Brixton Ritzy staff in pay dispute for London Living Wage with Picturehouse Cinemas

[editor]

Could the Ritzy be closing?

 

[ska invita]

Could the Ritzy be closing?

cineworld are closing all cinemas "temporarily" according to the bbc

 

[nick]

Why would anyone at Ritzy / picture houses expect to have been forewarned of the cinewold announcement? - presumably it was commercially confidential until announced by cineworld.

Yes it is sad and I hope Ritzy and other cinemas survive

 

[editor]

Why would anyone at Ritzy / picture houses expect to have been forewarned of the cinewold announcement? - presumably it was commercially confidential until announced by cineworld.

Yes it is sad and I hope Ritzy and other cinemas survive

Wouldn't you be a bit pissed off if you found that you were losing your job via Twitter?

 

[CH1]

cineworld are closing all cinemas "temporarily" according to the bbc

Worse - from BBC article below -
Independent London cinema Peckhamplex closed its doors on 25 September due to falling visitor numbers and delayed releases.

Cineworld closure puts 5,500 jobs at risk

The cinema chain says it will have to temporarily close following delays to big-budget film releases.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[nick]

Wouldn't you be a bit pissed off if you found that you were losing your job via Twitter?

Yes very.

But picture house were competitors to cineWorld so wouldn’t be expected to be told. (Or am I wrong and it is all part of the same group.? )


Eta Ritzy is ok isn’t it? Just seen the sad news about plex

 

[Sue]

But picture house were competitors to cineWorld so wouldn’t be expected to be told. (Or am I wrong and it is all part of the same group.? )

Cineworld bought PH years ago.

 

[nick]

Cineworld bought PH years ago.

Did not know that - thought they were separate
Then my whole contribution to this thread is withdrawn.
I’ll leave it up so that replies don’t appear incongruous

 

[editor]

Posted something here

Brixton Ritzy likely to close its doors as Cineworld announces the closure of all its UK cinemas

It’s been reported that Cineworld are set to temporarily close all their UK cinemas, with the decision blamed on the postponement of major blockbusters and the ongoing impact of the coronavi…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[Gramsci]

Confirmed that Cineworld closing on Thursday on radio this morning.

Delay of Bond film was last straw.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

V sad, hadn't been to Ritzy in years because of the boycott, but went just after they re-opened after lockdown.

(((Peckhamplex too )))

Though my long term dream for the Ritzy building would be that it somehow re-opened as a real community / arts cinema along the lines of Genesis on Mile End Road... (employing all the current Ritzy staff at proper wages of course) I love that place, it seems to get everything right.

 

[editor]

Confirmed that Cineworld closing on Thursday on radio this morning.

Delay of Bond film was last straw.

The Ritzy website is only taking bookings up to Thursday too but no announcement about closure.

 

[editor]

Fighting back

 

[editor]

Stay classy Cineworld

Cineworld staff on zero-hours contracts 'held hostage' by management

Move to keep staff on despite company mothballing cinemas means staff cannot claim redundancy

www.theguardian.com

 

[cuppa tee]

Stay classy Cineworld

Cineworld staff on zero-hours contracts 'held hostage' by management

Move to keep staff on despite company mothballing cinemas means staff cannot claim redundancy

www.theguardian.com

my mate is employed at Clapham picture house, the contracted staff have been told they have 2 options, take indefinite unpaid leave until they reopen, or take redundancy....for non contracted employees it’s laters taters and thanks for your help.

 

[Sue]

my mate is employed at Clapham picture house, the contracted staff have been told they have 2 options, take indefinite unpaid leave until they reopen, or take redundancy....for non contracted employees it’s laters taters and thanks for your help.

And obviously many contracted staff won't be entitled to redundancy anyway as they won't have been there long enough. Sorry for your friend, it's really shit.

 

[cuppa tee]

And obviously many contracted staff won't be entitled to redundancy anyway as they won't have been there long enough. Sorry for your friend, it's really shit.

