# General > Recommendations >  All Star Factory

## herenow

I was at the all star factory today with my little girl to watch a film at 2 o'clock and it was so cold in the cinemas screen we could hardly sit! My wee girl was freezing which was a real shame as it was her first time there! 

My mum who was also there went back to see a manager tonight as there was not one there today and the manager was simple not interested,  She told my mum she did not ask us to go to the cinema and it was not her problem which is a terrible attitude i think.  

She then said they had a problem with the heating and their was nothing they could do about it! surely the cinemas should be closed if their is no heating or you should at least be told you are going to freeze whilst watching the film! After all it does cost enough to sit in the place, you should atl east be able to enjoy what you are paying for! 

Also i believe as a manager she could have been a bit more understanding.

Very disappointed

----------


## slinky

thinks shes it i heard  :Smile:  cold cinema daughter in hand first film id demand money back or at least a warm free seat for kids sake for buisness sence kids film of course

----------


## gillsib

We took our 5 year old bowling last week - only one lane had bumpers working and there was only one stand for wee ones to roll the balls down.  The guy at the desk did go and check with the manager but they didn't have any more.   We had to share the stand with 2 other lanes and there were families waiting.  The lanes were also in really poor condition.  It was very poor and a real shame that it seems to be going down hill so fast

----------


## dragonfly

place could be a goldmine if ran properly  :Frown:   I heard it was up for sale so maybe that explains lack of interest

----------


## chamb

We were at the Cinema 2 weekends before and it was okay, but the prices have gone up as if they werent high enough?  the prices are going up and the place is going down.

We had food in the bar first, it was okay, nothing special, we had chicken burgers but it thrown together, nothing to please the eye.

If it wasnt that its the only cinema and bowling ally in caithness, I dought the place would be still open?

----------


## skinnydog

I was there a couple of weeks ago to watch a film and the place was absolutely freezing.  I came out of it and my feet were like two blocks of ice.  Advice to anyone going - wrap up warm!!

----------


## Bobinovich

OK I WAS planning on taking the kids sometime this week but think I won't bother now  :Frown: .  Maybe take them a trip to Sneckie instead - cinema, food & a quick shop...

----------


## snowflakes400

I have taken my kids to the cinema on several occassions for birthdays etc.

Everytime it has been so cold they have to keep their jackets on,it is a downright disgrace!!!!

maybe the people of wick should think about the prospects of having a cinema and bowling alley in wick,because if the all star factory keeps its standard to this low level then people will soon stop going!!!

Especially when the manager or the owner didnt even give you the time of day,or even an apology.civility or manners cost nothing.well is this not what we teach our kids.

----------


## Mall67

The place is only cold so as to keep the whole town going to the surgery for cold and flu remedies. More patients more cash. say no more

----------


## Blondie

I was in the Omni Centre cinema in Edinburgh short ago. It was the biggest cinema I had been in.  Hundreds of seats! The thing I noticed when I walked in was how warm it was! It was lovely and toasty.   I love the heat and had my coat off.

That cinema in Thurso is a disgrace.  It seems like there is no heating in it at all!
The bowling alley is a joke! The time I was there, the scoreboard thing wasn't working and the guy had to keep resetting it!  It doesnt look like they have tried to maintain the place at all.  

Neither of it is cheap either, rising costs yet getting less and less for your money.

Easy to see they have no competition in the county.  ::

----------


## balto

> The place is only cold so as to keep the whole town going to the surgery for cold and flu remedies. More patients more cash. say no more


 you might have a point there lol. ::

----------


## Gizmo

That place is a disgrace and the manageress (if it's still the same one from a few years back) is a complete boot with the worst customer service attitude i have ever experienced, god knows how she has managed to keep that job.

----------


## balto

was going to take my daughter there for her birthday next month but dont think i will bother now

----------


## Ash

> That place is a disgrace and the manageress (if it's still the same one from a few years back) is a complete boot with the worst customer service attitude i have ever experienced, god knows how she has managed to keep that job.


 
i dont think insulting staff members is very nice
bit harsh ::

----------


## Invisible

Is it not bad enough that it now cost over £7 to get into the cinema!

£2 for a bottle of juice, £4 minimum for porpcorn. Thats £13!

You could wait a few weeks, loan it from the library get some snacks and drink from lidls and it would cost you less than what it would to get into the film at the all star factory. 

Also, it would be more conforting in your own home too as in my house the seats arent torn, with gum stuck on them and all sticky.

Rant over!

----------


## SunsetSong

My daughter and her friends went up yesterday afternoon to watch the eagerly anticipated High School Musical 3. 

