FrightFest 2024

[iomega]

Welcome to another year at FrightFest, and it’s a biggie. Who would have believed it, a quarter of a century later we would still here. On that fateful Friday night in the Prince Charles cinema back in 2000, I never thought I would still be here posting on the FrightFest Forum. Anyway, we have much to show you this year.

[zappa fan]

Tell us more Ian.

[Maniacal]

Trick 'r' Treat 2?

[iomega]

Good try, but no.

[cineBAKA]

What does the relocation mean, out of interest? I generally travel to London for it, so I'm not familiar with the differences between the cinemas (I guess one Odeon is not good enough for the square, they need 2?!). Obviously more screens, but will there be more or less seats for the main screen? Is it going to be harder to get a ticket is what I'm trying to figure out. The difference between booking non cancellation and flexible for the 5 nights is hundreds, annoyingly.

[Bvmjain]

What does the relocation mean, out of interest? I generally travel to London for it, so I'm not familiar with the differences between the cinemas (I guess one Odeon is not good enough for the square, they need 2?!). Obviously more screens, but will there be more or less seats for the main screen? Is it going to be harder to get a ticket is what I'm trying to figure out. The difference between booking non cancellation and flexible for the 5 nights is hundreds, annoyingly.

The Cineworld IMAX has 721 seats.
The old - (since refurbished) Odeon has 800 seats - split between downstairs & upstairs.
Along with a few tiny screens with limited seating.

The newer Odeon is basically a hotel, with a 2 screen cinema in the basement. (Screen 1 has168 seats, and screen 2 has 72 seats)

I have an Odeon membership (along with a Cineworld membership), and generally avoid the old Odeon. The reason is that the Screen is tiny, compared to the IMAX & the SuperScreen at Cineworld.
Also, the screen is tilted upwards - so that the distortion is reduced for people sitting upstairs.
Meaning that downstairs viewing is not full on - exacerbated by the recliners downstairs - which people end up using & falling asleep in, while trying to watch a film on a small screen at a 15% angle.

The new Odeon Luxe (referred to as the West End Odeon), has the better screens.
I regularly watch films in screen 1&2.
Screen 2 is amazing, the punchiest sound & a low screen means you can sit from row 2 onwards without any distortion / angle issues.

I suspect that Screen 1 will either be used as a substitute for the Prince Charles cinema (another cinema that suffers from the 'large auditorium'/small screen phenomenon), or will be the equivalent of the Cineworld SuperScreen - and be used for day pass holders.

So, there will likely be more seats in the main screen for you.
(If you attended last year, there were fewer full weekend passes, due to having to combine day pass holders & weekend pass holders in the same screen - as a result of the Cineworld 4DX screen having been 'locked off', by the landlord)

[Alex J]

Thank you Bvmjain, a really useful guide to the new screens for those of us who don't frequent Leicester Square on a weekly basis.

[cineBAKA]

I appreciate you taking the time Bvmjain! Incredibly helpful. I’d completely forgotten the Day Pass crowd were in the main screen with us last year, which I think is why there was more of a ticketing panic. Definitely feel reassured. Thanks!

[iomega]

Thank you, BVMJain, for your post.

You obviously care how films are presented and appreciate the finer things of film exhibition. As an old projectionist who showed films in the West End for many years, I understand where you are coming from; however, I am going to take exception to one or two of your comments, mainly about screen size, but I'll get back to that in a bit.

The Odeon's Leicester Square and West End stand out as two of the best-equipped cinemas in the UK. The Odeon Leicester Square, for instance, is the go-to venue for the U.K.'s biggest premiers, including the recent World Premier of Dune Part 2. Similarly, the Odeon West End's screen number one was the exclusive location for all the press and publicity screenings for the recent Avatar sequel, a testament to its superior picture and sound quality. In a first for FrightFest, all screens are wheelchair-accessible and equipped for closed captioning. We had our first closed caption screening last year.

The Odeon Leicester Square has 791 very comfortable seats with enough legroom to play football between the rows in the stalls. This year, there will be slightly more full passes available.

Back to screen size. When it comes to size, in my opinion, it's a matter of personal preference. Some may have found the two largest Cineworld screens too big for the size of the auditorium, especially if they're not sitting towards the back. However, others might appreciate the immersive experience these screens offer. At the end of the day, it's about finding the right balance between screen size and viewing distance that suits personal taste. The screen in what is described as the old Odeon has been recently brought out of the Presidium and moved forward, and at 48 feet wide, it's not tiny.

It's been 25 years since FrightFest began, and our commitment to the horror genre has never wavered. We have used every cinema in Leicester Square now and a few others beyond, each giving the Festival a different flavour. My favourite was our year in Shepherds Bush. As Cinemas have changed, so have we, adapting and always showcasing the best in horror. When we first started in 2000, most of the films we featured that year got a cinema release. That's not the case now. 90% of the films we will feature over the five days will never be seen inside a UK cinema again, and that's just how the market is these days.

Our 25th event is a milestone, and we have big plans to make it unforgettable. We look forward to welcoming everyone in August to celebrate this special occasion. While things will be different, we believe this move is good for the festival and will help confirm FrightFest's place in the top five genre events worldwide. We might miss those amazing stairs at the Cineworld, but we're excited about the new opportunities and experiences our new venues will bring.

Ian.

[Alex J]

Thanks for the useful info Ian, plenty to look forward to in August as well!