Odeon Luxe London West End
40 Leicester Square,
London,
WC2H 7LP
40 Leicester Square,
London,
WC2H 7LP
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Architects for this cinema was Ellis Williams Architects, they also oversaw the Luxe treatment being applied to the Odeon Leicester Square.
Edgar Wright has posted a video of the entrance corridor to the Dolby Cinema auditorium.
AFAIK this is currently the only Dolby Cinema in the UK to include the “AVP corridor” feature.
SethLewis: Odeon are/were the leaseholder for both the West End and “Covent Garden” locations, with redevelopment of both sites proposed/completed such that cinemas are spatially not the primary use, that instead being hotel accommodation/associated facilities.
The current state of the Odeon Covent Garden appears to be that the 2017 planning application was rejected, and on 10/03/21 was dismissed on appeal. I could not find any further applications on Camden Council’s planning database.
That being said, from the 2017 application, unlike the OWE, for any redevelopment of the “Covent Garden” site incorporating a cinema, another operator would need to be found. Clearly, any such redevelopment is years away from completion…
Without being churlish I would much rather see the Odeon Covent Garden restored with seats in the 100s and a good mix of English language and foreign films…Every screen does not need Bond or a horror or Marvel film
it was sad.
CF100: I cannot be entirely sure, but I think moveable masking is in place, although like the Odeon Luxe LS tabs whether it is used or not is an unknown fact.
I was very generously allowed in between screenings whilst cleaning was in progress, but looking at the walls in the photos I cannot discern any lighting strips which may add a colour in screen 2 - there are blue strips in the aisles. The shape of the auditorium may be a factor - the lighting strips may be more effective in a longer, more oblong theatre?
Moviebuff82: I, too, would recommend the Bond movie. As you would expect, the cinematography is superb, right from the start as the opening credits merge into a forest. It is witty, the chases exciting, and to say much more would give away too much! Do find a big screen to see it though.
Ian: Thank you for posting links to those photos. It looks like Screen 2, happily, has a masked screen (c.f. the floating screen in Screen 1;) do you know if moveable masking is in use?
It also appears to be exceptionally bland–not even linear lighting to add a dash of colour to the sidewalls?
I only saw the cinema, not the film on this occasion - but will be seeing it at my ‘local’ on Tuesday.
moviebuff82:
I saw the new “007” film in the IMAX auditorium at Cineworld Watford (a town ~16 miles NW of London), the first time I’ve been to the cinema since February 2020! It has a 1.9:1 ratio screen, ~72ft. wide, single IMAX laser projection, and 12 channel IMAX sound.
Whilst some of the film was shot on IMAX 70mm film cameras, and some scenes are presented in full height 1.43:1 in a suitably equipped venue (i.e. IMAX dual laser projection with the necessary screen height), these total duration of these scenes is less than 30 minutes.
A friend of mine timed them thusly:
Opening credits: ~4 min.
Section at start of movie: ~23.5 min.
Cuba sequence: ~4 min.
End credits: ~6 min.
Nevertheless, I think you’d be missing out if viewing a “scope” only presentation.
(Alas, the only IMAX venue in this country offering a 1.43:1 presentation for this film is in Manchester, almost 250 miles [by road per Google Maps directions] North of where I live; not being willing to travel that distance just for this film, the only IMAX option was 1.9:1.)
The film itself is probably not a “classic” but it certainly ticks all the boxes for an enjoyable Bond outing; epic scale, wall-to-wall action and plot turns, excellent cinematography and locations. (No ghastly “cinéma vérité”-style “shakycam!”)
There was only the odd bit of grain in the IMAX presentation, so must have gone through digital noise reduction processing. The image quality is a “best of both worlds” hybrid, with a softer/diffused filmic look, whilst the (mostly excellent and consistent) colour grading makes ample use of the options available today with saturated greens and cyans at times; overall typically heavily stylised in a glamourous way.