The place was packed with kids and my daughter and her friends had been really, really looking forward to seeing it. However as others have mentioned the place was absolutely freezing. If the temperature was like that in school then they would have got sent home, but here we have a situation where loads of kids are paying for something that they are really looking forward to and having to freeze for two hours!

She actually came home very upset as she had no money left, the prices were so steep. £5.05 to get into even see the film now. She for one, at her own choice as it was that bad, will not be going back and seriously missed having any enjoyment of the film.

----------


## Blondie

Have you made a complaint to the place?  Who owns the All Star Factory anyway?

----------


## balto

> i dont think insulting staff members is very nice
> bit harsh


 aye i agree my great aunt is the manageress.

----------


## BazzaG

Have all the complaints actually been mentioned to the managedment? Surely if so many dis-atisfied folk would be acknowledged and something done about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I for one have always found the prices up here far too high and believe if someone else were to open another cinema then things would be different

----------


## dragonfly

I know 1st hand of someone who complained and was barred for life!!

----------


## buggyracer

you cant win in caithness, we dont have the population that other areas with cinemas have therfore they will never be as busy, perhaps the prices charged are what the business needs to cover its costs to simply survive?

would all the complainers be happier if there was no cinema? the county would be a poorer place without it!

it cant be easy to be competitive and to actually have a thriving business when as a pevious poster mentioned most films are out on dvd or sky shortly afterwards?

----------


## balto

> I know 1st hand of someone who complained and was barred for life!!


 you being serious here, if so that is terriable, what happened to the customer is always right.

----------


## dragonfly

yes I'm being serious, it was a very close family member who told the management exactly what he thought of their running of the place - not abusive in any way as he is not like that, but he was straight to the point

----------


## Gizmo

> i dont think insulting staff members is very nice
> bit harsh


Just the kind of reply i have come to expect from you, you have obviously never experienced her terrible attitude and customer service, she comes accross as an absolute witch.

----------


## Sunflower

Guess where I am going tomorrow.... my daughter is desparate to see High School Musical.  On reading the previous comments I will make sure we are wrapped up well...  ::

----------


## dirdyweeker

My sister and 2 kids went to see High School Musical this week, she says she had her coat off and did not feel it cold at all.

----------


## morganria

Just back from cinema today and it was warm.  Wrapped up well after reading reports on here but had to take my coat OFF.  Was bowling last Sunday and it was FREEZING - I think the power of the Org has come into play

----------


## Sunflower

.... was at the 1615 showing of High School Musical and it was lovely and warm (or it could have been the extra jumper I put on in preparation!!).  So no complaints about the cold in this instance.   :Smile:

----------


## footie chick

Inverness cinema wasn't that warm when we watched HSM 3 I just thought they kept the temp cool to keep the parents awake. ::

----------


## mccaugm

> Inverness cinema wasn't that warm when we watched HSM 3 I just thought they kept the temp cool to keep the parents awake.


Doh - was planning going there to watch my avatar in action next weekend.  I cannot wait.....if you know me you will understand!

----------


## Ash

> Just the kind of reply i have come to expect from you, you have obviously never experienced her terrible attitude and customer service, she comes accross as an absolute witch.



what do u mean you expect that reply from me! also how do i infuriate you with my goody two shoe ways!  ::

----------


## Sunflower

Just to add a quick note on the cinema prices.  We were down in London a few weeks back and decided to go and see the new Mummy movie... £9 for a child and £13.50 for an adult!  Thurso prices don't seem so bad now after paying that amount to go and see a movie.

----------


## lynne duncan

went to high school musical 3 yesterday and the cinema was warm enough, took extra layers but didn't require them

----------


## PullTheCup

Probably has something to do with them having broken heating!
Lol.

----------


## wifie

> Doh - was planning going there to watch my avatar in action next weekend.  I cannot wait.....if you know me you will understand!


Woohoo mccaugm!  Canna wait either!  Canna decide which cinema to go and see it at either - but don't think All Star Factory would be top of my list.  Went there in the summer to see Mamma Mia - paid the same price as I would in Dunfermline and the seats in the row we were in were ripped to bits!  ::

----------


## sweetpea

I was a bit teed off cause they advertised The Strangers as coming soon about 3 weeks ago and since no mention.

----------


## wifie

> I was a bit teed off cause they advertised The Strangers as coming soon about 3 weeks ago and since no mention.


Maybe they heard about the lack of heating and the torn seats too!  ::

----------


## Bradcon

Went there with my 7 year old this afternoon.  It was warm when we first went in, but think that they turned the heating off as it was freezing by the time the film finished.   

Didn't think that the prices were to bad, except for drinks and snacks. ::

----------


## babybunt

Was at the cinema last night and was absolutly FREEZING! If it hadn't beem over £7 to get in I prob would have left. Took me ages the get warmed up even when I got home! Won't be going back in a hurry! If I do I will be wearing loads of layers thats for sure.

