Current situation of the building is. sadly, small retail businesses in what used to be the lobby area. The rest of the building is neglected, like many of the other movie palaces of the era that are still standing. Many others were demolished.
Well I know where I want to see it in my area, and luckily it will be shown there on May 22nd. Israel’s best cinema at the moment is the “Planet”, a 15 screen megaplex with big screens in all auditoriums, but screen 6, with over 400 seats and an extra big screen (and an excellent sound system) is my favorite place to see the movie. Luckily, it will be shown there on May 22nd, and I will no doubt be there. It will, however, be a 35mm Dolby Digital presentation. The nearby Globus theater will have a DP presentation but I dont think I’d like to see it there as it was shot on film and not digitally. Besides, the Planet is such a superb place to see movies (plus the fact that it’s only 10 minutes from my home) that I don’t think I’d like to see it any other place.
I only visited that cinema once, but it was a very memorable visit. It was in 1989, and I went to London from Brighton (where I lived at the time) just to see the restored 70mm print of “Lawrence Of Arabia”. Lines were around the building for an early noon screening but I went in very quickly. I sat in the rear stalls, just under the balcony, and I fell in love with the theater right away: It had a feeling of a real cinema. And then the film began. WOW! Until today I regard that screening as one of the best I have ever attended. It was high Definition at it’s best, much better then any HD Digital screenings we might have today. And the movie itself was perfect, still is one of my favorite films ever. It was a stunning expirience and I am very sorry I would be able to visit that cinema again or see another 70mm screening over there. The Odeon Marble Arch before the division was one of the best cinemas I have ever been in. And I have been in a lot before that 1989 visit and after.
The following link shows the Chen Cinema in the early 1950’s, a short time after it opened as a huge single screen cinema. As a child in the late 60’s I saw many Disney movies over there as the parent company also had (and still has) the Israeli distribution rights for Disney. I remeber seeing there, with my parents “The Jungle Book” and “Mary Poppins”, also “Olivier!”, and later on “Grease”, “2001: A Space Odyssey” (in 70mm) and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” which was the last film to be shown there before it was divided into 6 screens. Now, as a six screener it is still one of the best cinemas in the country, especially the very big Screen 1 which is almost identical to the old cinema minus the circle. The screen kept it’s original size, and so seeing a movie in Chen 1 is still an expirience. They also have one of the best sound systems.
Current situation of the building is. sadly, small retail businesses in what used to be the lobby area. The rest of the building is neglected, like many of the other movie palaces of the era that are still standing. Many others were demolished.
Seating capacity for the Smadar Cinema is 261.
Well I know where I want to see it in my area, and luckily it will be shown there on May 22nd. Israel’s best cinema at the moment is the “Planet”, a 15 screen megaplex with big screens in all auditoriums, but screen 6, with over 400 seats and an extra big screen (and an excellent sound system) is my favorite place to see the movie. Luckily, it will be shown there on May 22nd, and I will no doubt be there. It will, however, be a 35mm Dolby Digital presentation. The nearby Globus theater will have a DP presentation but I dont think I’d like to see it there as it was shot on film and not digitally. Besides, the Planet is such a superb place to see movies (plus the fact that it’s only 10 minutes from my home) that I don’t think I’d like to see it any other place.
Here is an image of Cinema City’s Screen No. 1:
View link
And the Cinemax Screen in the complex. Not as big as IMAX, but still very big:
View link
I only visited that cinema once, but it was a very memorable visit. It was in 1989, and I went to London from Brighton (where I lived at the time) just to see the restored 70mm print of “Lawrence Of Arabia”. Lines were around the building for an early noon screening but I went in very quickly. I sat in the rear stalls, just under the balcony, and I fell in love with the theater right away: It had a feeling of a real cinema. And then the film began. WOW! Until today I regard that screening as one of the best I have ever attended. It was high Definition at it’s best, much better then any HD Digital screenings we might have today. And the movie itself was perfect, still is one of my favorite films ever. It was a stunning expirience and I am very sorry I would be able to visit that cinema again or see another 70mm screening over there. The Odeon Marble Arch before the division was one of the best cinemas I have ever been in. And I have been in a lot before that 1989 visit and after.
The following link shows the Chen Cinema in the early 1950’s, a short time after it opened as a huge single screen cinema. As a child in the late 60’s I saw many Disney movies over there as the parent company also had (and still has) the Israeli distribution rights for Disney. I remeber seeing there, with my parents “The Jungle Book” and “Mary Poppins”, also “Olivier!”, and later on “Grease”, “2001: A Space Odyssey” (in 70mm) and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” which was the last film to be shown there before it was divided into 6 screens. Now, as a six screener it is still one of the best cinemas in the country, especially the very big Screen 1 which is almost identical to the old cinema minus the circle. The screen kept it’s original size, and so seeing a movie in Chen 1 is still an expirience. They also have one of the best sound systems.
And here it is, as it was in the early 50’s:
View link