The Empire Big Screen

[aruif]

i'm not there until sunday mr g. if you're there early i will be queuing from about 9.30 to get into screen 7!

[kevinknapman]

Back from a long day, which started with typical ticket shambles. Had to collect them during the lunch break after printer problems.
Indigo2 is an atrocious venue for this and I now have neckache from sitting too close watching a too high screen.
Wasn't a great deal that was entirely essential in the upcoming stuff. Enjoyed the Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy footage and really looking forward to that. Mark Gatiss was on great form even though he didn't actually have anything new to show from Sherlock.
Idris Elba was likeable enough even though the British slasher film he was there promoting looked shockingly poor (I believe it was called Demons Never Die).
How to Be a Film Journalist was interesting enough.
Friends With Benefits was pretty funny with good chemistry between the leads though a decision to go into more serious territory in the 2nd half didn't really work.
Red State was an interesting failure. Smith tackling some pretty weighty themes though I'm not convinced he was successful. Michael Parks was excellent as the religious leader and John Goodman was quite good too. But it felt a lot longer than the 90mins running time.
That's has much as I can attempt to write about now, as I'm knackered and should probably get some sleep as I get to do it all again tomorrow.

[cliveas]

There was a feature panel on the upcoming film called Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with several top British actors (in the film that is not on the panel). The producer and screenwriter presented 3 very long clips from the movie and I have to say, I really look forward to seeing it. It looks very tense and gripping. Its based on a novel and was made into a 8 hour tv series called Smiley's people with Alec Guiness, I remember this series but I was too young to understand it but it was very highly acclaimed.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is based on the John Le Carre novel of the same name and was made into an excellent BBC TV series starring Alec Guiness also called Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Smiley's People is a different novel also by Le Carre that was also made into a BBC TV series called......Smiley's People, also starring Alec Guiness. They are 2 of the 3 novels which form the Karla Trilogy.

Hope to run into some of you attending on Saturday.

[funthing29]

I arrived home at 11.45pm last night and went straight to bed so here is my full report.

Arrived to meet soonforgotten at 9.45am and there was a huge at the box office (for 'collection' of tickets) then sf called me to the front as there was a separate queue of sorts for comp winners. We came across the winner of the cineworld unlimited competition who had won a diamond pass and no one knew anything about his win let alone mine! Then a very very very very nice lady came (Laura) who listened to our explanations and was very sympathetic (while she rolled her eyes about the lack of communication given by the PR company). She gave the cineworld winner a diamond wristband and also wristbands to us a gesture of apology for the disorganisation. We then had to be escorted into the 20th Century Fox showcase at the Indigo2 as a paper ticket is required in addition to a wristband to get in. Then we had to find somewhere to sit as all seats were allocated and the 'spare seats' gave a really crummy view of the screen. Luckily we found 2 empty aisle seats about 10 rows from the stage and no one came to claim them. Pretty disappointing - I'd seen the extended In Time & The Darkest Hour trails before the Apes press screening last week. And Titanic 3D did look impressive but we did not need that many scenes. Funny intro by the Empire editor then the Fox bloke couldn't pronounce the name of one of the films but we scarpered before the Merlin panel started as we needed to go back to the box office to pre-book the rest of our sessions for the weekend.

Once again the box office didn't know how to deal with us but luckily sf saw Laura nearby and hailed her so she kept popping her head in and out of the box office security door informing us what sessions had availability and what we could get tickets for. We were told Red State, secret screening and C&A were sold out so we took tickets for Friends with Benefits and A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2 (to fill a gap in the early afternoon). We booked sessions tomorrow for Troll Hunter and Crazy Stupid Love. Interestingly she let us book tickets for Sunday but said she was unable to print them and asked us to come back later. She offered to send them over to whichever screen we were in and I said no, they were likely to get lost, and I would prefer to collect them at the box office.

We went to check out the stands and booths. Picked up a free MIB3 t-shirt and I saw loads of photo booths but I didn't fancy having my picture taken (or superimposed on other images). At the paramount saloon the guy said 'step on in and the spin the wheel or roll the dice to win prizes'. I lost at the wheel then sf rolled the dice and the paramount bloke kept nudging the dice until it landed the winning side up then he handed us a pair of Cowboys & Aliens tickets for the screening last night. Hooray! Result! I quickly walked past the other booths but plan to look properly either today or tomorrow. I was more interested in getting the tickets sorted out.

Then we saw A Bug's Life which only had a handful of people in the screening. I honestly can't remember if I'd seen this before but it was cute nonetheless. These kind of films are charming but I couldn't help but think how far animation has come along since this film.

