So we might go and see a movie when we are in Paris...
There are a couple of recently out, or coming out soon movies that the boys want to see, and the conversation got around to "Wouldn't it be cool to see a movie in Paris!". So a couple of questions...
Any particular movie theatre that you would reccomend going to (or avoiding)?
I understand to look for "Version Originale" rather then Version Francaise
Is there a way to look up and interpret film ratings that would apply in France? i.e. age restrictions etc

Thanks!
V

There are so many choices...do you want to go to a big screen and see a blockbuster film? Or to a small cinema showing relatively unknown films or screen buff favorites? Do you want to see a film in the heart of the Latin Quarter with lots of young Parisians or head out to the edge of the city and watch a film with almost no other tourists in the audience?
Now if it were us, we'd either go see a classic film in a small theatre or go take in a altogether American picture like Next Day Air...simply to see if the Parisian audience "gets" the jokes in the same way we would.

Age restrictions are much more loose in France than in most countries. Many films that are rated R in the US are restricted only to children under age 12 in France or often not at all. Nudity and language are not an issue in France -- restrictions are based on drug use, violence or extremely kinky sex. To use just one example, you can sometimes see an erect penis in a film in France and not have it restricted at all. The restrictions are "-18" (very rare), "-16" (also quite rare) and "-12" (the most common restriction). Unlike 'R' ratings in the US, no children may see such films, even if they are accompanied by an adult.

However, this should not be an issue if you are looking for VO films. Just don't forget that in a VO film, if another language than English is used, the subtitles will always be in French. Sometimes, there are quite a few foreign language scenes in English speaking films.

My favorite cinemas in Paris are the MK2 Bibliothèque in the 13th, the UCG Cinécité Bercy in the 12th and the UGC Cinécité Les Halles in the 1st. However, the very best screen in Paris is the main screen of the UGC Normandie on the Champs Elysées (in the 8th).

Of course I meant UGC rather than UCG for the place at Bercy. Another very pleasant place is the MK2 Quai de Seine/Quai de Loire in the 19th. These are two 6-screen multiplexes right on the edge of the canal, connected by a ferry boat.

Thanks for the quick replies!
If we weren't going to Paris with the kids, I would love to aim for an obscure, off the beaten track but we will be with the boys (8 and 11) so will going the blockbuster route (Star Trek, X-men wolverine are the probable kinds of movies!) and avoiding the kinky sex and erect penis movies! I imagine that going to an English speaking blockbuster might mean a touristy audience - my first choice would be a slightly away from centre more likely to be beside a local kind of venue. Would the 13th and 12th be 'out of the way' enough for something like that do you think?

Is "MK2" and "UGC" a specific chain (like "Silver City" - which might be a Canadian specific chain...)

I know that going to see an American blockbuster movie might not seem like a very "Parisien" thing to do, but My husband and I went to Wales for our honeymoon (back in the day!) and to this day one of our clearest memories is going to see Total Recall in Cardiff!

thanks!

Be aware that some movies open at different times in other countries. Not sure if this applies so much to summer blockbusters; they are probably everywhere! Pick up a Pariscope booklet at newsstands for all this listings. I've also found websites like Google will give you movie listings even with a French postal code.

Have fun!

I just checked igoogle for Paris locations and it seems that both Wolverine and Star Trek are everywhere!

good tip! I found the www.fra.cityvox.fr website had all the cinema listings in Paris. The blockbusters the kids were looking for seem to be slightly delayed from the North American openings, but that all the ones they are talking about will be options when we are there.

I'm also trying to confirm how much ticket prices are...

thanks again!
V

Umm....sorry to date myself....in fact, I expect to excite a certain amount of derision....but:

Do they still have ushers in French cinemas and if so, how much does one tip them??

It used to be 50 centimes but that was the '70s.

Q: Having visited Paris "maintes fois" since then, why have I never gone to a film....when film-going used to be a primary reason for visiting Paris?

melissa - I think we were posting at the same time! I have also now found the price on the M2K site - 10E for adults 5E for under 10's etc (similar to prime time blockbuster prices here...) Can't find the UGC price yet, but I imagine it is comparable.

Terminator is the other one there were interested in (though I will need to wait until it is out here to be able to research the specific 'parental awareness' elements

Also maybe a silly question... but are there any particularly French 'movie snacks' we could expect to get, or is it the same sort of (highly overpriced ) popcorn options?

(and tedgale... interested in the usher question as well!)

thanks again!

Canada_V,

I was looking for information on the theater La Pagode in the 7th and found this link to movie theaters, which might be useful to you. http://www.secretsofparis.com/paris-cinema/

We walked by La Pagode a few times last year and it looked like a fun place to see a movie, but I don't know what kind of films they show.

