The recent scare surrounding the film industry’s box office slump has somewhat subsided, but it is hard to ignore the growing number of fans who would rather catch up on their movies at home rather than join the masses at the multiplex. Today when it is so easy to see a movie at home, without the cost of paying for a ticket, why should anyone go to a theater to watch a movie?
The very experience of going out to a movie theater is part of the pleasure of movies. The journey to the theater, buying the tickets and candy, and watching the previews heightens the anticipation and excitement of seeing the actual film. Whether you go to the movies to spend time with friends or a date, to take a break from doing work, or to watch a film on a big screen with quality sound, going to a movie theater is a unique experience. So where are the places to go to a movie near campus?
Most people by now have gone to Destinta Theaters, located conveniently in the Metro Square near Main Street. Destinta has twelve screens and plays the usual mainstream films, with an occasional art film once it has gone into national release. The price for regular admissions is $9, $8 if you show your student ID, and $6 on Tuesdays or if the movie starts before 6 p.m.
In walking distance from the campus, it is easy to get a group of friends together and head on down to Main Street for dinner and a movie. The expansive parking lot makes for a transitional landscape from the magical world of moving images back to the sobering realization you are in Middletown.
Another multiplex in the area is the Showcase Cinemas in Berlin, which is about a twenty-minute drive away. A similar theater to Destinta, Showcase Cinemas has stadium seating and twelve screens showing the mainstream fare available in theaters nationwide. General admission is $9.50, matinee price is $6.25, and on Tuesdays you get in for $5. Occasionally this theater will show a film not playing at Destinta. For instance it is currently showing “March of the Penguins,” while Destinta is showing “The Constant Gardner.”
Unlike Destinta, Showcase Cinemas has a large central lobby with tall ceilings and bright illumination, momentarily masking its location in a suburban sprawl of strip malls and car dealerships. The concession stand in the center of the lobby has a Ben and Jerry’s counter and there is also a candy kiosk with sour straws and other treats you choose yourself. The nearby Berlin Turnpike has an abundance of chain stores and restaurants, so Showcase Cinemas is a good choice if you are in the area shopping at Target or if you want to grab a bite at a place like Applebee’s after the show.
Another option nearby is at Holiday Cinema in Meriden, a unique gem about fifteen minutes from campus and right off of route 66. Holiday Cinema may have the trappings of any old multiplex, but at a closer glance it has a certain charm – a humorous eccentricity brought about by a funky atmosphere.
Situated in a remote enclave off a main road, going to this theater will make you feel like you’ve entered into an episode of “The Twilight Zone” in which you’ve come to some strange postmodern universe. When you walk into the central lobby you become enveloped in a radiance of blue neon lighting coming down from the ceiling. Old movie posters hang on the walls and life-size statuettes of old stars like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis are lined up to greet you.
There is a handful of arcade games that you can play if you come early to a show and the concession stand has more of a variety of drinks and snacks than the usual options, including smoothies. The theaters do not have stadium seating, but have large reclining chairs and ample space in between each row. General admission is $8 and matinee shows are $5.
If you are tired of the mainstream movies playing in the large multiplexes in the area and have the urge to watch an art film, the closest venue is Cinema City, a Hoyts Crown Art theater. This four-screen art house has been around since 1973 and although it does not seem to have been refurbished since, it does continue to show good programs of foreign and independent films.
Cinema City may seem a bit tattered to those spoiled by newer multiplexes or high end art house theaters, but it still fulfills the functionary purpose of satisfying the college student’s appetite for an art film. The location is south of Hartford and a little over 20 minutes away from campus. Regular ticket prices are $9.25, but if you show your college I.D. you get in for $5.00. The number of shows are limited on weekdays, so be sure to check times before you go.
Let’s not forget that if you have a yearning to go to a film there is always the film series on campus, which provides free screenings on Thursdays and Saturdays along with films on Wednesdays and Fridays for $4. The convenience of location is an obvious plus, along with the pleasure of watching a film in a crowd comprised of your peers. It is a treat to see old classics on the big screen, or catch a film you wanted to see in the theaters but missed. The sound and picture quality are fantastic, and although there may be a short interruption when a reel is changed, you must remember students are the ones running the show.
Going to the movies is a unique experience, dependent on a variety of features, including where you see the movie. It is the shared emotional and physical climate of watching movies on a big screen with a group of people, sitting together in the darkened room, that makes it worth getting up from the television and going to the local movie theater.
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