Going to the Cinema in Shanghai
Some of my friends have lived in Shanghai for years without ever going to the cinema. They get all the film entertainment they need from DVDs that they can buy at a dollar a piece. That’s fair enough, but I think they are missing a treat.
We like to go every month or two. It turns passive film watching into an adventurous night out. Plus, blockbusters look and sound so much better in a big movie theatre. There is no obvious pixellation or sudden lurches into Russian dubbing.
Jenny likes to ring up the cinema for programme listings. Our favourite place is Studio City on the top of Isetan Department Store on Nanjing Xi Lu. They have a mixture of Chinese langauge films and Hollywood blockbusters. We go there, because they keep the orginal dialogue without dubbing it into Mandarin. Some Chinese films have English subtitles especially if they were made in Hong Kong. You need to check this beforehand whatever cinema you go to.
Prices are similar to Western countries, which are quite expensive for locals who may only earn a few thousand kwai each month. Sometimes you can find two for one deals or special offers on certain days. We tend to pay between 60 and 80 RMB a ticket. Like Western cinemas they serve popcorn, but you can also buy packets of dry salted fish to munch on throughout the movie.
The secret to a stress free experience in Shanghai is to go out and enjoy the city’s activities when everyone else is either working or sleeping. With this in mind, we like to go to the quiet, late night showings. It’s much less busy than a late Saturday night in a British cinema. It’s more romantic too. I didn’t know Jenny when I lived in the UK.
Western countries have a strong tradition of art house cinema, which is sadly missing from Shanghai. Sometimes, there are film festivals and the coffee shops in Shaoxing Lu have regular movie nights. I am sure it is only a matter of time before Shanghai has its own fully functioning art house cinema. It is a niche that is itching to be scratched.
Last night, we went to see Zhang Yimou’s, Curse of the Golden Flower. It is an historical epic set in the Tang Dynasty about a King returning home to his sick wife after a three year military expedition. The cinematography, pageantry, colours and costumes are wonderfully lavish, but I couldn’t relate to the characters at all. The film is basically a story about a family tiff. The plot development is so slow and flimsy that I was relieved when they started killing each other.to finish things off in time for me to go home to bed at a reasonable hour.
Anyway, here is a list of cinemas in Shanghai courtesy of the local cultural information website. Phone numbers are not included.
- Grand Cinema Shanghai - Huangpu District No. 216 Nanjing Road (W), Shanghai CHINA
- Peace Cinema Shanghai - Huangpu District No. 290 Xizang Road (M), Shanghai CHINA Cathay Theatre Shanghai - Luwan District No. 870 Huaihai Road (M), Shanghai CHINA Lansheng Cinema Shanghai - Luwan District No. 8 Huaihai Road (M), Shanghai CHINA Broadband International Cineplex Shanghai - Luwan District Shanghai Times Square, 6th Floor, No. 99 Huaihai Road (M), Shanghai CHINA
- Xintiandi UME International Cineplex Shanghai - Luwan District 5th Floor, No. 6 Lane 123 Xinye Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Heng Shan Cinema Shanghai - Xuhui District No. 838 Hengshan Road, Shanghai CHINA Paradise Warner Cinema City Shanghai - Xuhui District Grand Gateway, 6th Floor, No. 1 Hongqiao Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Shanghai Film Art Center Shanghai - Changning District No. 160 Xinhua Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Tianshan Cinema Shanghai - Changning District No. 888 Tianshan Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Studiocity Shanghai Shanghai - Jing’an District Westgate Mall, 10th Floor, No. 1038 Nanjing Road (W), Shanghai CHINA
- Hu Bei Cinema Shanghai - Zhabei District No. 500 Luochuan Road (E), Shanghai CHINA International Cinema Shanghai - Hongkou District No. 330 Haining Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Donggong Theatre Shanghai - Yangpu District No. 1500 Pingliang Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Siping Cinema Shanghai - Yangpu District No. 901 Siping Road, Shanghai CHINA Nextage Film Art Center Shanghai - Pudong New District BaBaiBan, 10th Floor, No. 501 Zhangyang Road, Shanghai CHINA Stellar Cinema City Shanghai - Pudong New District Superbrandmall, 8th Floor, No. 168 Lujiazui Road (W), Shanghai CHINA
- Century Friendship Cinema Shanghai - Minhang District No. 7388 Humin Road, Shanghai CHINA
- Xujing Cinema Shanghai - Qingpu District No. 938 Xujing Road (M), Shanghai CHINA