Tumble weed
Well-Known Forumite
The Apollo Cinema is going to be rebranded soon as the company has been sold to Vue.
-
Welcome to Stafford Forum. Please or sign-up and start posting!
Apollo Cinema takeover
- Thread starter Tumble weed
- Start date
AA Silencers
Well-Known Forumite
So long as we don't lose it I don't mind who owns it. I love our little cinema, I know it's not exactly glamorous but it's much nicer than those sterile film factory multiplex cinemas.
grumpystaffordguy
Well-Known Forumite
That could be good as Vue have special offers and vouchers etc
jpphotography
Well-Known Forumite
Great although never seen such a small Vue before. Hopefully they do it up not abandon it.
shoes
Well-Known Forumite
I disagree, it's one of the worst cinemas I have ever been in, the sound quality is poor and often not syncd to the video, which in turn is almost always projected in the wrong aspect ratio. The seats are awful and it's generally a grotty place to be. I defected to the VUE in newcastle some time ago. If they can make the stafford one more like the VUE in newcastle it can only be a good thing in my opinion.
Saying that, I went to the odeon at festival park last night to watch men in black 3 in 3D and it was a fantastic experience.
Saying that, I went to the odeon at festival park last night to watch men in black 3 in 3D and it was a fantastic experience.
AA Silencers
Well-Known Forumite
I'm not saying that the quality of the cinema is great at Stafford, and compared to gold class at Star City it is a totally different experience. I like the sort of shabby time warp of Stafford cinema. I hope Vue spruce things up a bit but without killing the building's history and feel.
Miss Red
Well-Known Forumite
The apollo is dreadful, always empty (everytime i been in - 2nd showing of spiderman had all of 8 people in there) and the staff dont know what they are doing! Its expensive compared to others after you include popcorn & drinks- i prefer star city gold class for same price as some films, no squeaky chairs, more leg room.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
I don't use the cinema much, I kinda stopped going when I realised my home setup was better than theirs. Plus the amount of times I've been to Stafford and ther have been chavs talking through the film and nobody would do anything about it, very frustrating. Also the cinema in Wolvo I saw LOTR3 in the screen was out of focus. I complained and they said tough!
I'd like to see a cinema where phones don't work, where chavs are kicked out immediately and where the screen and sound system are worth the premium paid to get in. Which cinemas do Orange Wednesdays?
I'd like to see a cinema where phones don't work, where chavs are kicked out immediately and where the screen and sound system are worth the premium paid to get in. Which cinemas do Orange Wednesdays?
My Name is URL
Well-Known Forumite
Sad to see a small independent go... but they have had their time to be honest.... lack of investment made the cinema a poor experience...
Hopefully Vue will come in and do it up.... they should buy the building just across from the cinema on the same corner and make that extra screens...
As above, just hope it doesn't get abandoned in favor of a screen in then new M&S development...
I also though Vue did one of those £10 / £15 a month unlimited passes but can't seem to find anything online about it...
Hopefully Vue will come in and do it up.... they should buy the building just across from the cinema on the same corner and make that extra screens...
As above, just hope it doesn't get abandoned in favor of a screen in then new M&S development...
I also though Vue did one of those £10 / £15 a month unlimited passes but can't seem to find anything online about it...
My Name is URL
Well-Known Forumite
All of them, I think.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Excellent, just got my new S3 and its on Orange 
I see they also do free films every week for at home, but it uses iTunes
I see they also do free films every week for at home, but it uses iTunes
shoes
Well-Known Forumite
Trust me mate - VUE in newcastle, pretty much the best 2D cinema I have ever been to. And as there are a couple of cinemas in stoke, you get very few stokies in there talking through the film and throwing cheeeeeeeese and beeeeean oawt cyakes around.
Peter Rogers Photographic
A few posts under my belt
The Apollo in Stafford was fitted out with the new Sony 4K projectors last year I think, though old fashioned projected reels do make me miss the 16mm school cine movie we used to watch at the end of term, bad sound, bad picture but good atmosphere.
Well Stafford Cinema do Orange Wednesdays as well, they did last year anyway when I went ot Trasnformerss 3.
Stafford cinema is very tidy and old style I love it on comparison to the sterile environment of the big guys. New sound system, new screens and seating very little wrong with it in my view.
Vue in Newcastle is very good, but Festival Park is without doubt the worst cinema in the country. At Prometheus the sound system was so bad we had to leave and got our money back, ended up watching it at Stafford in 3D at the second attempt as the first one was sold out, cinema was full when I got to see it also, in fact in last 4 films I've seen there have been full: Super 8, Transformers3 and the last Pirates of the Cab movie, so they must be doing ok. Take it from me as a movie buff and somebody who was at the cinema 15-20 times last year, nobody anywhere seems full anymore accept at Star City and Stafford being my only experiences of this in the last 10 years of this, it is lovely to see a queue od cinema goers outside a complex
Plus, I have never been to Festival Park where someone isn't talking or being an idiot unfortunatelt, if it was children you could understand but it isn't. Plus you have to be wary of anywhere if syringes are left on seats
I couldn't agree with Shoes more, what is it with Stokkies paying to good not cheap money to go the cinema to talk, shout and mess about ??????????????????????
