Wow! What a pleasant suprise this cinema was. I've been past many times, but Monday ws my first visit. It's one of the most comfortable cinemas that I've been to. The have tub chairs at the front, with large cinema seating behind, with drink holders at each seat. There is a really nice bar at the back of the cinema. The sound system is excellent! They rely on volunteers to keep the cinema going, as 100% of their revenue is sent to a charity operation in South Africa. I cannot praise this place enough, and intend to return soon. They also have a childrens club on a Saturday morning. read more

The Lexi Cinema - My first visit to the Lexi - Cinema Near Me - London, XGL

The Lexi is sexy! Well, as sexy as a cinema can be... This picture house opened its doors nearly a year and a half ago, but you could easily miss it, as it is an old building and doesn't look like a cinema from the outside. There is one screen, and as well as movies, The Lexi is host to art exhibitions (they recently had an exhibition of John 'Hoppy' Hopkins' photography), music, film festivals and theatre too. They screen a selection of mainstream and arthouse movies, and they often put on special events, such as live screenings of the Royal Opera in New York via video-link. They host regular Q&A sessions (I went to see a screening of Dorian Gray followed by a chat with Director, Oliver Parker) and for those with children, they have a kids club as well as 'scream screenings' for all the yummy mummies with noisy babies (sorry, but URGH! - that sounds like a nightmare of greatest proportions to me...). Plus, there's BOOOOOZE! You can get a selection of wines/beers/ciders as well as fancy crisps, ice creams and plastic bowls filled with popcorn. The movies are always introduced by a member of staff - and incidentally, most of the people who run The Lexi are volunteers, as it is a social enterprise, covenanting 100% of its profits to the Sustainability Institute in South Africa. So, although the ticket prices (around a tenner a ticket) match that of the big chains, at least you know your money is supporting a good cause - so dig deep! The Lexi can also be hired for parties/events/meetings/conferences. The only downside, I would have to say, is that it has always been rather chilly inside, whenever I have been there (I'm not sure if there was something wrong with the heating/a.c.) BUT, they do provide you with blankets, so you can get nice and snuggly! To find out a bit more, you can also read my interview with the founder of The Lexi: http://bit.ly/BRAINtellmel-TheLexi read more

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One of the cutest cinemas in London. LOVE IT. The Lexi is a registered charity hence while you enjoy a movie you're also contributing to a good cause. read more

The Lexi Cinema - Cinema Near Me - London, XGL

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Film choice may be limited at this tiny independent cinema, but find a film you want to see in its listing and you are in for a memorable cinema experience... Gourmet popcorn and snacks, an excellent bar (you can take drinks into the cinema), and a cosy, intimate 'lounge' from which to view the film are the features which make your experience truly unique. It's also a not-for-profit organisation with charitable objectives which I think gives it real meaning for the community. Compared to mainstream chain cinemas it's fairly cheap although bear in mind you may get carried away with the goats cheese and black pepper popcorn, with a tasty gin and tonic! Can't recommend highly enough. read more

THIS... IS... SPARTAAAA! Ahem, ok actually it's my 300th review. 300! Luckily I haven't been anywhere that made me think I was DINING IN HELL(!!) so I thought I'd go for something else suitably cinematically themed (yes I'll stop the spartan quotes now)... I was planning a birthday surprise for my cinephile best friend and found this special little place after searching online for info on cinema hire. I was immediately drawn to its story, being an independent, one-screen, not-for-profit cinema that is staffed by volunteers and donates all its profits to a children's charity in South Africa. Yep it is as unique and lovely as it sounds. The Lexi event staff who helped me arrange the day were complete sweethearts - so down-to-earth, and approving of my choice of film (I went for his fave flick 'Goodfellas'!). They helped me find a Sunday afternoon slot that would work around their screening calendar, and organise the timings to keep down costs as well as keep up the surprise element. I had to pop in to drop off the blu-ray DVD the week before but otherwise it was all planned over the phone or by email. On the day itself my mate had no clue where we were going, but soon got excited when he saw the quirky building - with a sign across the upper storey reading 'I Am A Cinema. Love Me.' (and we did!). We went in past a lovely lady on the front desk whose job that day was basically to tell members of the public there was a private event on. At this point he got confused at why I wasn't buying tickets from her and instead I led him down the side corridor to the lovely little bar at the far end of the building - where a bunch of our mates were waiting to shout surprise! It was a very special afternoon and my mate was blown away by the surprise :) Everyone wanted to ask me how I'd found such an awesome venue too, and I think they all loved the quirky decor and pretty light features around the building, not to mention watching Goodfellas on the big screen. It's a 70-seat cinema and there were about 30-35ish of us - we generally left the tub seats in the first two rows empty and spread ourselves across the rest of the traditional cinema seats. The back row was particularly popular for some reason! There was a generous amount of legroom too (and as an almost 6ft woman I notice these things). The well-stocked little bar at the back was also a hit, mostly for drinks but also for popcorn and snacks. Yep the private hire is expensive, but I felt a lot better about my money going to this adorable place than one of the big cinema chains. I highly recommend it as a special treat if you're looking to do something different - there's something just priceless about having a whole cinema to yourself and your mates, and hearing everyone laughing out loud (or gasping at the violent bits) around you. You can screen whatever you like and they hire it out for all sorts of private events - I even heard that someone arranged a Pretty Woman screening for two and proposed at the end! If it wasn't so pricey I'd do it all the time. My only word of warning would be to watch your step as you enter the auditorium. Some of my mates learned this the hard way after going out to the loo during the film then facing temporary blindness when they returned to the very well blacked-out screen room. With the door to the toilets at the front of the auditorium that meant the rest of us had a great view of them groping around in the dark until their eyes adjusted - which turned out to be almost as funny as the film! read more

