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Book NowEveryone loves the magic of the movies. Whether it’s the latest Holly- or Bollywood blockbusters, low-budget indie films, foreign cinema or avant-garde Fellini classics from the 60s, there are lots of cinemas close to the Rathbone to choose from – all you need to do is decide what you want to see!
Whatever your celluloid pleasure, there’s something for everyone. Some even do ‘sing-along’ evenings featuring films everyone – including you – knows the music to like Grease, Mamma Mia!, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the Sound of Music!
Regent Street Cinema
London’s – actually Britain’s – first cinema was the Regent Street Cinema when the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe machine was outed to the paying public on 21st February 1896. It was closed in 1980 to make way for a lecture theatre but after a three-year fundraising campaign, the cinema was restored to its former glory and reopened in May 2015. Today, it’s one of London’s best cinemas.
They show a mix of the latest releases, cult classics, foreign language films and documentaries and the auditorium is one of the prettiest in London. It’s worth the entrance money alone.
Odeon Tottenham Court Road
London is awash with multiplex cinemas, huge glass and steel monoliths full of popcorn, pick ‘n’ mix, fizzy drinks and hot dogs but these are the places where you can watch the latest releases with stunning sound, easy online booking and plush seats. The biggest players are Vue, Odeon and Cineworld.
BFI IMAX
The BFI IMAX cinema is in Waterloo so it’s a short tube or taxi ride from the Rathbone but it’s worth the trip if you’re a film buff! It is home to Britain’s biggest cinema screen (20m x 26m) with almost 500 seats and the benefits are amazing! The sharpness of the sound and the picture quality is remarkable and one journalist was quoted as saying ‘you don’t just see an IMAX film, you feel it in your bones’.
To make the experience even better, some films at the IMAX are shown in 3D. It’s worth noting that tickets are a little more expensive but it does of course include the 3D glasses and lots more enjoyment so if you want a 3D experience in London, check the listings at the BFI IMAX.