As a Fresher, Hyde Park Picture House was never somewhere I visited. However, I regretted this last week when I visited it for the first time to see ‘Looper’, and realised it was cheaper, closer to my first-year halls, and a much nicer venue than the standard Vue cinema! Tickets cost £4.80 with a student card, and the cinema also accepts Orange Wednesdays. For regular cinema-goers, Hyde Park Picture House also has a Film Club, which offers a reduced entry of £4 each trip for seats in both the stalls and the balcony. Further details about this can be found on the ‘Friends’ page of the Picture House’s website.
The venue itself has a great atmosphere, with low lighting, comfy seats, and red curtains which add a touch of cosiness. These elements all make for an extra-romantic outing if you fancy a cinema trip for your first date to ease that initial awkwardness! My advice would be to find a back seat, as the low side-lights remain turned on during the film, which was something I wasn’t used to, and was the only thing I disliked about the venue. The room itself is well laid out: quite small, yet the seats aren’t too close to the screen. Most of the seats are relatively equal in terms of view, so there’s no need to worry about arriving too early in an attempt to avoid those too-close-for-comfort front seats.
As well as being valuable due to its excellent position for all second and third year students living in Hyde Park, the Picture House is an important part of the local community’s history. It was built during the First World War. Before the 1920s, the cinema only showed silent films, but thereafter, it advanced its technology to enable sound, which helped maintain its popularity when talking films came into being. It has remained open as an independent cinema despite the development of larger cinemas in Leeds’ town centre since the 1930s. Whilst it shows blockbusters, such as ‘On The Road’ which was on screen from the 15th to 18th October, or ‘Untouchable’, it also supports independent film producers, providing an alternative to your regular Hollywood rom-com. Late-night showings, from around 11pm, are occasionally ‘bring your own booze’, making it the perfect spot for a chilled bottle of wine, but perhaps not ideal for pre-drinks! Overall, it’s a great choice for a quieter night out. And of course, one of the best parts of the trip was that we got there early enough to watch the adverts for upcoming releases. Having seen the actors in ‘On The Road’, let’s just say that the girls I was with and myself, if not the entire female audience, have definitely decided we’re going back next week!
Location: Brudenell Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 1JD. The closest bus is the 56 which stops right outside the cinema.
Contact: 0113 275 2045
Image source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/mar/27/cine-files-hyde-park-picture-house-leeds