The Great Big UGC & Cinema Thread

[nez75 10]

I went to see The Aviator at Vue in meadowhall on friday afternoon and for the first 10 minutes the lights kept coming on and off and the picture was on the wrong setting, it went up and down instead of across to fill the screen. I went to tell someone but the only person to be found was the lass behind the popcorn counter who had to phone someone up to sort it out.

 

So its not just UGC that sucks sometimes!

 

ps- The Aviator is brilliant. If Dicaprio and Scorsese don't win an oscar then the academy are corrupt gits!

[Hello_Nikki 10]

Well, as an employee at the UGC cinema at Sheffield I thought I should take the time out to defend our efforts!

I work on the concessions bit (one of the chicks who tells you we don't have any hot dogs ready for 10 minutes!), and yes, we are well aware at the time it takes customers to queue up to purchase snacks etc, and also, yes, the price of the food is VERY expensive compared to the prices in supermarkets, but the profit from the food pays for pretty much EVERYTHING in the cinema - basically, if it wasn't for the food, there wouldn't be a cinema industry. The vast majority of the money made from the ticket sales go straight back to the film companies.

If you don't like the prices just bring your own munchies

 

And with the queuing problem, we do the best that we can, with the people that are on. There are times when there blatantly isn't enough staff on (or we have certain individuals who aren't the quickest people in the world), but we can only do what we can. Plus, it doesn't help with people being arkward with their food orders, or asking for a coffee AFTER getting the rest of their food (the coffee machine takes AGES, ask for it first if you don't want to wait a long time!)

 

Oh, and btw, I'm not on commision for this post! lol.

[Beakerzoid 10]

Originally posted by HottyMcBuff

-Sound. At least 70% of the time there is a glitch with the sound making it come from just 1 side or sounding underwater.

-Screen (projection?). Why have about 10 adverts with subtitles when the projection is set so that the subtitles are too low to read.

-Food. Overcharging of a captive market sucks.

-Those new revolving doors. Possibly more dangerous than trying to perform open heart surgery on yourself. With just a spoon. Blindfolded. Using just your feet.

-Toilets. Smell really bad all the time. Like a dead baboon covered in cat p**s.

 

Sound - I saw around 200 films last year at UGC, of which maybe 5 or 6 had sound problems. Either you are crap at maths, or you need to get your ears syringed

 

Screen - You really care about the adverts that much? Don't you have a TV set? So long as the main film is in the correct aspect, what does it matter (the problem is caused by the adverts being in a different aspect to the main feature)

 

Food - Show me a cheaper cinema for food! If you don't want to pay...don't buy it! I recall, from my early childhood, that the prices of food has always been high! It is simple business economics. The food is the source of income, with the ticket price barely covering the distributers cost and projection costs.

 

Revolving Doors - At least it is warmer. If they upset you so much, use the disabled access door to the side

 

Toilets - Well, who would expect a toilet to smell like...erm...a toilet after a few thousand people have used it!

 

If you really hate the place that much, why go there? Cancel your subscription to the card, and stop funding them if they are so bad!!! No one forces you to 'suffer' so much.

 

To me you sound like a professional complainer, and I met a heck of a lot of you during my last job. People who go somewhere purely to complain, thinking it makes them important. Just to let you know...it doesn't. It makes y6ou a very sad man! If my local chip shop sold burnt chips all the time, but for only 10p, I still wouldn't buy them. So why return to a place you hate?

[holster100 10]

I think UGC is a great cinema - especially like the legroom.

 

Anyway, my one problem is the food. Well, the Nachos in particular.

 

When I go to the cinema I eat Nachos. I like them. It's what I do. I'm not greedy - I only order a regular size, but on my Nachos I like a bit of salsa, a bit of cheese sauce and a few chillis.

 

I have been able to purchase my favourite snack like this for many years until a couple of months ago, when upon ordering I was told "sorry sir, we've changed our Nachos policy - you can now have either salsa or cheese, but not both". Apparently they were using too much salsa/cheese, so they've got to cut down. I was shocked and upset - I asked whether I could have half of each (meaning they wouldn't on average be using any more), but my request was declined.

 

The only way to get both toppings is to order the large size (4 quid?). Like I could eat all that! Are UGC encouraging people to eat larger portions of unhealthy food? That's not very responsible in a society with an increasing obesity problem!

