FAQs

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Here are some Frequently Asked Questions...

How long are the ads and trailers? 
There are usually about 10 minutes of gubbins before the film starts.  All mainstream films have ads and/or trailers.  Screenings of concerts and theatre or special events usually don’t.

Can my 8 year old watch a 12A film?
Yes but you have to be with them (you or someone over the age of 18).  12A means that anyone under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.  U and PG mean that anyone can attend.  15 and 18 mean that you have to be over that age regardless of who accompanies or how angry they get.  I recently had a light altercation with someone arguing that the BBFC rating system is just a recommendation which is sort of true but within the cinema building it becomes law due to our premises and cinema license stating that we must adhere to them.  For you, it’s not a big deal to sneak into a film too young or to sneak your too young child in to a film – we all did it when we were young and let me tell you, the St Albans Odeon in the 1980s did not give a fig that I was clearly not old enough to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it’s a bit different now and our cinema license is under threat if we breach the terms.  So please just don’t bother.

Do you allow dogs in the cinema?
We love dogs.  Please bring your dog to say hi.  Well behaved dogs are permitted in the café area but not into the auditoria unless they are assistance dogs or we’re hosting a specific dog friendly screening.  We have a policy for Emotional Support Animals - please have a look at the section called 'Emotional Support Animals' on the website (down the bottom in the menu). 

Can I hire the cinema?
Yes.  Check the ‘Hires’ section for all the information.

At what age can I abandon my child with you to watch a film?
Assuming that the film rating is either a PG or a U we don't have an exact age for this as we believe that parents know best when their kids are ready.  Do be aware that we, the staff, cannot be responsible for the children as we have other stuff that we need to do but let them know to speak to us if they have any concerns.  Additionally, it would be much appreciated if you'd have words with them about how they should behave before leaving them here.  We will tell them to sit down and shut up if they're being annoying and, occasionally and regretfully, we will fling them out if they persist in disturbing others with their behaviour - having your back up on that would really help!  To be fair, most of the time, the kids are absolutely perfect and cinema is a great way to give them a little independence, especially if you hang out in the cafe drinking coffee while they watch their film.

Can I bring my own snacks?
To be honest we’d rather you didn’t and here’s why; cinemas don’t make their money on selling film tickets.  We make our money on popcorn and juice.  We get that it’s expensive but, if you can afford to, it really helps us if you buy your snacks and drinks here even if it’s just a popcorn or a drink.  If you must bring your own snacks please make extra effort not to leave any mess.  It’s maddening enough to clear up stuff that’s been flung on the floor that we sell, it’s even more rage-making to clean up the detritus of things that haven’t even put any money into the cinema.

When I was at the Odeon there was an advert that said to leave your rubbish at your seat.  Is it the same here?
No.  Bring your rubbish out to the bin, you’re not an animal.

When do you open?
We open 15 minutes before the first film of the day and we close 15 minutes after the last film of the day starts.

Can I give you loads of money?
Yes please!  We’re a charity looking after an extremely old building in a time when electricity and heating costs a billion pounds and hardly anyone can afford to do anything fun.  There are relatively few things the General Manager wouldn’t do* to raise money for this place so get in touch or go to the Support section for details on how you can give us money.
(*probably not that though)

Why isn’t the film that I want to watch on at the time I want to watch it?
Good question and an excellent opportunity to explain a little bit about how film programming works.  Strap in. 
When we want to show a film we go to the distributor (the people who own the film) and ask if we can show it.  They either say yes or no.  If they say yes they will have some conditions regarding how many times we show the film per day and for how many weeks we continue to play it.  For a big new film this is usually “all shows” meaning that at any given moment that we’re open that particularly film has to be playing.  This is why you’ll sometimes see a certain film dominating the schedule.  Sometimes they’ll ask for “splits” meaning that the film has to be showing half of the time (i.e. if we have two screenings in Screen 1 that day it has to be one of them), sometimes they’ll ask for “main eve” or “all shows except main eve” – you can figure out what they mean.  These stipulations tend to get looser as the film gets a bit older but the basic thing to remember is that we can’t just play a film however much or as little as we like.  The consequence of this is that we have to create a kind of merry jigsaw with the films that are available.  We can push films a couple of weeks off date to get easier sessions (e.g. splits instead of all shows), we can bring films in and out of the schedule pretty quickly or we have to make difficult decisions and not show certain films at all.  We have two screens so the times are not going to always suit everybody but we do our best to have a good range of quality films playing at a good range of times. 

Can I have a spoon?
It’s in the lid.

I can only see screenings up until Thursday. Are you closing down?
No.  We do our programming week to week.  Cinema weeks, confusingly, start on a Friday and we programme on the preceding Monday.  Sometimes you’ll see some screenings further in the future but usually that’s because they’re one off events or special things that we want to put on sale early.

Do you have a podcast?
Why yes, we do!  Alright, no one has ever asked that question let alone ‘frequently’ but it’s worth a plug anyway.  Search for Down the Back of the Seats wherever you get your podcasts. 

Can I ask you a question and/or have a chat about films?
Of course.  Email info@campbeltownpicturehouse.co.uk but do be aware that you’ll get an auto reply saying to look at the website for the answer.  If the answer to your question is not found on the website we will get back to you as soon as possible.  If you want to chat about films we’re pretty much always up for it.

 

 

 

 

 

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