Oxford's independent cinema Phoenix Picturehouse bought out by Cineworld

11:20am Thursday 6th December 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Pete Hughes, Reporter. Call me on 01865 425431

THE Picturehouse art-house cinema chain, which owns the Phoenix in Oxford, has been bought by Cineworld.

Picturehouse spokesman Charles McDonald said that the Walton Street cinema will not be changed in any way.

The Picturehouse chain was founded when it purchased the Phoenix in 1989.

Comments(11)

## Nonny Mouse ## says...
11:26am Thu 6 Dec 12

sad times.

Report this post »

## Nonny Mouse ## says...
11:54am Thu 6 Dec 12

I hope they keep their word and keep it as it is. I must admit that, as with alot of things, i enjoy having them available but seldom go and see a film there, or anywhere for that matter.

It's important to keep places going that show the more abstract or independent films. Hollywoods latest offereings are just vacuous product-placement advertising campaigns.

Report this post »

Myron Blatz says...
12:11pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Sadly, it's usually when statements are made on buy-outs or take-overs that 'nothing will change' ...... that things do! The Cinema will have been purchased as part of the new owner's property portfolio, so either it's 'potential will be maximised' or, at worst-scenario, it will become re-developed - and in Oxford, that has usually come to mean conversion into student or other types of accommodation - which in turn means the local 'education factories' plonking yet more students into central Oxford, and more problems with cars parked 'somewhere' - especially by the medium-long term students. City Council cannot be allowed to keep turning a blind-eye, though it probably doesn't help that the Leader of Labour-Group just happens to also be employed by Brookes University - he must have to 'declare an interest' every time the Council meets!

Report this post »

King Joke says...
12:35pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Sadly Myron is probably right.

Cineworld haven't got the faintest idea how to run an independent cinema, and there isn't a cat in hell's chance they'll take the risk of showing some of the foreign and/or noir stuff I've seen there over the years. I can see the bar going as well, to be replaced with a dispensary for 1.5l buckets of ice topped with fizzy drinks supplied by whichever global drinks brand Cineworld have got into bed with.

Thank Christ for the UPP.

Report this post »

xjohnx says...
1:49pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Point is its not a social service.

How many times a week do you go to an art cinema?

Report this post »

King Joke says...
2:09pm Thu 6 Dec 12

A city of Oxford's reputation should be able to support an independent cinema. One of the reasons I pay through the nose to live here and not Swindon, Coventry, Harlow, etc is that we can support that kind of culture and not just a mass-market, chainy, Americanised version of everything.

We're lucky to have the kind of facilities normally only found in larger cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester etc, and we should do what we can to keep them.

Report this post »

iklhik says...
3:21pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Hopefully a reminder to everyone to support places like the UPP. Use them or lose them.

Report this post »

King Joke says...
3:22pm Thu 6 Dec 12

iklhik wrote:
Hopefully a reminder to everyone to support places like the UPP. Use them or lose them.
Hear hear.

Report this post »

Sophia says...
5:44pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Well the important thing is, the owners made a lot of money. That's what its all about, eh?

In any case, I always preferred the UPP which is REALLY 'independent' being owned by a local person and kept going by volunteers. (It also has excellent home made cakes and in winter, mulled wine.)

The Phoenix, disgracefully, programmed against the UPP quite needlessly (or maybe to drive their sale price up?)

Please go to the UPP (excellent pubs, Italians and Indians a few paces away), even better, volunteer to run it!

Report this post »

Pavinder Msvarensy says...
6:51pm Thu 6 Dec 12

The Phoenix changed into a money making project the day it was sold back in the late eighties. They have indeed bought many Hollywood Blockbusters that the main chains did no want ( I saw Silence of the Lambs, and Blair witch there before the chains took them on) , and was run as commercially as any Odeon or Vue. But not to worry about it being closed down for student flats, as Grantham House next door has laid empty for years, and will satisfy the demand for any housing student or otherwise in the area.

Report this post »

Myron Blatz says...
2:23am Fri 7 Dec 12

Aha! Grantham House - sold at a loss on previously valued estimate by City Council, and now its new owners apparently unwilling to meet the social housing ratio which City Council expects? As for the fate of the cinema, it's really good to see so many people who are also concerned about its future - and not afraid to say so! It's important we have somewhere like this cinema, to offset the 'circus' and clowns at City Council meetings in the Town Hall.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree