Night owl? Vox Cinemas will be open 24 hours a day on weekends over the summer

Cinema chain will show films all day and night at select locations from this weekend

The Vox Max Cinema, which is available at 11 Vox Cinemas, features a 20 metre wide screen. Photo / Supplied 

Vox Cinemas has just announced that its cinemas will screen movies 24-hours a day over the weekend for the rest of the summer, beginning this weekend on Thursday July 12. The new all-day programme will be available at selected Vox locations in the UAE, including Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira and City Centre Mirdif.

The move will come as good news to shift workers, or those that simply shy away from cinemas during the day, with crowds sometimes detracting from the enjoyment of a screening.

Movie fans have generally reacted positively to the announcement, although some have expressed a desire that Vox thinks outside the box for its new late, late screenings.

Hind Mezaina tweeted: “How about trying to show older films, instead of just repeating the new releases. Classics, cult classics, even double bills would work for late night summer viewings.”

Vox was unavailable for comment on the exact plans for the programming of the new late night sessions, however the cinema chain did note in a statement that it would not include films aimed at children in its new late-night offering.

Personally, we'd love to see some classic horror served up among the new post-midnight fare – who could resist a 4am screening of William Friedkin's 1973 classic The Exorcist in Mall of the Emirates, followed by a hearty breakfast at Ihop, a trip to Pierre Cardin for a discounted shirt and a quick dive into Virgin Megastore to pick up a copy of the soundtrack, including the seminal "Theme from the Exorcist," also known as Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells?

Friedkin, or at least the film’s production studio Warner Bros, famously turned down the film’s original score, composed by Lalo Schifrin, as being “too scary.”

Should Vox also decide to play it safe when it comes to programming the new slots, this week's new releases include modern horrors The Lullaby and Muse, the horror-inspired, but not-very-horrific-at-all Hotel Transylvania 3, or, in a safe bet for UAE audiences, local hero Dwayne Johnson in action thriller Skyscraper.

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Read more:

Coming soon to Saudi cinema: Vox chief on what the future holds for the silver screen in the kingdom

Majid Al Futtaim to open multi-plex Vox cinema in Riyadh

From ‘Purge’ to ‘Get Out’: Meet the hero of low-budget horror

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