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Topic: Finest Cinemas/Screening Rooms in the World

Keri Delio
Film Handler

Posts: 26
From: Carrollton, TX, USA
Registered: Mar 2011

posted 04-12-2011 01:04 PM

I'd have to say the GCC Northpark I&II in Dallas.
The sound system was calibrated perfectly for every film that I saw there & I saw more movies than I can count starting all the way back to the original Star Wars in '77/'78.

I haven't seen any films outside the D/FW area yet but plan on going to LA in the next year or two.
I want to go to the Chinese, Egyptian & El Capitan for sure.
I wouldn't mind visiting the Cinerama Dome just for kicks though.

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-12-2011 02:01 PM

All the good cinemas are gone.

Nowadays I relish watching a movie in an auditorium either by myself or with just a few people. I can adjust the sound just the way I like and not have all the chatter and/or noise that ruins a good movie. You could be in the nicest cinema and a human can ruin the experience.

Right now, my favorite auditorium is screen #14 right here in Hyattsville, Maryland. 60 foot screen well lit with a Barco Digital Projector and the sound is awesome.

That's what works for me.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-12-2011 03:16 PM

Apparently, I missed this thread earlier.

I can recommend the following:

Byrd Theatre, Richmond, VA. -- This is a gorgeous 1500-seat theatre from 1928 that has been kept up beautifully over the years. They primarily show late-run mainstream films; tickets are $2 (the best bargain in the industry). They have an original Wurlitzer organ and present a brief organ concert before the films on Saturday night. I actually have not been there for 6-7 years, but 35mm (and occasional 16mm) presentation has historically been top notch. They also have the best movie popcorn that I have ever tasted. They do special screenings and midnight shows from time to time as well as an excellent French film festival in the spring.

Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA. cinema #1 -- This is an original 900-seat theatre from 1914 (additional auditorium space was carved out of a different part of the building to add four screens in the late 1990s). They have top quality 35mm picture (70mm is coming soon) and sound. They primarily show first-run mainstream films, with occasional repertory screenings and special events. They also do a significant number of live music concerts in this auditorium. This place has gone from being a dump in the mid-1990s to a top quality venue today. (Disclaimer: I have worked there in the past, mostly for the Independent FF of Boston.)

Re: Graumann's Chinese: I thought that the sound quality was terrible when I visited in 2000. Maybe it has been improved since then. It is a beautiful building, however. I visited the Cinerama Dome around that time and the sound there was the best that I have ever heard in a theatre (this was pre-Arclight).

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