Hamleys and the Holiday Inn.

Now for the Odeon Premiere Club, for a basic card you will pay a starting price of £1.99 which will give you 100 introductory points to start with. From then on when you buy anything in the Odeon you can use your card to save up points that you can spend within the cinema. For every £1 spent within the cinema you will receive 10 points that you can save up to spend on tickets or food and drink. With the card you will also receive discounted tickets on a Tuesday plus exclusive competitions. With an adults ticket at £7.30 and concessions at £5.90 you will only be able to use your card for a free ticket after a few trips to the cinema.

So Cineworld or Odeon? Well for regular cinema goers the Cineworld Unlimited Card will save you more money. The Odeon may not be asking you for £14.99 a month, every month but if you enjoy your cinema time then it will be worth the money. So why not join? Get a discounted meal, go and see four films in one day and then spend two nights for the price of one in the Holiday Inn.

Little bit of class

Ever wanted to see a Russian Ballet live? You can experience the Bolshoi Ballet in the GFT as they stream live from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Theatre has always been a huge part of Russian culture, especially in Moscow, so the Bolshoi Ballet is extremely appreciated. You can save mass amounts of money viewing from the GFT than travelling all the way to Russia to see “The Bright Stream” or “Raymonda”.

"The Bright Stream" screens on the 29th of April 2012 and "Raymonda" on the 24th of June. It may not be as classy or sophisticated at going to the cinema in Russia but for a lot less you can experience a Russian ballet live in the chilled out style of the Grosvenor. Not everyone's cup of tea but you can't argue that the Grosvenor doesn't go that bit further than the larger cinemas.

"See more, hear more, feel more"

"Filmmaking's not about the tiny details - it's about the big picture."
Ed Wood, 1994 


The big thing right now in cinema seems to be 3D and IMAX. 3D films seem to be taking over to give you that extra sense of realism that you are in the moment and experiencing every aspect of the film. IMAX takes this idea further for the "ultimate" cinema experience with the Science Centre's IMAX claiming you will "see more, hear more, feel more". 

3D films can be experienced in the Odeon and Cineworld as 3D films come with 3D glasses but for that extra push for the best experience possible, IMAX cinemas are available in the Science Centre and the Odeon at Braehead. IMAX screens are bigger to fit in all that extra detail that the 3D films contain so you can get the full impact of it. If you're looking to see a new release on an IMAX screen you may be better to trying the Odeon as the Science Centre mostly show films on space and nature.


Not only are newly released films brought out in 3D but they are also bringing older films back into the cinema in 3D for example the Lion King was a hit last year and this years big 3D remake to hit the screens is Titanic, out in April.




You might want to jump on the band wagon and try a 3D film to enrich your movie experience. Here's a video of how it works. 

Learn something new today

The Glasgow Film Theatre not only shows films to entertain the community but also show educating films and runs educating workshops. From cult movies to documentaries about fashion, films shown can educate and inspire the audience. The GFT decided to take educating through the cinema to another level by running courses on film and discussion groups over film to give that extra push of community to Glasgow cinemas.

The Films of Pedro Almodovar

Contemporary Cinema 1

The current courses running are Contemporary Cinema 1 and The Films of Pedro Almodovar, both must be paid for priced at £71 and £43 respectively and are used to teach the community about films and the cinema. This adds culture to the cinema, it not only educates the participants but also brings that sense of worth to the community that these other chain cinemas don’t have. These courses may be a bit pricey but they help fund the GFT to keep it running, although with the help of Glasgow City Council and Creative Scotland do they really need it? You can also avoid spending money though with free workshops about film which are run like discussion groups.


The GFT may not be your first choice of cinema for a night out but when looking for knowledge of film and somewhere to discuss your opinions the GFT is most definitely the place for you. The GFT will educate you no matter what your previous education, so if you’re over 18 and have a passion for film you should try out a course at the GFT. You can also catch the latest documentaries to teach you about important matters and issues. If under 18, there is still something for you, you can take part in the GFT's school programme  which gets kids involved in the Glasgow Youth Film Festival. So why not try something a little bit different today?

The Odeon, hard to miss

Last but certainly not least comes the Odeon cinema. It was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch which is where the name came from with the slogan "Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation". Since then Odeon cinemas have continued to grow with 115 cinemas in the UK alone. In Glasgow Odeon cinemas are easy enough to find as they are dotted around the city, although in the centre Cineworld runs the roost. The Odeon in the centre of Glasgow, was shut in January 2006 after being previously run by Paramount since 1934. The building proved a successful cinema for both Paramount and Odeon but since 2006 has been left untouched and now plans to turn it in to offices are been looked at.

Paramount cinema since 1934.

The Odeon cinema up and running until 2006.

The cinema now, shut down and left to ruins.

Even though the Renfield Street Odeon was shut down and there remains no Odeon in the city centre, Odeon still proves successful as there are many locations around the outskirts of the city. Prices vary depending on concessions but remain similar to the likes of Cineworld, its main competition. The Odeon may not be able to compete with the sky scrapper Cineworld in Glasgow but the Odeon is easier to access with more destinations.

If you’re looking for a cinema around Glasgow to catch the latest Hollywood film, the Odeon may be easy to come across. You can even pick up an Odeon points card to collect points for free cinema tickets or popcorn. It may not be as excessive as Cineworld or as quirky as the Grosvenor but for a trip to the cinema, based on convenience around the city, the Odeon may be easiest for you.

Odeon points card.