Sitting down with a bag of popcorn to watch the latest Spiderman instalment at your local cinema, you may leave few minutes into the film.
It’s hard to lipread Spiderman. And meanwhile you’re deaf.
How will be discern what the web producing superhero is saying? You’re throwing the popcorn at the screen in boredom and your mind drifts back to the other theatrical releases that you felt the same way. Disney films, Pixar films and especially ‘thinking’ films that makes you lose the plot literally if you cannot follow what is being said.
But thanks to yourlocalcinema.com, sponsored by the UK film industry, those despairing feelings are in the past.
Yourlocalcinema.com offers subtitled and even audio described films to appear at your local cinema, usually on Sundays and Tuesdays on a weekly basis.
Check the website on Thursday afternoons, when the following week’s times are released, and you will content knowing that your cinematic viewing experience will be further enhanced and even more so, relaxed.
However, there is some matter of debate that the latest films to be released to the general public are not available to deaf people at the same time unless you happen to live in the major cities and ironically not at your local cinema. But the UK film Industry is made aware of this and endeavours to ensure that the timings will coincide.
In further news, the UK Film Industry do want to meet equality needs and are in the process of making it possible for any film throughout the UK to have subtitles through ingenius means. Digital cinemas may switch the subtitles on at a flick of a switch and there were talk of wearing 3D style glasses to read the subtitles through said glasses whilst watching the screen. Who knows.
What does the general public think of this? Most people are in favour of meeting equality needs but some complain that making subtitles appear at every film with distract their viewing experience, some quietly and some publicly as in the case of BBC DJ Sara Cox who took to twitter to rant about subtitles at her film. But maybe we have to thank her for that. She’s raised the issue of subtitled screening throughout the general public especially those 1 in 6 people who suffer some form of deafness. Off-peak screening that clash with 9-5 working times are being debated, faulty services that result in no subtitles, and the lack of deaf awareness of some cinemas who have no clue about subtitles.
But at least the subtitles at cinemas are being discussed.
Meanwhile, instead of buying popcorn, treat yourself to an extra large one. You’ll know that on Sundays and Tuesdays, you’re definitely in a true satisfactory cinematic experience.
But do you think cinemas should show subtitled screenings at reasonable times? Deafie Blogger is leading the campaign and is so close to getting the 5000 signatures needed to start seriously discussing with major cinema chains.
Sign here: Cinemas to show more subtitled films at reasonable times!
The Deaf Traveller 
This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves and I’m SO glad that my local cinema has had captiview for a few years now! That way, anytime I want to see a movie, I can go and just say I need the captioning device–it’s programmed for any movie in the theater. It’s fabulous. First it was only a regional chain here in Ohio, but now it’s spreading to the larger chains, and I’m so happy. At first, it was like this–only captioned when it was a movie that was older or almost out of theaters, and one show time, if that. Captiview and other systems here have really changed the game, and I hope the UK theaters look into getting them!
This was quite an interesting read for me. I am unable to hear on my left ear due to a bacterial infection that had gone bad and my right ear’s hearing is depreciating, and aside from having my balance all off, I am having quite a hard time watching films which I absolutely love! Everything seems so different from being able to hear a hundred percent. It’s good to know the UK has Captiview, I’m due for a trip to London in August, and I might just be in time to see some of the best for this year. Aside from tourist attractions escorts London I’m definitely hitting the theaters. Thank you for sharing this! All the best.