With its central location, diverse programming and friendly atmosphere, Greenwich Picturehouse offers film enthusiasts a superior cinema experience. Ben Wilson takes a look at what goes on behind the screen
On a typical winter’s day, it’s a welcome relief to escape the cold weather and take refuge in a cinema. Relaxing in the comfort of the upstairs bar and enjoying the view of St Alfege Church, it becomes apparent that Greenwich Picturehouse is not your average cinema. It is here that I meet Joe Filbee; duty
manager, branch marketing manager and, for today, tour guide. Leading me through the building to the first projection room, Joe is more than happy to share some of the reasons he feels the Picturehouse is such an attractive venue. “First of all, it’s the location, being in the middle of Greenwich. It’s a building that you notice with the glass front, and our main selling point (apart from our programming, which is more art house and world cinema) is probably our seats as well – they’re probably the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in.”
Built in 2005, the Picturehouse draws cinema
fans from far and wide who come to enjoy a good film, a bottle of wine and the friendly atmosphere. There’s a feeling that the customer base is more patrons than punters, as Joe explains: “We do have loads of regular customers who know the staff by name, and we’ve come to rely on them. Especially during the day, they come in on their own or they come in with a friend and they like to have a chat about film or about what they saw last weekend, and all our staff are really good at that because they’ve all got personalities. They’re very friendly and know about the films. It’s not just like, ‘Alright mate, see you later,’ and then they rush them out, and I think people like to have that kind of experience.”
And the content on display at the
Picturehouse is definitely worthy of discussion. As well as showing the current blockbusters, there’s very much a focus on “alternative content”. The live links to the National Theatre and New York’s
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52