ext_8103: (penguin)
posted by [identity profile] ewx.livejournal.com at 09:46am on 25/08/2013
AIUI the effect would be to break up the Picturehouse chain (or the Cineworld chain). I don't know the industry well but presumably there are economies of scale within cinema chains (e.g. in acquisition of films to show, catering supply contracts, etc), which would be undermined by that.
Cineworld is a relatively recent addition to Cambridge, so (TTBOMK) the merger was arguably a reversion to the situation before it existed, i.e. 2 cinema owners in the area rather than 3.
 
posted by [identity profile] bugshaw.livejournal.com at 09:57am on 25/08/2013
The situations were
Vue + Picturehouse
2003 Vue + Picturehouse + Cineworld
2012 Vue + {Picturehouse + Cineworld}
and if they have to sell one it likely won't be the moneymaker Cineworld so we may end up with
Vue + Cineworld so the same number of cinemas but massive reduction in choice
 
posted by [identity profile] unwholesome-fen.livejournal.com at 09:57am on 27/08/2013
Going back a bit further (to when I arrived in Cambridge), we had
Victoria, ABC/Canon/MGM/etc., Arts Cinema
ABC/Canon/MGM/etc., Arts Cinema
Vue, ABC/Canon/MGM/etc., Arts Cinema
Vue, Arts Cinema
Vue, Arts Picturehouse
Cineworld, Vue, Arts Picturehouse

So three would appear to be the stable number of cinemas since 1986 (when the Kinema closed), with brief periods reduced to two. In particular, the Arts Picturehouse opened (sharing the old Regal Cinema building with the Wetherspoons) within a few weeks of the Arts CInema closing. There is no suggestion that an arthouse cinema isn't viable in Cambridge - quite the contrary. I would assume the Picturehouse would be sold as a going concern, either to another chain or independent ownership. Obviously the uncertainty is troubling, but I can't see closure being an option anyone wants.
 
posted by [identity profile] bugshaw.livejournal.com at 12:05pm on 27/08/2013
Cool, thanks for the history :-)
 
posted by [identity profile] unwholesome-fen.livejournal.com at 09:32am on 27/08/2013
It's a pretty small chain, however (around 20 locations), and I would suspect that Cambridge is among the more profitable on the list.

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