For film fans, there’s nothing like heading to the local cinema, sitting in the dark elbow-to-elbow with other big-screen devotees, ticket in one hand and bag of clandestine sweets in the other, ready to forget the outside world and be transported into somebody else’s life for a few precious hours. These days, with streaming, tablets and smartphones, on-demand rentals and Blu-rays, there are more ways to watch movies than ever before – but the cinema experience remains king, the purest and most immersive way to watch the latest releases.
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, cinemas nationwide are shutting shop for the immediate future in the interest of public safety – so Empire has launched the Celebrate Our Cinemas campaign, dedicated to the film venues that sparked our love of all things celluloid, and kept that flame alive for decades since.
When we began the Celebrate Our Cinemas campaign, we asked you to share the cinema memories that mean the most to you – and you responded en masse, telling us about you first ever multiplex trips, the big-screen family traditions you’ve held on to for years, the classics that blew you away, and the opening night crowds that took your favourite franchises to new heights. It’s a joyous read – so scroll down to see the highlights, a beautiful reminder of just why the cinema experience means so much.
READ MORE: Edgar Wright On The Importance Of Saving The Big Screen Experience
Look out for more Celebrate Our Cinemas coverage coming soon – including information on how you can help your local film venue in the coming weeks.