Mumsnet users share their cinema memories with ODEON

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Whether you go often or it’s a rare treat, trips to the cinema often leave memories in a way watching a film at home rarely would. ODEON would like to hear about your memories of going to the cinema - either when you were a child or when taking your own children now.

Chris Bates, Commercial Director at ODEON UK & Ireland said: “The festive period is a special and magical time for the whole family, and what better way to celebrate than by enjoying one of the most highly anticipated films of the year – Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns. Across our cinemas, we’ve been busy sprinkling a little bit of extra magic on the cinema-going experience – including live performances from magicians, decorating our foyers, and a special Magic Mix deal on food & drink. Tickets to see the return of everyone’s favourite nanny are available to book now and we can’t wait to welcome guests through our doors to watch this truly magical film with ODEON."

Do you remember a particular film? Perhaps you have memories of a family member laughing so loudly it was embarrassing? Maybe you remember going without your parents for the first time? What are your favourite memories of taking your own children to the cinema?

All who post their memories below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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Going ‘to the pictures’ was a real treat when I was little. It was usually a birthday treat with a trip to wimpy before hand and a box of choccies to eat during the film. Our local cinema had a balcony which was really special and usually two films in one showing. I remember going to see Grease and loving it!!

My first cinema memory is going to see The Jungle Book as a small child. I was with my Mum's friend and her children. I was scared when Shere Khan came on and pretended I needed the toilet so that she took me out!

The first time I took my son to the cinema was to watch Frozen when he was 3. Our Christmas Elf brought the tickets for him!

remember going to the cinema as a child - the cinema we used to go to now is part of the university. Taking my kids when they were little and them not sitting still!

I remember my first date, toy story, at the cinema and nervously holding hands!

Before that I'd often go with my siblings in the summer holidays with money from the grandparents. It was a real treat, but I don't think it was proportionally as expensive as now.

I actually saw the first Mary Poppins film at the cinema when I was a child.
It was my first time going to the cinema and I had no idea what to expect. It was a friends birthday treat and about ten of us went along all sitting in a line.
I was about seven years old.
I’m glad they have remade the film because I remember thinking the film seemed to go on for ages and I lost interest half way through. It didn’t really relate to my life and I wasn’t used to sitting still for so long either.
I knew it was a real treat to go and it was ages before my next visit to the cinema but even after all these years, the original Mary Poppins film still doesn’t do it for me.

I remember having a sugared mouse whilst watching a film, I don’t remember the film but I remember it had a cartoon of gummy bears before it started!

Showing my age here but, the first film I saw at the cinema was Disney's Cinderella. We had hotdogs and everything!

I remember literally saving up all my pennies to have enough to go and see Pump up the volume when it came out with Christian slater in it. And it was worth every penny - i felt so grown up going on my own to watch it. With my own kids, I really enjoy taking them to the ODEON - I remember watching Frozen with my daughter as the first movie she saw and she still loves it now.

My first real memory was going to see the Little Mermaid. It was an old fashioned cinema with just one screen. We had to queue up outside. I remember the queue being very long. The cinema was giganic and had a red curtain. We had a break halfway in and people came around selling icecream.

DC1's first cinema trip was when she was 20 months' old to see Toy Story 3, she was fascinated for the first 45 minutes, then kicked off, trying to climb over seats, talk to people etc, we had to leave the cinema as she was such a monkey!

She is now a movie buff and we go to cinema probably once a month at least.

One of my first memories is going to see Bambi at our local Cinema on Saturday morning with my brother & Dad ( Mum's morning off ) Dad would let us eat loads of popcorn. Saturday morning cinema was one of my favourite pastimes

my favourite memory was seeing ET as a kid, the cinema was a little old independent one which had a resident cat, I remember the cat walking along the tops of the seats, I loved it.

the first film i took my eldest daughter to see was Tangled and it was perfect, she was enthralled throughout and i could have cried it was so perfect! Unlike the time i took her to see the BFG and we had to leave as she was too scared by the giants ... unlike her younger sister who loved them!!!

My first was Jungle Book but I honestly don't remember any of it! I really should watch it with DCs.

We went to see Smallfoot today and had a lovely experience in the kids special showing. That's only the third time they've been and DD5 has been asking for ages to go again because she loves films. Got a great attention span unlike DD3...

I went to the cinema for the first time to watch the lion king. It was amazing. My memory was of the sound in the main- it was incredible- I'd never heard anything like it. We rarely watched the television, and it was amazing. I took my daughter to the cinema recently, to watch The Grinch, and she loved it! She was mesmerised, like I had been. Very cool.

I first remember going to the cinema with my siblings - just us - and we'd never been before, so didn't know about trailers. When the first one came on, we thought we were in the wrong screen, and tried to leave, until someone explained!

My very earliest memory of cinema-going was watching The Water Babies with my mum and sister. I remember loving the film SO much I begged my mum to stay and watch it through a second time which she let me do, bless her (that was in the days when you could stay in the cinema and watch again without paying extra - gotta love the 70s for that!). I also remember the Pearl&Dean music/flying graphics before every film which, in my memory, lasted for about 10 minutes (prob only 2-3 in reality lol). I love taking my own girls now and they think the whole experience is great so long as they get their sweets and popcorn!

I remember being taxi-d to the cinema with several friends as a birthday treat. My Dad waited outside and then took us to get takeaway pizza on the way home. We were (in our eyes) SO grown up
I hope that’s still a thing when my DC are old enough, much less effort than the birthday parties I’m currently organising

Going to watch "Back to the Future" at the Odeon in Leicester Sq. As a family we had come to London for the weekend to see the Christmas lights & visit galleries/museums. As a special treat my parents took my elder brother & I to watch it- it was our first experience of surround sound and we all jumped out of our seats at the opening of the film. I was only young but that is still my favourite trip to the cinema. The cinema takes you on a world of adventures!

When I was 17 I bunked off college to see Quadrophenia with my mates. It was so dark in that place that I actually sat on some bloke's lap. Fortunately he was quite nice about it.

My first film was Snow White at the 7 dwarfs, we went for a friends party. I must have been 7 and totally loved it.
We didn’t go again for years, but I go occasionally now and take my girls - they love going, and especially love the sweets!

My mum used to take me and dsis to the cinema at Christmas time, I will always remember going to see Miracle on 34th street on Christmas Eve, and we dropped an entire box of maltesers on the floor. Disappointing as that was I remember how we all laughed, and felt incredibly festive due to the special treat of cinema on such a festive day. I'd love to start doing this with my dc to make memories.

One of my earliest memories of going to the cinema was to see the Lion King. The cinema exprience was very different to now as they still had a break half way through for icecream like they would in the theatre. We sat really near the screen and I remember the cinema being very busy and loving the film.

The first film I ever went to see in cinema was Snow White in the Odeon in town. I remember walking up the stairs because it had big mirrored walls in front of you and I could see my reflection. My father had taken me because my mother was at home, looking after my baby brother. I must have been about four. She says that when I came home she asked me if I'd liked it and, looking quietly shocked, I'd said "They brushed all the dirt under the mat!"

Years later, when I was a teenager, I can remember sitting in the same cinema with all my family, and cringing with embarrassment when my father joined in with the hymn singing in Chariots of Fire.

And what a joy, to accompany my parents to see Wall Street, when I was home from university - because they paid for my ticket!!

The fist film I saw at the cinema was Watership Down. I cried and cried and didn’t want anyone to notice my tears in case they thought I was too young to go to the cinema.
Now a film that affects me enough to make me cry is a bonus