Film: Pirate, Private or Paid For?

So, with the arrival of the Cinema de Lux at the new Cabot Circus, a trip to check out the cinema where the audience is promised a magical experience with ‘extra wide Ultra Leather loveseats’ (are they saying we’re fat?) has definitely been on most Bristol film buff’s to-do lists. The question is, can the plush new multiplex triumph over a night in on your own sofa with a copy of Adulthood that you got for three-fifty at Southmead market?

There are questionable cons of pirate DVDs and TV Links type things. They're not really for the visually impaired; sometimes the fuzzy or stretched picture can begin to annoy you, especially if you're busy trying to see if Keira Knightly has better skin than you. There's also the possibility of the odd silhouette of a front row resident sprinting across the length of the room as they decide they need the toilet at the most crucial moment of the film. Apart from that, it’s cost efficient, energy efficient (if the last thing you want to do on a Friday night is walk to Broadmead) and at least we’re only 4 metres from the nearest loo...

However, on the off chance that you decide against piracy, DO visit Cinema de Lux. It probably IS worth it. The shiny new film haven introduces its swanky Studio One restaurant, the Directors Hall and Lounge and a number of staff there to spoon-feed you.
Besides these amenities, I’m fairly sure that the greatest relief to every film-goer visiting the Cinema de Lux is that we can finally wear something nice, and know it’s not going to come home smelling like stale popcorn and body odour. I hasten to add that it’s also reassuring that you won’t fall victim to a pick ‘n’ mix assault from the gang of school-kids sat on the back row.

Enticing? Tickets are around £6 for the standard seating screens (not extortion but at this price alone you might want to byo sandwich on the sly). If you're feeling flush though, opt for the Directors Hall. You'll be paying a steep £9, buuuut you don't have to leave your seat for anything, a ‘concierge’ (a boy in a hat) is at your beck and call to bring you food from the ‘Studio One’ menu (note: they will not accompany you to the toilet, so don't ask). The downfalls of the Director's Hall is that you WILL be sitting next to either a) a geek b) a business man, c) a businesswoman or d) a couple who think you can’t see/hear them groping.
Things are looking up though, you no longer have to sneak alcohol in with you; cocktails and other drinks are available from the cinema's Studio One bar. I wonder how many times the bartenders were asked for a martini; shaken, not stirred….

(I have yet to visit the Cinema de Lux. I think I'll stick to the watershed for now though....)