Huge queues at Peckhamplex - allow wait time before your film

[flocker spotter]

Yes, that does say queues at the down-at-heel Peckhamplex, renown for selling tickets at half the price of neighbouring upmarket cinemas, yet still rarely filling its seats.

Saturday night people were queuing past the Santander to get in to have their pre-booked tickets checked (PP, you must come up with a better system - buy a barcode scanner or something).

It was even packed at 4pm yesterday when I took my daughter to see Lady Bird. Said teen commented on the cinema being full of 20 somethings that all looked the same. Hurrah. Delighted to see our local movie house benefiting from the 'Peckham Levels' effect.

[redjam]

I saw that enormous queue on Saturday night; it was unbelievable. Why was it so busy that particular night?

[Sqiggles]

The picturehouse strikes will have had an effect?

[uncleglen]

redjam Wrote:

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> I saw that enormous queue on Saturday night; it

> was unbelievable. Why was it so busy that

> particular night?

Yes- what on earth can they be showing?

[Angelina]

It has queues on most Saturdays. buy your tickets online to avoid disappointment.

It's a fab cinema - love it all.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Even buying online can be problematic in that you cant just print off your ticket, you have to collect and still stand in a potentially long queue.

For me, the best way is to buy your tickets, face to face, in advance. You can then get through the front door by waving your tickets at whichever confused member of staff is on the door.

[Angelina]

is that meant to be as insulting as it is?

[fishbiscuits]

In 2018, people expect that if they've bought tickets online, they should just pretty much walk straight through. Not queue at a one-man box office, waiting to pick up a physical ticket, using a system which seems to take about one minute per customer.

PeckhamPlex is cheap, but I no longer find it "good value". The box-office/foyer is chaos, snacks and drinks are very expensive, it's often uncomfortably hot inside, projection and audio are not great quality. I'm happier paying extra and going to a Picturehouse or Odeon.

[malumbu]

Great place.

Queues take me back to my child hood, at the local Plaza, during half term. Even I am not that old enough to remember children's Sat morning cinema clubs.

[Angelina]

I often take the kids, my friends kids and their friends - and they're not particularly worried about the quality of the projection/ audio. I like it because we can pick up snacks in the pound shop - and the kids like it because I can afford to take them all, more often. The staff have always been fab too!

If you're looking for something a bit more upmarket then you can always go to the west end and pay around three times as much.

Anyway, we prefer Peckham.

We usually buy our tickets earlier in the day so have them in hand. Quite easy really, once you know how it works.

[Mick Mac]

I find it hard to go back there now I have been to the Picturehouse a few times.

PP is a very traditional cinema, but the EDPH is a much better all round experience - apart from the price.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Angelina Wrote:

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> is that meant to be as insulting as it is?

No. The designated door-staff on a busy evening are invariably confused, to the extent that those who have pre-booked tickets wait longer than those who have not pre-booked tickets. Although this is inconsistent.

The combining of ticket and food sales just increases the average time taken for transactions at the main counter. It seems inefficient.

My experience is as described if you have tickets in your hand you will get through the door.

The issue is not the inflated expectations of an overly-entitled middle-class audience. It is one of wanting to get in on time and watch the film that you have paid for.

[Angelina]

Thanks - that's completely fair enough.

[jimlad48]

I wait for the DVD nowadays! Too many people on phones, talking, rustling and thats before sitting through upwards of 20-30 minutes of adverts before you even get to trailers. Thanks but no thanks!

[Louisa]

I miss the Odeon on Grove Vale. A really lovely little cinema. Not overpriced, cosy, you went to see whatever film they had on. None of this multiplex nonsense. Bag of maltesers. I saw Alfred Hitchock?s ?The Birds? here many moons ago. Now we have a toffs cinema in Dulwich and bargain basement alternative in Peckham. Where do people who want neither option go?

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

Hi Lou.. I saw The Birds in Deptford Odeon many moons ago during a raging thunderstorm. Wow, spooky or not

Foxy

[malumbu]

Don't diss Peckham. You can keep your ED cinema and stick it where you want. Peckham is great. The Old Ritzy was great.

[siousxiesue]

I asked once why they didn't use handheld ticket readers and apparently it was because of fraud, people passing the codes to each other's phones.

[Louisa]

Peckhamplex is cheap, and independent. Great though? Don?t think so. I can think of a lot of great things, and a multiplex cinema isn?t one of them.

Louisa.

[Michael Palaeologus]

siousxiesue Wrote:

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> I asked once why they didn't use handheld ticket

> readers and apparently it was because of fraud,

> people passing the codes to each other's phones.

How odd. It seems to work for the Picturehouse cinemas and many other organisations.

Surely the whole point of an electronic ticket is that it has a unique identifying code. Once used, it cannot be re-used.

[JohnL]

siousxiesue Wrote:

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> I asked once why they didn't use handheld ticket

> readers and apparently it was because of fraud,

> people passing the codes to each other's phones.

They must have misunderstood the technology.

[malumbu]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Hi Lou.. I saw The Birds in Deptford Odeon many

> moons ago during a raging thunderstorm. Wow,

> spooky or not

>

> Foxy

Wow - Roger McGinn and the Byrds.

I understand that there were numerous great bands at Lewisham Odeon - such as Bowie and the Clash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewisham_Odeon

I've just found out that there's a new and quirky cinema in Deptford that sounds like the old Ritzy https://www.whirledcinema.com/

[snowy]

Whirled is in Loughborough Junction (and has been there for years!) highly recommended...

[Mick Mac]

Angelina Wrote:

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>

> If you're looking for something a bit more

> upmarket then you can always go to the west end

> and pay around three times as much.

I think you are missing the point. I don't like West End cinemas any more than Peckham Plex. Most of them are completely soulless places. Picturehouse cinemas have created a relatively niche experience, not replicated by the big players in the west end.

>

> Anyway, we prefer Peckham.

>

I prefer Peckham too - I just don't like the cinema.

[Michael Palaeologus]

There are Picturehouse movies and there are Peckhamplex movies.