Thanks, they found out they were closing via the news media, and only got the ultimatum today via email, they have ‘til Monday to make their. minds up but he is thinking there may be a chance of government help paying 2/3rds of salary....

 

[Sue]

Thanks, they found out they were closing via the news media, and only got the ultimatum today via email, they have ‘til Monday to make their. minds up but he is thinking there may be a chance of government help paying 2/3rds of salary....

They're such fuckers. Fingers crossed your friend at least manages to get some cash coming in as non-stressfully as possible.

 

[CH1]

This was in the Standard on Thursday 8th October.
It may be property company manoeuvering before a Cineworld CVA..
If this became a CVA (insolvency) the receiver will compile a list of the creditors.
At that point (direct) staff would become creditors ranking the same as landlords, booze suppliers, film distribution companies etc etc. and all woud be paid out an agreed "dividend" together.
If it is true that Cineworld has debts of 8 billion £ or $ the dividend may be small. Like 10% or less of what is owed.

 

[CH1]

A couple of days ago the BBC reported similar to the above - citing FT as a source.
I'm wondering if Cineworld own the Ritzy building outright - or if they are paying rent to Lambeth Council?
I suppose if the latter Lambeth could boost its bourgeois credentials by actually PAYING Cineworld to re-open the Ritzy
Cineworld eyes UK cinema closures and rescue deal - 18th November 20

 

[felonius monk]

Seems that CW own it. Subsidiary Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd owns all their cinemas. CS (Brixton) Ltd which is the limited company for the Ritzy has assets of ~£2m which must be the cinema. In 2018, The Ritzy made operating profit of £224,000 on revenues of £3.6m. So the cinema was profitable.

 

[CH1]

Seems that CW own it. Subsidiary Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd owns all their cinemas. CS (Brixton) Ltd which is the limited company for the Ritzy has assets of ~£2m which must be the cinema. In 2018, The Ritzy made operating profit of £224,000 on revenues of £3.6m. So the cinema was profitable.

I seem to remember when it was multiplexed a company owned by Chris Blackwell was supposed to be investing in the project - the Gate Cinema at Notting Hill presumably. They could have purchased the freehold - but remember Metropolitan - MHT - were also part of the deal. They own the flats above the bit of the Ritzy behind the library, and also above the Satay Bar.

Could be quite an interesting land certificate, if anyone wanted to buy a copy.

 

[CH1]

This confirms my Chris Blackwell comment above - but totally omits to say that millions of government and council money was involved via Brixton Challenge.

An Inside Look Into Brixton's Ritzy Cinema — South London Club

Brixton’s Ritzy Cinema has had many past lives, from starting its life as The Electric Pavillion to becoming the iconic Ritzy Cinema we know and love today. We take a deep dive into the history of this classic, Grade II listed building and its journey through the decades. So, here’s an inside look i

www.southlondonclub.co.uk

 

[CH1]

This was in the Evening Standard on 25th March.

Seems Cineworld, the Ritzy's parent company are raising $223 million in (presumably junk) bonds.
According to the FT they are also expecting a tax refund (Trump?) of $240 million.
Again according to the FT the company has $8.3 billion in debt - and might just squeak through its bank covenants if this fundraising goes through OK.

I think there is a case for a new south London chain of Ritzy + Plex - but I guess everyone's broke due to COVID anyway.

 

[editor]

Ritzy 1990 programme from eBay

 

[CH1]

I assume the Ritzy has re-opened? No comments I can see on here. Maybe the Ritzy Ritz-like price has even pissed off the usual fans on Urban75?

Meanwhile the Peckham Plex is reopening on 3rd June.

Peckhamplex is re-opening on Thursday 3rd of June - book your tickets NOW!

mailchi.mp

Apparently pre-booking by internet is compulsory. The website still quotes the pre-Covid price. Hope it's true.
Refreshments from the kiosk are available using contactless payments only.

This looks good Nomadland
Like Herzog's Strozeck without the performing chicken by the look of it.

 

[editor]

I assume the Ritzy has re-opened? No comments I can see on here. Maybe the Ritzy Ritz-like price has even pissed off the usual fans on Urban75?