Stafford cinema is very tidy and old style I love it on comparison to the sterile environment of the big guys. New sound system, new screens and seating very little wrong with it in my view.
Vue in Newcastle is very good, but Festival Park is without doubt the worst cinema in the country. At Prometheus the sound system was so bad we had to leave and got our money back, ended up watching it at Stafford in 3D at the second attempt as the first one was sold out, cinema was full when I got to see it also, in fact in last 4 films I've seen there have been full: Super 8, Transformers3 and the last Pirates of the Cab movie, so they must be doing ok. Take it from me as a movie buff and somebody who was at the cinema 15-20 times last year, nobody anywhere seems full anymore accept at Star City and Stafford being my only experiences of this in the last 10 years of this, it is lovely to see a queue od cinema goers outside a complex
Plus, I have never been to Festival Park where someone isn't talking or being an idiot unfortunatelt, if it was children you could understand but it isn't. Plus you have to be wary of anywhere if syringes are left on seats
I couldn't agree with Shoes more, what is it with Stokkies paying to good not cheap money to go the cinema to talk, shout and mess about ??????????????????????
grumpystaffordguy
Well-Known Forumite
Yeah I dont think Stafford Cinema is that bad these days. I seem to recall 10 years ago it was terrible (matsui speakers LOL), but it has been upgraded since then. I think its alright these days.
You dont have to spend time and money travelling out of town. No risk of danger at stab city. No risk to your vehicle like at the showcase in Walsall either. The one in Newcastle is OK by all accounts, but you have to pay for parking and its 20mins each way.
Personally I quite like walking in to town and catching the early film and then a couple of beers after.
Shoes if you go up to Newcastle quite often you should (if you haven't already) try the Thai restaurant on the corner. Its fantastic and it was worth the travel time (and one of us having to drive). Wish we had one in Stafford.
You dont have to spend time and money travelling out of town. No risk of danger at stab city. No risk to your vehicle like at the showcase in Walsall either. The one in Newcastle is OK by all accounts, but you have to pay for parking and its 20mins each way.
Personally I quite like walking in to town and catching the early film and then a couple of beers after.
Shoes if you go up to Newcastle quite often you should (if you haven't already) try the Thai restaurant on the corner. Its fantastic and it was worth the travel time (and one of us having to drive). Wish we had one in Stafford.
Andreas Rex
Banned for smiling
We do...The Royal Bangkok opposite the Coach & Horses! A mere stroll from the cinema.
Tants
Well-Known Forumite
Agree with what most people have said on here. The cinema itself is a great, old school building with Character. The different screens themselves are pretty poor. Not been in the downstairs one recently but certainly upstairs they need new seats, more leg room and some form of heat control! On a hot evening it's unbearable and in the cold it's freezing....doesn't make for a great experience! All these things can be fixed in a re-fit.
Some small improvements will go a long way and save half of Stafford driving out of town to a different cinema!
Regarding what someone said about the sound quality at Newcastle....again it's a screen thing. One of them had the best sound I've ever heard, one last week was poor in comparison. You get what you pay for....I hope they invest in the best!
Some small improvements will go a long way and save half of Stafford driving out of town to a different cinema!
Regarding what someone said about the sound quality at Newcastle....again it's a screen thing. One of them had the best sound I've ever heard, one last week was poor in comparison. You get what you pay for....I hope they invest in the best!
My Name is URL
Well-Known Forumite
Agreed the worst thing about Stafford cinema is the legroom -AWFUL for me. Hopefully Vue can sort this out.
Agree also that the Royal Bangkok in Stafford is a great Thai restaurant.
Finally, agree that NUL cinema is very good - staggering of seating means even the tallest people can't block your view, only downsides are having to drive there (with associated costs) plus having to pay to park.
If they (Vue or Apollo) can sort out the town cinema then i'd much rather go there with a few pints in town first... Stafford wins all round if they get the cinema sorted.
Agree also that the Royal Bangkok in Stafford is a great Thai restaurant.
Finally, agree that NUL cinema is very good - staggering of seating means even the tallest people can't block your view, only downsides are having to drive there (with associated costs) plus having to pay to park.
If they (Vue or Apollo) can sort out the town cinema then i'd much rather go there with a few pints in town first... Stafford wins all round if they get the cinema sorted.
grumpystaffordguy
Well-Known Forumite
Is the Thai restaurant good then? I haven't been in 10+ years. It was a bit bland and the reason I like Thai food more than Chinese is they should do curry and some really hot dishes. I know the one in NUL does a coconut chilli beef dish that will destroy your insides and makes you drip with sweat. You'll regret it the next day, but it tastes fantastic.