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The cinema is located on the top
level of the centre, adjacent to the food
court, with an entertainment precinct
opposite featuring Ten Pin Bowling,
Laser Skirmish and an array of cafes
and restaurants. The well planned centre
has plentiful, easy parking close by to
the cinema: this is one top level cinema
that is easy to get into and out of.
The shopping centre has an
abundance of natural light and a forest
of trees in the nearby Piazza, but enter
the cinema and you are in a whole new
world.
On first entering, the cinema
complex seems dark, with a limited
colour palette. Spend a little time there
though and the space lightens up, the
dominant blacks and reds are
supplemented with other colours and The eight screens are spread across What takes your eye are the 44
themes such as in the Gold Lounge three concepts: two 40-seat Gold surround speakers spread around the
areas with their gold colour palette. Lounge cinemas featuring electric auditorium in pairs. The results are
And there is a subtle integration “leather” arm chairs and in-cinema spectacular without ever being too loud
between the cinema and the shopping wining and dining; five mainstream or harsh. You feel the sound at the right
centre, which makes extensive use of traditional cinemas featuring genuinely moments (it may go right through you,
natural materials. There can be no wall to wall screens of sometimes depending on the film!) but the
doubting, however, that Reading alarmingly large size; and the piece de dialogue is at the perfect level.
corporate colours are red and black: resistance, the TITAN XC (eXtreme And how is the picture?
they dominate the cinema. Cinema), Reading’s version of concepts The BARCO 2K projectors (two in
like VMAX.
Film and session times are the TITAN XC, running simultaneously
displayed on large LCD monitors at the in 3D, for a stunning effect) produce a
entrance and over the “ticket box”. sharp, vivid picture that never looks
Wisely, Reading have retained a anything other than film-like.
dedicated ticket point for peak times. Mr Deighton has eight years
The set up of the tickets counter, experience in the business, a lot of that
concessions counter and Gold Lounge in projection, and he feels that the
bar is such that at quiet times, digital picture quality is at last
minimum staff need to be deployed and exceeding 35mm. To my eyes, and
at peak times staff can easily move although I love the film experience, I
between each area as needed. feel tempted to agree with him.
The food and beverage offer is The five mainstream cinemas share
fairly typical of a cinema and is common red seating, side drapes and
complemented by the addition of In total the complex has a relatively lighting. The capacities vary between
excellent espresso coffee. compact 1,441 seats, but every seat is a 135 and 250, though they seem larger,
good one, none are wasted. The entire with impressively large screens. All are
complex is very comfortable and well insulated from the foyer, with
customer friendly. entry being close to the front of each
The TITAN XC almost takes your auditorium. Even the smaller ones are
breath away. Entering down a long dark well proportioned and still feel like a
corridor, perfectly insulating you from traditional cinema. They all have side
the world outside, entry is almost at the aisles and a crossover point for
front of the cinema, the giant (22 convenience.
metres wide x 12 metres high ) curved
screen in front of you, 427 super wide
leather-style seats curve around and up
to the heavens. This is an auditorium
that in earlier days would have
squeezed in many more patrons, but the
wide seats, aisles and the excellent leg
room have reduced that number, so that
every one of the 427 seats are in a
prime position.

CINEMARECORD 2010 21