----------


## braalterr903

My son was their with his freinds on saturday and he said it was very cold sat with their coats on they shouldent be getting away with this.

----------


## cjb

> yes I'm being serious, it was a very close family member who told the management exactly what he thought of their running of the place - not abusive in any way as he is not like that, but he was straight to the point


I contacted the Groat a few years ago, who ran a story about the fact that  the All Star factory refuses to join a scheme which costs them nothing but allows disabled people to take a helper to the cinema with them for free. (Cinema Exhibitors Association Card...accepted in all decent cinemas)
Manageress threatened the journalist and demanded he reveal his source so that she could bar us and/or him!
Perhaps she finds her job very stressful, but in my experience being kind and pleasant to people usually makes life easier not more stressful.

----------


## Highland lad

The Cinema is freezing, the seats are torn and filthy.  The bowling alley is not any better the carpet is a disgrace with drink stains all over it, and the lanes never work.

We last went to see space chimps, and you just felt like you were sitting in filth.
You would think with them putting the prices up they could hire a cleaner.

Sorry rant over now.

----------


## trix

> she comes accross as an absolute witch.


HEY!!! - da be cheeky.... ::

----------


## Gizmo

> HEY!!! - da be cheeky....


Haha...of course i meant a bad witch Trix, not a good one lek yersel  :Wink:

----------


## anneoctober

> HEY!!! - da be cheeky....


 There's no way you could be confused for this person wifie ! :Wink:

----------


## telfordstar

I was thinking of taking my 2 up to see madagascar 2 at he end of the month but after reading all the comments dont thin i will bother ill wait for it on dvd and waich it with my heating on  :Grin:

----------


## porshiepoo

I actually don't have a problem with the place.
Yes, some of the seats are torn but generally I don't see a problem  with it, except the sweets and drinks etc are blinkin expensive. 

I've always wondered how they actually make their money. Almost every single time we've been - and we've been loads - there's hardly been anyone in there. Even when we go to see the ones that people have waited for - Harry Potter etc, there's never been many bums on seats.
Maybe this has something to do with the fact that there's torn seats, and vice versa.

The thing is if we don't support the local cinema then we'll lose it and as far as I'm aware Inverness is the next local one - great!

Hopefully we'll get some competition up here very soon .

Highland Lad I have to say that I have never ever experienced the place being cold let alone freezing. In fact winter or not I usually don't need a jacket on in there and I suffer from Raynauds.

----------


## Bobinovich

Was up seeing Quantum of Solace a couple of weeks ago - started out warm enough but noticed a sudden temperature drop about half way through.  Was distinctly "shakin' not stirred" by the end  ::

----------


## Lavenderblue2

One time we went to the cinema I was sooo cold that my gallant husband took off his coat and I put my legs into the sleeves so as the back came over my lap :: 

What a sight I was  :: 

If he hadnt done that wed have had to leave  I have a problem with circulation and it takes me forever to get warm again if I get really cold.

----------


## babybunt

My nose was literally blue when I left! I had to wear my boyfriends woolly hat to keep warm and I was wrapped up in a jacket. And honestly I am not one to complain about the cold at all but it was ridiculous. I cudna wait for the film to end!

----------


## telfordstar

> Was up seeing Quantum of Solace a couple of weeks ago - started out warm enough but noticed a sudden temperature drop about half way through. Was distinctly "shakin' not stirred" by the end


 
Brilliant  ::

----------


## stekar

The place is up for sale if anyone wants to buy it, need to be rich though!

----------


## misfit123

Hey, I went to see new Bond film tues nite, was worried bout it being cold so phoned and asked about the heating!!  Was told been sorted so thot would give it a go, must say it was ace - and the film ha!  Was lovely and warm no complaints from me.  Cant wait to take my young ones to see new Madagascar film this wknd.  :Smile:  ::

----------


## forevera123

right enough!!!!

----------


## Beat Bug

A group of us went there for a meal last night, and the mock wood burning stove was throwing out enought heat for the whole of Thurso! The meal was good though, and very reasonable. But the place was almost empty! Didn't try the cinema though!

----------


## dakud007

as you said the cinima in Thurso has been so quiet, i don't think there will be any business man doing investment in cinema business up here. so, they wont get any competion up here, there is long way for us to suffer if we do want to go for movie there. :Frown:  

I've always wondered how they actually make their money. Almost every single time we've been - and we've been loads - there's hardly been anyone in there. Even when we go to see the ones that people have waited for - Harry Potter etc, there's never been many bums on seats.
Maybe this has something to do with the fact that there's torn seats, and vice versa.

 Hopefully we'll get some competition up here very soon .

----------

