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watching movies in London 

The Movies in London

Where can I watch movies in London?

London is home to around 800 cinemas and has a good mix of multi-chain and independent cinemas. This represents about 20% of UK cinema's and about 25% of the audience.

Where can I see a movie on an extra large screen/IMAX?

  • BFI IMAX in Waterloo is London's and the UK's largest screen measuring 26m wide and 20m high.
  • For other IMAX Cinemas in London try the Empire (Leicester square 2nd largest screen), London Science Museum IMAX (3rd largest screen). Odeon IMAX (Greenwich, Wimbledon, Swiss Cottage, Kingston, Uxbridge) Cineworld (Leicester Square and Enfield)

Where can I watch movies in luxury?

What other Cinema experiences do I need to know about?

London also has an exciting Pop up cinema scene. Pop ups have included watching a movie in a hot tub on a roof top, watching a horror in a cemetery or feeling part of a classic film with Secret Cinema. Here are some pop up cinema clubs worth following Pop up Screens, Nomad Cinema, Roof Top Film Club, Secret Cinema and Luna Cinema.

Secret Cinema is a movie watching experience like no other......

Interesting and useful stuff about Movies in London

    • London has close to 800 cinema screens which amounts to 20% of the total cinema screens in the UK and 25% of the annual audience.
    • Regent Street Cinema was the birth place for cinema first showing a movie image back in 1896!
    • The largest Cinema Screen in London and also Britain is the BFI IMAX near Waterloo station, the screen is 26m wide and 20m high.
    • London has some wonderful luxury cinema's try Electric Cinema (Portobello & Shoreditch), Genesis Cinema (Whitechapel), Curzon (Mayfair), Everyman Cinema (Hampstead, Maida Vale, Belsize Park, Baker Street, Canary Wharf).
    • Watch the stars walk the red carpet In Leicester Square as they promote their film, movie premierre is an excellent site to find when the films launch and the stars are in town.
    • A fun site to check out film locations is this movie map. 

Some money saving tips to help...

 

  • If you love movies, register with ShowFilmFirst as they offer pre-release viewings of many films all for free!  
  • Amazon-Prime/Lovefilm and Netflix offer an online movie service regularly offering a free monthly trial for new customers. 
  • Cineworld and Odeon offer an unlimited movie pass for around than £18 a month which means you will never have an excuse not to enjoy an evening at the movies any time you like.
  • There are many partner companies that offer discounted cinema tickets such as Compare the Market and Taste Card. It can also be worth looking at deal/offer sites such as Groupon.

secret cinema The Must do movie experience

Secret Cinema is a movie watching experience like no other......The formula is to take a classic movie and bring it to life for the viewer and make you feel like you are part of the movie. The movie is held in a secret location, once you buy your tickets you will be given a dress code which will require you to dress in character. You don't just arrive at a cinema to watch your favourite film but a live theatre like production where actors play parts of the movie and interact with the audience. Imagine being able to drink in the "Star Wars" bar with characters like storm troopers, Chewbacca and other weird looking alien creatures drinking in there with you. For Star Wars fans this is a dream come true and this is what Secret Cinema does. So keep a look out for their next production and if it is a film you love, get involved. 

be an extra in the movies Put yourself on the big screen......

Don't just watch movies and TV..... Why not try and be part of the action by being an extra! London is a city where lots of movies and TV is made. Keep track of/register with Castingnow, Starnow, Universal Extras, Casting Collective and Extra People. You could be the next David Hasslehoff!

London based Movies

London is the world's third busiest movie production centre with over 14,000 movie production days which means there are a lot of movies with London as a location. Here are some we recommend:

Classic Romantic Comedies - Love Actually, Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, About a Boy, Bridget Jones, Run fatboy Run, Fever Pitch, Wilt  

Cult Films - Werewolves in London, V for Vendetta, Clockwork orange, Shaun of the Dead, 1984, 28 Days later, The Elephant Man, The Plank 

Children's Films - Marry Poppins, Harry Potter, Paddington Bear, Oliver, A Christmas Carrol, Flushed Away 

Political Films - Queen, Iron Lady, The Kings Speech, Allegience, Scandal, In the Loop, Suffragette 

Sports Films - Wimbledon, Sixty Six, fever Pitch, Football Factory, Green Street, Bend it Like Beckham  

Music/Dance Films - Hard days Night, Performance, Spice World, Cuban Fury, Born Romantic 

Spy Films - James Bond, Spooks, Johnny English, Kingsman, Tinke Tailor Soldier Spy 

Gangster Films - The Krays, Snatch, Layer Cake, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, RocknRolla, Dom Hemmingway, The Long Good Friday 

Heist Films - The Bank Job, The Italian Job, A Fish Called Wanda  

Horrors - The Omen

Quirky Story/Fact 

Maurice Micklewhite one of the UK's most famous movie stars of all time was in leicester Square talking to his agent from a phone booth in 1954 and at that time was going under the stage name of Michael White. His agent had work for him but with another Michael White in the acting world, stated that he would need to change his name. Maurice Micklewhite looked up at the Odeon where a Humphrey Bogart film the Caine Mutiny was showing and said to his agent, "call me Michael Caine". More than 60 years later Michael Caine is a double Oscar winning actor and legend in the world of movies.

 

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