14/06/2024
We received the news of the Phoenix Cinema, Oban closing with great sadness but, unfortunately, not surprise. Itâs incredibly difficult for cinemas at the moment and with Studio Cinema, Dunoon recently stating that people need to âuse it or lose itâ and our own admissions at an all time low and bills at an all time high, we are in the same boat.
Pressures are coming from several different places but a major one is supplier costs rocketing and we all know whatâs happened to gas and electricity prices so imagine what those numbers look like in a large cavernous building with lots of equipment to run. We have continued to absorb these costs to keep our prices as low as possible but the situation is becoming desperate, as demonstrated by our friends in Oban having to shut their doors and our friends in Dunoon issuing a plea to support them.
It is time for us to do the same. We know that everyone is struggling but if you like having a cinema in your town here are a few things you can do to give us a wee bit of help.
1) Come see a film. Come see just one additional film this year than you would have. Watch something that you wouldnât ordinarily have thought to see. If you havenât seen a kids film since you were a kid, try INSIDE OUT 2. If you normally watch films about robots hitting each other check out HARD MILES. If you tend not to bother with scary stuff have a look at A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE. And if you just donât really know what you like thereâs PADDINGTON IN PERU at the end of the year and youâd have to be a stone hearted monster not to enjoy Paddington.
2) Donate when you buy your ticket if you can. We have deliberately not put up our ticket prices as our running costs shot up because weâre aware that everyone is feeling it. If you could manage to pay more for a ticket then stick that amount on top of the listed ticket price. Thereâs the option to do that when you book online or at the kiosk.
3) If youâve enjoyed a film youâve seen here let other people know about it. Some of our biggest hits of the last few years have been down to word of mouth (looking at you, Co***ne Bear). If you loved it â encourage your friends to see it. If you hated it â encourage your enemies to see it.
4) Pay in cash. This one is a small one but every little helps! If you have cash on you, especially for smaller sums, weâll take it! It keeps our credit card processing fees down. We donât hate cards though so donât stress too much if thatâs how you prefer to pay!
5) Now Iâm going to immediately contradict myself. Booking online is also good! It gives us an idea of how many people are coming so we can plan staffing.
6) Come by and have a look in our cake cabinet. You donât have to buy anything⊠just have a look (yeah, obviously weâre banking on you buying something once youâve seen them).
7) Bring visitors in. Itâs easy to take how amazing Campbeltownâs cinema is for granted but it really is one of the loveliest cinemas in the world. Genuinely. If you have visitors this summer or if youâre chatting to tourists out and about, make sure they know to come to the cinema. People who arenât used to how wonderful CPH is are blown away when they step into Screen 1. If you have a tourist business and would like to be added to our distribution list to receive the poster and listings each week send us your e-mail address. We deliver physical copies in the centre of town or digital copies for further afield.
8) Have a look at the âSupportâ section of our website for details on our Supporter scheme, seat sponsorship, leaving a legacy or how to donate.
Weâve got some fun plans for the next few months including The Little Horrors Film Festival, Superior Sequels and a big dress up screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Iâve put a few of the future weeks on sale now to give people a chance to see whatâs coming up. Come the school holidays weâll be opening the cafĂ© during the day for hot drinks, Mhairiâs amazing bakes and our menu of iced summer drinks. Come along, treat yourself, have a chat and make sure that Campbeltown retains the title of having the most splendid cinema in the country.