Wow, what a great cinema! It's quite small with only one screen and not many seats but everything about it is great. Tickets are around a tenner, but at the time of writing they do £7 tickets on Mondays and I hear whispers of £2.50 tickets every second Sunday. They show a good range of films, including some mainstream and some more artsy films, and they also have some screenings of National Theatre Live shows. The theatre is really lovely - the seats are so comfy and they had blankets you could take so you're not chilly! Such a nice touch and very much appreciated. The staff, who are all volunteers except for the managers, are lovely. I haven't tried the bar but it looked really nice and their beers and spirits are sourced locally. They also do a Kids Club on weekends, and most especially, a Carers and Babies showing on Monday mornings where they show major films so parents can have nice things. As other reviewers have said, all their profits go to charity so although their prices compete with major chains, you know it's going to good causes, and it's totally worth it! read more

I love, love, love this cinema. As well as being independent and showing a really good mix of art house and mainstream movies, it's also a social enterprise, and they give 100% of their profits to the Sustainability Institute, which supports a an eco-centre near Cape Town in South Africa. It's a small cinema, with one screen, a lovely little bar out the back and really friendly staff. They're also going to be screening world cup matches (if you're into that kind of thing...) and there's an open air season planned for Roundwood Park in September. read more

My favourite cinema that is also a social enterprise. Volunteers work there and profits go to a school in South Africa. Current films & more specialised showings. Great bar too. An all round gem. read more

Wow! Really cool place! Thought we were lost in suburbia, but there it was. Very indie and cool atmosphere. Good selection of movies and great prices! Come early though, as the service is quite slow. read more

Excellent little cinema with romantic atmosphere. Social enterprise with the (occasionally independent) art of filmmaking at heart. Proceeds from ticket, beverage and snack sales go to the Sustainability Institute near Cape Town in South Africa. That being said, a place like this with an interesting story and mission could certainly be more creative. As it's situated on the brink of sounds-good-but-I-ain't-gonna-travel-that-far-out, it's advisable to offer inexpensive but appealing theme nights, put on cult films with a following and offer the venue to small nonprofits, campaigns and community projects to support their causes (and expand the Lexi's reach and following). read more

Really nice cinema. It doesn't have lots of seats which is fine by me really and it just means its a little more cosy. It is fairly local to me which means it easy to get to. The staff are great as they are friendly and personal. They have an alcoholic bar too! read more

An 80-seat cinema in an area just on the brink of where London starts melting into something that feels a little more suburban. It's a cracking little place. It avoids the arthouse trap of feeling snooty or worthy - as the first review mentioned, the staff are really friendly, and that's unusual in these kind of places. The actual screen is a fairly decent size. But if you don't like being too close to the film you're watching, it might be worth getting there a little early to bag seats towards the back. There's also the now mandatory-for-an-arthouse-cinema bar/interesting snack area, but unlike somewhere like The Electric, this is tucked in the back and not front and centre, which makes the film the star and not the food. One slight gripe - the programming seems pretty unadventurous. I can imagine them saying this is because they're serving the local community, but the 'local community' when I've been seemed to be made up of the sort of people who might seem the same sort of people who'd wander up to The Gate or The Coronet that shows the same kind of films - in other words, it's pretty middle class. Seems a bit of a shame that a cinema that doesn't need too many people to fill it isn't willing to branch out into more unusual films and season occasionally. But that really is a small thing. read more

Love this place. Expertly curated selection of films, often with experts or filmmakers' Q&A after. Great bar and popcorn! Must do in London and for a great cause. read more

One of the newest assets to the area, the LEXI cinema is meant for the local community and the staff are particuarly friendly. A wide variety of films are shown, from 'Quantum of Solace' to 'Brideshead Revisited.' Old films are also repeated and they have a fantastic sound system. I have frequently been impressed by the quality of the films, and whilst this cinema may be more pricey then most, the profits do go to charity. read more

I was truly thrilled to hear about the opening of this new cinema, being a resident of the area. However the ticket prices are too steep for this local cinema (even tickets in notting hill are slightly cheaper). Also there isn't a wide enough variety of movies. As for the actual cinema space, there is very little legroom even for a small person like me (and I have never had this problem). It seems the cinema has spent more on the ceiling decorations than on important things such as the design and comfort of the seats, and a decent lobby. To be honest even though it is close by I'd prefer to go elsewhere to watch a movie of my choice. Sorry. P.s the purple lights outside seem at odds with the architecture of the building - a bit too garish - which is how i would summarise The Lexi. My personal advice: reduce ticket prices (or provide better off peak rates); increase the number of screenings so that there is a good variety of films being shown during the week, lose the garish outdoor lighting and opt for more subtle illumination; improve the interior space of the lobby to make it more welcoming (a comfy sofa or seating would be good). read more