Sound, too, was good–albeit not quite as loud as expected. (Some of the trailers before the main feature, on the other hand, were ear-splitting!) There was some clear use of the overhead channels, most noticeably dialogue being panned to them when characters were using earpieces, which I found slightly distracting.
As is by now widely known, there is a contemporary political issue around the future of the franchise, and you may or may not find this affects your enjoyment… and I think that’s all I’ll say about that here…
Getting back to the point of this page, which is about a cinema that boasts a Dolby Cinema system in its main auditorium… The “filmic” look is also benefitted by IMAX’s projection, which (even the single laser projection system) seems to achieve a smoother image than Dolby Cinema; therefore I recommend viewing it in an IMAX with Laser equipped venue.
It’s great fun and it, surprisingly, does live up to the hype–so I’d say go see it in the best cinema you can.
thoughts on the new 007?
I had the chance to look at these this week, and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the development. The auditoria (whilst black and plain) are comfortable and spacious with no oppressive basement feel. The entrance is dramatic and the foyer (designed with a much higher number of patrons in mind) is elegant and generous. A few photos (October 2021):-
Odeon Luxe West End - EXTERIOR
Odeon Luxe West End - ESCALATOR TO FOYER
Odeon Luxe West End - SCREEN 1 - DOLBY THEATRE
Odeon Luxe West End - SCREEN 2
Screen 1 (Dolby Cinema) screen width is, according to Odeon, 13.3m (~43.5ft.), which given the sidewalls splay in slightly towards the stage end, is in line with my previous measurements.
Measurements off the licensing plans per previous post therefore yield a screen width of ~37ft. for Screen 2.
It is perhaps worth noting that the redevelopment (over less than a decade) of all the main Leicester Square cinemas is now complete; other than Vue (aka Warner), this has been on a scale not seen since the 1960’s. It now boasts 6 “PLF spec.” auditoria with high end projection and sound. Excluding the core/shell construction cost of the replacement OWE, this must amount to an investment greater than £30m.
Plans (i.e. showing the revised internal layout per the fit-out from core/shell) can be found in the following licensing application:
20/03120/LIPN.
It also clearly delineates the cinema’s demise, c.f. plans for the whole redevelopment.
Alas, all but the first two rows are straight in Screen 1 (Dolby Cinema), and all but the first row in Screen 2.
As might be expected, Screen 1 roughly follows the conventional screen width-to-seating distance ratios, the rows being ~0.6x to ~1.75x screen width away. In fact, the seating roughly overlays over the OLS' stalls. Good for anyone not wanting to be “overwhelmed,” but certainly not IMAX-style “immersive.”
Screen 2, on the other hand, perhaps surprisingly, features a screen that as drawn is ~85% the size of Screen 1. Screen width-to-seating distance from the screen ratios are ~0.35x to ~1.25x screen width away.
This, in terms of horizontal field of vision fill, is not too far off IMAX spec., or Empire Cinemas' (patented!) schemes for IMPACT and STUDIO auditoria. Depending on projection/sound–alas not Atmos–it may therefore offer a better experience than expected.
I’m afraid to say that a “flat” ratio screen, alas, has been installed in Screen 1. The projection system should render this less of a problem than might be expected–not ideal, but not too bothersome over in the IMAX with Laser across the square.
The main foyer (inc. concessions counter) appears to be about 3,000sq.ft., i.e., a reasonable size.
More to follow…
The cinema isn’t in “the” basement as such-–it’s on levels B3/4, mostly below a large function room on level B2. If this seems pedantic, consider that the floor level of B4 is ~20m below street level!
(On B5/6 are plant rooms and kitchen areas.)
Whilst the cinema (including plant rooms etc.) occupies about half the area of these levels, this is one of the deepest commercial buildings in the world, extending ~30m below ground level. Fortunately for patrons, the incremental cost of including the cinema presumably is ultimately borne by those staying or making use of the hotel’s facilities; in any case, this surely is one of the most, if not the most, expensively (allowing for inflation also) built cinema open to the public per m2 or m3.