John Carter film launched by John Carter

Buy photos » Apollo cinema usher John Carter shares his name with the new blockbuster Disney film. Picture by Jon Mullis 12.012.001.leam.jm1 (www.buyphotos247.com)

LEAMINGTON'S Apollo Cinema held a unique competition at the weekend – asking visitors to guess which member of staff was called John Carter.

It was held because Disney’s latest movie, called John Carter, has just been released, based on the 1917 novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs in which John Carter is a American Civil War Army captain who is mysteriously transported to Mars.

Those who correctly guessed which staff member shared his name with the film were entered into a prize draw to win a branded watch and family cinema ticket.

Cinema usher John, who has worked for the company for four years, said he was enjoying seeing him name up in lights.

Visit www.apollocinemas.com for Apollo ticket information.

Serving soldiers were meanwhile offered free tickets to a special screening of a new US army film at the cinema this week.

The cinema in Portland Place signed up last year to a 'Tickets for Troops' scheme which provides free tickets to films, sporting events and concerts to members of the armed forces.

And on Tuesday (March 13) they were invited along to a special preview screening of new movie Act of Valour ahead of its UK release on March 23.

The explosive action film is about the United States military’s most elite fighting force, Navy SEALs, who must track down a global terrorist threat before it's too late.