So I came back in the mid afternoon to the box office and no one knew anything about any tickets left for Laura. I decided to leave it and come back later.

Toy Story 2 was cancelled as the print hadn't arrived (WTF? How did that happen?) so they said we could use our tickets to go into another screen. Checked out the Film Journalism session which was interesting.

Went back to the box office and still no one knew of any tickets left by Laura. A lot of the confusion is because the box office staff work for the 02 but people from Empire are all over the place. Laura was not around, but luckily a very very helpful woman named Cassie (probably the same one who c_t spoke to) listended to our story and said they weren't printing tickets for Sunday yet but would do so for us because we had already been promised them. She also gave me paper diamond tickets for the next 2 days so we should be able to get past security for the showcases without problems. So now I possess all the tickets for all weekend's sessions. Hallelujah! Got Conan premiere and secret screening tickets for Sunday.

Friends with Benefits was busy but not full. Quite a good rom-com that has enough com but doesn't get schmaltzy on the rom. I shall try to do a proper review on the film discussion board.

Cowboys & Aliens was due to start at 8pm and we arrived at 7.30pm and were asked to join the queue outside in a designated fenced off area. There was quite a queue there already. Then they kept moving people into rows. It honestly felt like animals being herded up! Anyway by the time we got into the superscreen, most of the centre block was gone but there were plenty of singles and doubles dotted around so we got good seats. At about 8.10pm the trailers started, then the screen went to black and the Empire Big Screen logo appeared. Then a load more people came in (had to sit in the front seats) which looked suspicious and the film started. This was busy but no way was the screening full despite being sold out at the box office. Tbh I didn't like this film that, kinda didn't work for me, but again I shall try to do a review in the film discussion thread another time. It was meant to finish at 10pm but started 20 mins late so of course finished 20 mins late.

Got home exhausted after 12 hours spent at the 02!

Based on today's showcase, I really don't think diamond tickets are worth the price. I'm hoping for better from the showcases today and tomorrow.

Anyway that's my full report of yesterday. I shall try to keep it shorter for today and tomorrow and hope to catch some of you FMUKkers there!

Cassie said "we are having a few teething problems" which is the understatement of the year! Looks like they learned from the comp winners this morning how inefficient the PR company were so it seems later they offered tickets freely to comp winners. So hopefully people going today and tomorrow should be able to get their tickets even if they don't have a record of your name at the box office. Remember to pre-book your sessions as early as possible. If you have problems, make sure you speak to the Empire staff as the 02 really are not involved with the organisation or ticketing.

[canadian_turtle]

Thanks funthing and MrG for the elaborate reports!

Good to read about wristbands, because I didn't get any - just tickets for the Diamond showcases with seat numbers and GA tickers for the other sessions I booked, so I need to ask for wrist bands I guess.

Reading back my report from yesterday, Mater from Cars isn't there but Lightning McQueen, oops. And all the photos and other things I mentioned I did/saw were all free. Really great value.

If the Diamond ticket is worth it for £65 I shall be finding out today :)

I'm very much hoping that there will be anyone at the autograph booth, but I am not sure when I am able to check as we'll be going into the showcases straight away...

Our showcase tickets are for the Sky Screen (K10 + K11), what seats do you guys have??

Hope to see some of you today!

[funthing29]

My diamond tickets are for the Indigo2 but I should see you at Crazy Stupid Love.

[superhero]

Wow thanks for the reporting, so basically don't go in future unless you win a comp and even then expect to go through lots of hassles....

[canadian_turtle]

superhero, you can do all the free stuff, which is still fun (the photos, freebies, exhibition) or b*y single tickets if you're interested in something I guess.

Sounds good funthing! We have nothing for about an hour before the movie so maybe we can catch up beforehand The booths etc. will close at 6pm too so I don't think there will be much else to do then.

[superhero]

I was kind of scared off already, when I heard people were calling non stop on the day the box office opened and it was a nightmare trying to book tickets and also most of these films are end of summer films, wish they did something for the main summer films or do some award season films (but that will take the limelight for from the London Film Festival).
Oh well might join the scrum calling for tickets next year depending on how FMUKers find this weekend

[Knight N]

Morning All

Just about to brave the cold and the rain and leave for the O2.

Having read your various posts I'm looking forward to today (apart from the disorganised chaos, of course).

We are in the Indigo this morning and hopefully I'll be posting on the thread too to find out what others are up to and let those of you at home know what's going on.

Hopefully see some of you there



N