Meanwhile the Peckham Plex is reopening on 3rd June.

Peckhamplex is re-opening on Thursday 3rd of June - book your tickets NOW!

mailchi.mp

Apparently pre-booking by internet is compulsory. The website still quotes the pre-Covid price. Hope it's true.
Refreshments from the kiosk are available using contactless payments only.

This looks good Nomadland
Like Herzog's Strozeck without the performing chicken by the look of it.

Yes it has reopened, or at least that's what their sign says. I'd rather go to Peckham these days.

 

[Gramsci]

I've got an email from Pucturehouse. My membership has been extended for this year.

 

[CH1]

Notwithstanding news a few weeks ago that Cineworld shares are now perking up - and count as a "hold", my eye was cught by a special offer on this academic book

Art Cinema and Neoliberalism | Alex Lykidis | Palgrave Macmillan
Whilst no doubt this topic is interesting, even more interesting is this:

Art Cinemas and Neo Liberalism - or how to turn an art house into an American whorehouse! (courtesy of the Thatcherite free market system)

 

[CH1]

I don't know if anyone clocked it, but in the erudite newspaper "Brixton Review of Books" (issue 7) there was a long detailed reminiscence of author Kate Webb's days squatting in the Brixton area - and working at the Little Bit Ritzy. [I have lifted this image from their Facebook page - but it's only a taster]
View attachment 194293

Her views on the Ritzy at the time chime slightly with my own - but not wholly. She brings an unexpected critique of the Ritzy's violent and misogynist fare (in her opinion).

She says that in a screening of Alan Renais' "Last Year in Marienbad" she mistakenly got the spools in the wrong order for projection - but far from getting the sack, the (presumably pretentious yet ignorant audience) apparently failed to notice the mistake.

I can't say I went to that film, but I remember a showing of another French Renais "masterpiece" - Providence. I went to that because the original screenplay was by David Mercer, the actors included David Warner, Dirk Bogarde and John Gielgud all of whom I admired.

It turned out to be an incredibly turgid watch. I guess it might even be that the Ritzy didn't show it in the right order - maybe it wasn't my fault!

The final bit of Kate Webb's reminiscence I wanted to mention was her objection to a film called "God told me to". People may not remember that 1981 was a time when there was a vogue for bad films, such as "Invasion of the Giant Tomatoes", "Plan 9 from Outer Space" etc. - promoted by newly created Channel 4 and Alex Cox.

"God Told Me To" (or "Demon" as advertised in Britain) was promoted as a sort of paranormal "Dirty Harry". According to Kate Webb there is a scene where an image of a vagina is projected onto the (anti-)hero of the film. I did go to the show, but don't remember it.

Kate says after the show she cut out the offending piece of celluloid and took it home. After the 1981 Brixton riot the police searched her squat and seized it as evidence.

Not sure about all this. Just in case anyone has the patience, here is the Youtube version of "God told me to". Presumably there won't be a vagina projection in this - if only because sex is anathema to Youtube where murderous posing is not.

I just watched God Told Me To - which Roku's SciFi Flix claims is the second most popular film today.
It certainly did start like Dirty Harry, but moved onto alien abduction - for the purpose of propagating semi human aliens.
There was a lot of Catholic imagery in all this - so one could say this film had things in common with The Exorcist and indeed Taxi Driver.

Regarding Kate Webb's critique - a vagina did open up in the side of the Christ - or Antichrist - alien figure in the climactic scene.
Persoanlly I took that of evidence of alien origins.
There was some pretty rough stuff in the film with black pimps, including punishment homosexual sodomy off screen, and stabbings and throat cutting.
Taxi Driver stuff I assume.

I'd say the film made more sense second time round - and the most bizarre thing is some of it was filmed at Pinewood.

God Told Me To ends with a dedication to Bernard Herrman. Herrman had written the music for an earlier Larry Cohen horror film called Its Alive. The last score Hermann did was for Scorsese's Taxi Driver. He was due to do God Told Me To, but died before he could take up the commission.