Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square

andysummers on October 4, 2009 at 4:12 am

^^{^Oh,} wow that was when cars could drive down the square till what sometime around the 1980’s?

andysummers on August 15, 2009 at 2:27 am

EMPIRE RULES becuase its the best looking and best sounding cineam around with JBL 56KW THX sound system, now then!

theatreofvarieties on July 31, 2009 at 5:36 pm

To confirm –
Empire 6 – open – 23 seats
Empire 7 – open – 58 seats
Empire 8 – open – 48 seats (formerly screen 3)
Empire 9 – in construction – 42 seats

HowardBHaas on May 31, 2009 at 12:37 pm

I’ve never been to the Curzon Soho, but THX quality of sound & picture presentation seems met at the Empire.

I was sitting in the Circle.

andysummers on May 31, 2009 at 1:24 am

Projection was spot I like it and the atmosphere as well.

Doubt I’d be travelling to London for at least few months as Empire cleaned me out that day. God damn bank changes! LOL Where was you sitting Howard?

I’ve just read that Empire 1 installed Dolby 3D this May 26th so looks like its smarting up tenfold making cinema still the original medium.
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andysummers on May 8, 2009 at 2:18 pm

I didn’t take as many as I expected as the Trekies seemed to have gone into some kind of habitation or where clocking there true appearance in casual dress which did seem a bit odd.

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I’m interested dressing up thou I did go fully clothed and not naked! It’s the original shows films that I like the most and this new one of course which turned out more than brilliant, in fact. Fantastically out of this world in six-track Dolby digital THX sound system.

Sat up front and centre as I said and the screen THX size is to die for in scope. Nice selection of Star Trek theme music that was playing over the JBL stage and surrounds while the neon lighting goes thou its usual changing of colour and mixing of random colours is always pleasing to see.

Got some video on phone camera I’m getting friend to help me load it up on Saturday as it’s a bit tricky, unlike my digital camera which is easy

The sound was reference quality throughout from start to finish. The opening made scene no, I’m not going to say. Bass and subwoofer track rumbled effortlessly without strain with lots and lots of slam and deep depth effects. Practically when Nero creates a black hole!

Warp speed sound effects came with fast snapping sharp attacks that jolted me in the rocker seat.

The Foley effects footsteps like when Nero leaps down to grab Kirk slammed me in the chest, larger then life it was. The phaser effects where very hot on the mid to high range had sonic believability I could feel the impacts on to bodies of Nero’s men or ricocheting off metal structures within his ship.

Surrounds was clear on most occasional effects that came in. Doors hissing on what sounded like centre back to me and few sidewall surround effects of the Enterprises interior. Oh and the ship herself looked awesome on the EMPIRE screen wow she is a beautifully ship.

Second viewing sat in the circle thou its not what I’d call upstairs as someone at box-office said. The floor sloops upwards and the upwards I’d hardly qualify it as upstairs, unlike Odeon Leicester Square which does have an upstairs or baloney that I won’t even bother with anymore.

Anyway enough of OLS screen 6 okay!

Sound was just as positive with hard hitting smooth effects in the middle thou a few db lower of course than the front. dialogue centre stage and effects and music of different blend was solid up front as it was in the middle. Nice and warm on Sarek played by (Ben Cross) Those JBL 4642 five-screen LF. Soft whispery dialogue speech with Spock and Uhura “I’m sorry” was crystal JBL THX clear!

Oh I forget to take a few pictures of up and coming EMPIRE 6 which is in the slow building contraction at the moment should be opened in six weeks.

I heard rumours that EMPIRE 3 is going to be modified. I think I was so overwhelmed with logical emotion LOL that I have forget to take the odd 1 hundred pictures. I apologize I’ll do better next time around which might be Terminator 4 with Terminating JBL 56KW THX! :D

andysummers on April 21, 2009 at 5:28 pm

Found some additional pictures of the Empire Leicester Square with some early pictures of Empire 3 that is located upstairs.

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[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2105828666_b9402119f3.jpg?v=0

Empire Leicester Square 1948
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September 1984
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January 1985
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March 1986
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May 1984
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October 1984
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1986

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August 1988
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andysummers on April 21, 2009 at 5:24 pm

widescreen view of EMPIRE 1
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andysummers on April 21, 2009 at 5:20 pm

LOL I guess there the Scully (Gillian Anderson) fans!:D

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The bidding was conducted outside over in Leicester Square common, this where you can sit and think or conduct bidding sessions, :D on an X-Files movie promotion cardboard board, £150pounds, lord knows how that girl was going to get that thing home it stood up at nearly 5 feet 7”!

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andysummers on April 21, 2009 at 5:16 pm

The day out at London’s famous Leicester Square, wasn’t a bad day, all in all it was pucker.

The X-Files I want to Believe wasn’t a an all, too bad film and I’d rate it with 3 ½ stars.

Now to the meat of things the Dolby SR-D soundtrack wasn’t as powerful as Transformers on the new 56KW JBL THX sound system, or as powerful as some of the 70mm films that I’ve heard and felt on the original THX JBL specification that was only 13KW.

It was loud sure it had few lows but the sound system was only reproducing what is on the soundtrack as faithfully and richly than any other sub standard cinema system.

The most SPL db level was around from 110 to 115dbc while high ranges where considerably less on the mix. The snowplough crashing into the car was plenty loud and while there was no gunshots fired in the film was a little disappointing, but I’d take the snowplough anytime in the day and night as well.

Now if I can try and decipher my, shorthand writing on the notepad as I wrote a few descriptions on what was happening, now let’s see…

The presentation was a Dolby cinema digital screening and thou I did notice grain structure at, oh bugger I thought I noted the time, it was when Scully and Mulder where in bed and scene was darkly lit on the certain parts, I was sure I could see some visible pixilation movement, in the dark portions of the image, but it was the grain.

If you squint slightly you’re eye will soften the roughness of the grain out and that’s what I noticed when trying that out, it was mealy to see just how good digital projection was, thou I’m sure the film was 35mm to digital transfer, kinder like a 35mm to 70mm blow-up and not an original high definition HD film process, still no scratches in the vertical or horizontal or little specks of golf balls.

42 minutes into the film I noticed like many off screen sound effects over the widest THX screen in the UK a door handle being levered down (Right channel) as Scully enters a board hearing at the medical centre where she now works.

At 1 hour 18 minutes I could almost swore I saw X-Files creator (Chris Carter) sat down on bench in hallway on the left hand side of the screen for brief moment.

Music wasn’t too bad by Mark Snow who set the theme tone and is now part of TV and film history, just whistling a few bars and someone will say, X-files.

There was funny little gag in the film with film where Mulder and Scully go back to the FBI and Mulder notices a picture of most unpopular US president George W. Bush and an X-Files tune is played with slight laughter in the cinema.

I almost forget to mention, before the film started the non-sync was playing the (Mark Snow) score over what sounded like inner left and inner right or left extra and right extra as the sound was very tightly narrowed, while sat front and centre row.

Anyway on with the little picture show now and I took more than the last visit.

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I took a few pictures with management permission of Empire 5 one of two new digital auditoriums that opened at Empire recently.

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Due to the low light level I could barely tell what model JBL was behind the screen, but from the rough guess I would say its single 15” bass cab for LCR didn’t get a shot of the HF but I would say its part of the package.

Not sure if the was sub because I did have peek under the black masking below and in front of the middle and saw no sub, unless its mounted on the stage behind the screen in-between the left and centre or right ad centre?

The surrounds liked like JBL 8330 thou the angle of the enclosure was different and it was very dark and the camera flash didn’t illuminate enough for a good view. I’ll try better on my next visit which maybe the new James Bond film opening in October I think?

All seating is rockers the best of the best for real true cinema comfort.

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andysummers on April 18, 2009 at 1:44 am

On the right hand side, hmm I wonder if this is visible at the front while looking in-between where the neon lighting system is placed. I have some pictures of the left hand side only. I’ll take some new pictures this May when Star Trek opens on May 7th.

theatreofvarieties on February 17, 2009 at 2:30 pm

the coloured lighting in auditorium 1 is neon, pink, blue and yellow.

andysummers on June 22, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Wow I’d hath to make trip up there soon and have a look, thou chances are I’d see film in the 56KW THX JBL screen 1.