Wot, no cinema?

[Ant]

Ever since moving to ED almost three years ago I've been wondering how come there's no cinema. OK, so there's one in Peckham, and the Ritzy over in Brixton, but surely if ever there was an area where a cinema could make good money it's ED.

Since coming to this forum I've learnt that there used to be one up by the roundabout, where the boxy flat for key workers are. Does anyone know more about when it closed down? What do people think of the chances of a new cinema opening in ED?

[Guest]

No chance of a cinema opening in ED. Independent cinemas struggle to survive as it is and there's certainly no room for a multiplex on Lordship Lane (and imagine the outcry! - unless it was a Marks and Spencer multiplex of course). Plus the folk spending money in ED these days tend to be young professionals with small children, not the sort of people that go to the cinema regularly.

What about Peckham? It's within walking distance and unbelievably cheap (was 2.99 for a long time but when I went to see James Bond last week had crept up to ?4.50).

[Mark]

There is a 'cinema club' called Dulwich Paradiso - that meets at the Castle pub on Crystal Palace Road. I don't know any more details but if you find some please post them on here

[AndrewP]

Peckham Multiplex is a billiant cinema - you can nearly always get a seat, even on opening nights of big blockbusters. The tickets are still ?2.99 on Mondays, ?3.99 on all other days before 7pm and ?4.50 after 7pm. And of course its 2 for 1 on Wednesdays if you are an 'Orange' customer. See Peckham Multiplex

[Guest]

"Peckham Multiplex is a billiant cinema" ..... Thats assuming you don't get mugged around there!

If you've got a car then head down to Surrey Quays - there is an Odeon Multiplex there.

Peckham cinema is not very good - small screens, rubbish sound.

Brixton - awful seats, rubbish sound, only on reasonable sized screen.

[Guest]

I'm sorry, but I don't agree with you. I watched James Bond at this cinema this past Monday night, and the cinema is clean, tidy, the seats are comfortable enough, and quite honestly, I don't think the screen was particularly small. Furthermore, I don't recall the sound being poor either.

The mix of people was varied and they were well behaved. Lastly, I wasn't mugged outside the cinema: possibly you, like many others, have this perception that Peckham is a Ghetto. In fact, for the most part it is not that bad, and although I am careful when in this area, I don't feel particularly threatened - certainly no more so than in any other area. Actually, now that I think about it, I probably feel more wary of hanging around Leicester Square late at night than I do around Peckham Rye.

[Keef]

I think Peckham cinema is pretty good, and the area isn't that bad at all!

[Guest]

I agree too.. Peckham multiplex is pretty good. Screens are not small at all, seats are comfortable and its cheap as chips!

The area around Peckham Rye station is absolutely fine and safe. Of course you should take care anywhere in London, but Peckham Rye is always busy, and I have never felt threatened there.

[Guest]

I used to live in Lewisham where there is no cinema in the entire borough since the Catford one closed. So I think we should count ourselves lucky - Peckham is great and cheap! And there's always Brixton Ritzy a bus ride away.

I have to say that comment about going to Surrey Quays instead of Peckham is ridiculous. Out of the frying pan and into the fire... you may as well go see a film in Beirut.

[AndrewP]

If you go to Peckham Multiplex on Monday's you are paying about 1/3 of the cost of Surreys Quays. And any other night you are paying around half the price of SQ. Seems a no brainer to me, given that the seats, sound, screen size are comparable to SQ. I've never had any trouble at Peckham.

[Guest]

I go to the Picturehouse in Clapham, take the #37 bus, in good traffic the journey only takes about 30 mins. I was put off Peckham years ago by the teenagers who chatted on their mobiles all the way through the films.

[Mark]

On one of my random wanders around the t'internet I came across these images of the East Dulwich Cinema, I'd say around the 1950's:

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/cavalcade/eastdulwich.jpg

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/cavalcade/eastdulwich1.jpg

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/cavalcade/eastdulwich2.jpg

[Huguenot]

If we date them by the films, the first is Lionel's Bart's Oliver - dating this to 1968. The second one was a Town Like Alice, released in 1956. The final one must be the earliest - Ingrid Bergman in Joan of Arc would date this to 1948!!

[mockney piers]

I used to use the #37, agreed 30 minutes on a good day, but good day and #37 don't really go together.

you can get the overland from denmark hill to clapham high street which takes about 3 minutes, and then its a short stroll to the cinema, much less stressful.

[CrystalClear]

surely the ritzy's closer than the picture house (if you want a shorter journey!). I'm a Peckham fan myself. When I saw Pirates of the Caribbean (the second), there was whooping and cheering when Mr Depp came on screen. Highlight of the film if you ask me (I know. Nobody did).

[spadetownboy]

the last i heard of dulwich paradiso it was showing films in thomas more hall but thats a while ago i had no idea it was still running.however it tended to be a rep society so if it was the latest blockbusters you were after it was a nogo,still the few times i went it had some good stuff like betty blue etc,plus you could have a drink and a fag.infact just like being at home.

[heath]

The Wife and I refer to the Pecham Multiplex as "Stinkyplex". There is always an unpleasant smell there like it's not sufficiently cleaned or they use some foul smelling cleaner.

But you get used to that pretty quickly (and it's not as bad as it used to be I think) and the seats are comfy, the screens large enough and the sound is always perfectly clear. All things considerred ?3 is a steal and it's just a short walk away.

[nutty]

My preference is the Brixton Ritzy - nice relaxed atmosphere with super soft seats, no kids screaming about, late showings and you can take a beer into the screening - what more could you possibly want!?

[batdog]

Nutty,

The Ritzy might be a good choice but it isn't quite "walking distance" from East Dulwich, how about replacing the Police Station with a Cinema? Great Idea...