At first, this page was all about the Cinemark XD theaters because two of them opened in my area and, since one of them replaced a true IMAX theater, I wanted to take a look at how they stacked up. After completing these theater reviews, I started thinking “Why not just review all the specialty theaters I go to, take some pictures, and give people some ideas of what the theater’s strong points and weaknesses are?” So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I go to a lot of movies so I expect this page to grow. It will mostly benefit people living in or visiting the Los Angeles area as that’s where I live, but Cinemark does a pretty good job of standardizing their XD (Extreme Digital) theaters so I think those reviews can be helpful for just about everyone. So, click on the links below and you can read about the various “upscale” theaters I’ve visited.
At the time of the opening of Furious 7, there has been a very exciting development at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater. It is currently one of the 2 theaters in the world which is employing the latest in IMAX laser technology incorporating a dual projection system which dramatically increases the sharpness of the picture. In addition, the sound system has been upgraded and adds 6 channels of sound. After May 1st I will post a review which will hopefully include photos of the new theater. I will be trying to get permission from the corporate office for access to some shots which I think everyone will find interesting.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. James Meredith, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Cinemark for unfettered access to the Cinemark XD theater at the Howard Hughes Center. He also put me in contact with Cinemark’s technical staff who were able to answer all of my questions. I would also like to thank Mr. Patrick Humphrey, Senior Asst. Manager at the Cinemark in Playa Vista for taking the time to talk with me and explain some of the differences between the 2 theaters as well as giving me access to take pictures of the Cinemark XD in Playa Vista.
The Cinemark XD – Howard Hughes Center
The Irvine Spectrum IMAX (Not completed)
Leonardo
Im Waianae for your tcl review! Pelase do it!
InCali
I have written a preliminary review of the TCL CHINESE and the picture is the best I’ve seen. Sound is killer. Awesome theater. I think I’ll go there to see Tomorrowland and most big blockbuster action movies. I’m trying to get more info from TCL corporate and, if I do, I’ll update the article and let you know.
Leonardo
Thanks man!