For
Akira (1988). Classic out of town multiplex, though it has few facilities in direct vicinity other than the Burger King opposite. Originally opened in March 1990 as part of the UCI chain but it was taken over by Odeon in October 2004.
As the photo on Cinema Treasures shows, it apparently hasn't changed much since then other than some landscaping, particularly the removal of two boulders from outside the front entrance. The duty manager says there is some refurbishing going on, including the replacement of seats in Screen 5. There were three of us in the auditorium for Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece: me at the front, someone in the back row and an older gentleman, who knew the names of all the staff and just seemed to turn up in the afternoon to watch whatever was on, the usher explaining the basic plot of
Akira to him beforehand. The cinema is opposite a housing estate; frankly if I lived in one of those houses, I'd probably do the same.
