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The Electric Cinema in          Cinema Hall
                                            Portobello Road, is unique in the     The ideal proportions of a cinema
                                            roll-call of recently completed    hall in respect of the relationship of the
                                            cinema projects in the UK. It is   screen to the seated area (ignoring sight
                                            England's oldest operating cinema  lines for the time being) are
                                            and now arguably London's finest   approximately 1:2. What is meant by
                                            luxury cinema. This is all the more  this is that the last row from the screen
                                            astonishing when you consider that  should be roughly twice the width of
                                            in 1993 the cinema was run down    the screen or picture size. Some
                                            and appeared to close its doors for  cinemas have ratios of 1:2.5 or even
                                            good, having struggled under a     1:2.8, but anything more than this
                                            succession of different owners since  would create a tunnel-like and therefore
                                            the mid 80's. However, the cinema  unacceptable film environment. It has
                                            was rescued from oblivion by Peter  been said that The Electric previously
                                            Simon, founder of the Monsoon and  housed 600 tip-up seats, but in order to
                                            Accessorize chain of shops, who    maintain the ideal viewing proportions
                                            started his career with a stall on  for a luxury cinema it now has 98
                                            Portobello Road many years ago.    luxury leather armchairs complete with
                                            The multi-million pound            their own footstools and providing
                                            modernisation of The Electric      plenty of legroom. Beside each
                                            Cinema and restoration to its      armchair is a low-shelf for light snacks
                                            former Edwardian glory was         complete with wine cooler for that
                                            carried by the present cinema      obligatory bottle of Chablis or
                                            operator, Nick Jones and his       Chardonnay to complement the film
                                            colleagues at Soho House Ltd UK.   viewing experience. You can even get
                                                                               sushi from the brasserie next door
                                                                               delivered to your seat if that is your
          The Electric and the Era of the Luxury Cinema by Bill Chew
                                                                               choice. If you prefer to view your films
            The Electric has been described by  doing so it has ushered in an entirely  in an inclined position there are four
          David Atwell in his book Cathedrals of  new film performance environment -  futons available. The 98 armchairs are
          The Movies (1980) as having ‘the  that of the luxury cinema.         arranged in 7 rows of 14.
          earliest unaltered cinema interior in  The idea of the luxury cinema is not
          Britain ... built a few months after the  new. A few years ago some national
          Biograph in 1905. Like almost every  operators created the idea of the
          early cinema, it is a simple rectangular  ‘premiere cinema’ within their
          hall with a barrel-vaulted roof, and  multiplexes. These cinemas mimicked
          moulded plasterwork arranged as ribs  the trends in business class travel. The
          and as decorative panels.’ Remarkably  premiere cinema generally consisted of
          this cinema interior including the  a plush and spacious cinema
          proscenium arch and globe above it has  environment with 40 to 50 recliner
          been preserved to this day.       chairs located within them. However at
            The UK has experienced a boom in  The Electric the concept of the luxury
          cinema construction in the past 20  cinema has been taken to an entirely
          years- the two discernible trends being  new level altogether. Mandy Kean,  The Electric’s luxury leather armchairs.
          the multiplex revolution and the recent  cinema manager at Soho House
          revival of the budget cinema. The  explains “Nick Jones initially wanted
                                                                                  Despite the seat of the armchair
          rationale of the multiplex is to pack as  the cinemas to be like the first class
                                                                               being slightly lower than a normal
          many seats and programs as possible  cabin in an aircraft, where you can have
                                                                               cinema seat, the sight lines to the
          into each cellular cinema with the aim  whatever food and drink you want and
                                                                               screen work extremely well and the
          of increasing the bottom line.    watch a film at the same time... and it
                                                                               audiences simply love the relaxed
            With the budget cinema the aim is  has gone on from there”. In addition to  atmosphere of the cinema. The seating
          not too dissimilar; it is to sell as many  the cinema, The Electric Cinema  arrangement proposed proved so
          cheap seats as possible on the internet  complex comprises a brasserie next  unusual to the local authority, The
          prior to the performance, providing a  door and a private members club on the  Royal Borough of Kensington and
          cinema environment with few frills. It is  first floor with private function rooms  Chelsea, and unlike other cinemas or
          therefore refreshing that The Electric  available for press launches, photo  multiplexes they had encountered
          Cinema has chosen to eschew both  shoots, etc. The cinema has also been  before, that they requested cinema
          these trends. The Electric has reduced  designed as a multi-purpose venue  management to obtain the approval of
          its seating capacity but at the same time  capable of being used for film  the seating plan from the film
          invested heavily in comfort in the  premieres and press conferences.
                                                                               distributors first, before granting
          auditorium and in endeavouring to    So what are the main features of a
                                                                               approval themselves.
          provide the optimum viewing conditions  luxury cinema which distinguish it
          both in picture and sound quality. By  from other cinemas?

          10  2005 CINEMARECORD
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