Did you mention where you are staying? I don't think the movie experience would be much different in the 12th/13th than the 6th/7th but I could be wrong. Possibly less crowded, but you can generally purchase tickets in advance.

There are three or more cineplex's on Blvd. St. Germain, two are near the intersection with Blvd. St. Michel. The larger is just behind the Odeon Metro. I can't remember what they sell for snacks--when our kids were younger I bought them something at the grocery to avoid the ridiculous prices.

I've only been to a movie in Paris once, in the Montparnasse area where there are LOTS of cinemas. We were late so bypassed the concessions, but I don't think they compare to the vast array we have in the U.S.

Don't recall any ushers...

I go to movies in Paris a lot, and just choose based on location and time and what movie I want to see. Lots of movies are VO, it doesn't mean at all that only tourists go to them, French people who want to see those movies go to them, also. The main cinemas that have more tourists are just the ones in the prime tourist areas, like bd St Germain. There are some movie theaters that are not that top-notch where I've been, but they aren't ones you'd likely run across. For example, there is one down at the bottom of the 15th (I think rue Lourmel) that is not very good as it only has those old small screens; also one in the 6th near Montparnasse has a lot of art films but also not the greatest screens and old seats (Lucernaire Forum). There are several others around that are kind of old and small but they won't be showing those American blockbusters for kids.

V, I was thinking about you recently - you must be thrilled for your upcoming trip! Feel free to email me if any questions. Where did you end up booking to stay ?

This doesn't help any, but I remember being in France and seeing 'Top Gun' dubbed. I had already seen it in the US before I left and I remember the scene where they sing to Kelly McGillis in the bar really lost something in translation.

Forgot to mention, I got caught out once in Switzerland by the VOST as Kerouac cautions. I thought I was seeing "King Lear" in English with French/German subtitles but it was filmed in Russian! I could (just) follow the French subtitles.

thanks to all!

We are staying on Isle St Louis, but are thinking that this movie idea would be a chance to go to see a bit of a different area of the city. (and cathinjoetown, we are also definitely concession avoiders when we can - or at the least "yes we are all going to share the one box of popcorn!!" kind of movie goers )

Surfmom, we leave June 4th, so we have passed the "4 weeks to go" marker on the calendar! We are staying on Isle Saint Louis (www.parisabcd.com) for 8 nights, then going south for a week, then back to Paris for 2 nights staying at http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p97127

This trip has been in the works for quite a while now - previously postponed for various reasons, it is sometimes hard to believe it is actually going to take place But I'm comfortable that I've successfully worked through my process of over-researching, but not over-planning! We have a rough framework that makes sure we will see the Eiffel tower, the catacombs and each of the Louvre, Orsay and Pompidou (those 5 make up our "I'd be disappointed if I left without seeing..." list). Beyond that the strategy is to have enough information about the whole slew of things we thought might be good to see/do, enough 'space' in the plan to fit some of them in, and an attitude of flexibility and willingness to do any, or none, of them!

Like I mentioned above, part of this whole movie idea was that thinking back on other trips we have taken (pre-kids) usually the memories that came to mind first were ordinary things done in non-ordinary places - like being asked in Cardiff if we wanted the smoking or non-smoking section of the movie theatre!

thanks again to everyone!
V

Most of the expected blockbusters with a unified worldwide release date open 2 days earlier in France than in the U.S. because new movies are released on Wednesday in France. Second tier blockbusters are sometimes released one or two weeks later. And 'ordinary' American films have no set release time -- sometimes they come out six months earlier in France, sometimes six months later.

Canada -- sounds like a great trip! Just a quick note about the concessions -- they are completely different than in the US. We went to a movie while in Paris when I was pregnant. Strange pregnancy craving for movie theatre popcorn I guess. The only thing offered was stale popcorn before you went into the theatre. Once inside an employee walked around with various ice cream options. But you're right, doing something ordinary in an extraordinary place can create some of the best memories.

We went to a theatre in the St. Germain area and in the same neighborhood there is a little kiosk of sorts that sells all sorts of interesting candy and sweets. Were I to do this with kids, I might hit that first and let them fill a bag. I have no idea if bringing your own candy is frowned upon though, hopefully someone else can help with that!

BKP - That's funny - I had movie popcorn pregnancy cravings with my first (not my second though...) so I smiled empathetically at your issue with the Parisien version!

I would guess that French cinemas would have a similar 'no outside food' rule as here (though I will confess to having brought the occasional outside snack into movies here ) but if someone in the local know could let me know that would be great! (I would definitely feel an ambassadorial responsibility to stick to the rules on foreign soil!)