 

Besides, come on UGC... how much is a bit of salsa at cost price? I pay £2.70 for a few crisps... surely your mark-up is big enough on this product?

[jonsastar 11]

Ugc is the best cinema in sheffield,

 

All though you are right about over priced food and crappy sound system.

 

Other than that though it is excellent, there are creeky floor boards in some of the screen rooms to that are pretty annoying, especially when some fat fidgeter is sat above you.

 

If you go before 12pm then you cant go wrong really.

 

At least there is central heating in there, the last time I went to odeon in town it was freezing and over priced food wise, plus the screen isn't that big either.

[AndyC123 10]

As a mainstream cinema, UGC is the best in Sheffield by a long shot, and for UGc, one of the best in the country.

 

The problems with the parking are beyond our control as it is Centretainment that owns and controls the parking, and because it is also a park and ride, this uses a lot of spaces.

 

As for the sound, the projectionists are a great team and technical difficulties sometimes just cannot be avoided, but are very rare. I'm sick of customers complaining that the screen is out of rack.. when it is still in adverts and trailers. As long as the feature is ok, who cares? Apparently there is an issue with the DTS and I think we rarely are able to use the sound that is imprinted on the print, so have to use a CD (but i'm not certain at all.)

 

The revolving doors are much better now that they have been fixed and keep the foyer a lot warmer, apart from idiots that mess around pushing them as fast as they can, or other daft people that just stand looking at the 'push' sign, waiting for them to revolve for them.

 

The food isn't bad at all really, and as others have mentioned, thats where we have to make the profit.

 

Also, why do Unlimited customers think that they have some divine right for superior treatment? I had a card for 3 years, and it is excellent value for money, and you even have an express till (which isn't always as express as it should be due to sheer numbers!), but at the end of the day- we make very little profit on Unlimited customers who use their card a lot, particularly if they bring their own food!

Even when the queue at box office is up to the doors, it only takes 10 minutes to get through, and we offer the cheapest concessions than any other cinema!

 

Creaky floorboards?? what?! the floors are concrete mate!

 

Chavs- everyone agrees- the scurge of the cinema but apart from chucking unruly ones out, not a lot else we can do?

 

UGC is now owned by Cineworld, so a refit could be in order in the future?

 

Last point- we have one of the biggest true cinema screens in the UK, so why are you all complaining!

 

:confused:

[MuteWitness 10]

I have a UGC card and love it think its great value!

 

but when i saw dear frankie which involves a deaf child, when he was talking in sign langue it was subtitled but these could not be seen (apart from the little white tops of the letters)

thats the only bad experiance ive had there

[goldenfleece 11]

Originally posted by iffypop

You mean they dont just buy the DVDs and play those?!

cheers for the info, looking forward to digi in 10 years!

 

SUspect less than 10 years actually. Its taking off a BIG way in the States at the moment, but then they have more money than us.

 

Dont think of digital cinema as one of those crappy cheapy (relatively) video projectors you see in pubs showing footie on the wall....real digital cinema blows machines like that into the last century where they belong......

[1andonlystu 10]

I,ve been going to the UGC since it open i can't imagine going elsewhrere now. you compain about the loos smelling you should go in one of the lower screens of a certain city center cinema if you like the smell of urine.

I agree beakerzoid you should like a pro complaining sad act who's not happy unless he's moaning about something do you use it to get freebies i've one last thing to say to get a life and try to st

[Greenback 10]

There really isn't much to complain about when it comes to Sheffield's UGC. A wide variety of films, large screens, comfortable theatres, easily accessible - where's the problem? In terms of projection issues, it's the same anywhere you go (I've seen the Showroom have problems before), and if you don't like the food prices, don't pay them.

 

The days of the fleapit are gone, thank goodness. UGC rocks.

[Beakerzoid 10]

Originally posted by jonsastar

Other than that though it is excellent, there are creeky floor boards in some of the screen rooms to that are pretty annoying, especially when some fat fidgeter is sat above you.

 

Yeah...creaky CONCRETE can be a real pain at times!!!!!

[AndyC123 10]

Originally posted by goldenfleece

SUspect less than 10 years actually. Its taking off a BIG way in the States at the moment, but then they have more money than us.

 

 

I was speaking to our Business Manager at UGC today about digital projectors. She said Cineworld are taking advantage of a grant scheme that UGC never did.... and she's ordered two!!

 

So in a while we will have two of the little beauties (hopefully in screen 7 and 8/6!)