MIDDLETOWN WELCOMES RC THEATERS: DEPARTURE OF PREVIOUS CINEMA MOURNED BY FEW
For years, Middletown residents have put up with the many liabilities of its local cinema on Main Street. Everybody has a story about this. The company's projectionists often cut off the sides or bottoms of the movie. The speakers in many of the theaters were blown, creating a curious, garbled version of stereo. Focus, as an acquaintance of this reporter once put it, seemed to be an unattainable ideal.
Serious moviegoers in the area ventured to Southington for a real movie experience, an intense, digital movie experience with excellent and balanced sound.
But there is good news on the horizon: as those of you who have ventured downtown know, there is a new show in town: RC Theaters.
For the first time in the digital era in which we all live, Middletown will have a proper theater complex. By the end of August, according to David Phillips of RC Theaters, the company not only plans to covert to crisp digital projection; it will transform some of the smaller rooms into larger spaces and add much better screens. RC Theaters is also undertaking a major upgrade of the sound systems in each theater; this is at least as important as the visual upgrade.
This reporter is happy to say that the viewing experience is already far superior to what it was.
In addition to the overall improvement of the cinema facilities, RC is in the midst of a comprehensive hygiene upgrade which, once again according to the RC spokesperson, includes a good deal of interior scrubbing and mopping, as well as new paint, new lighting, and new carpeting.
RC has clearly done its demographic homework as well. RC has plans for screening independent films as well as becoming a home for the very popular Met Opera Live series (http://www.fathomevents.com/performingarts/series/themetopera.aspx).
This reporter will file another report after the digital screening rooms come on line later in the month.
It's funny. I hate this town, but I don't whine half as much as anyone who writes for the Middletown Eye.
ReplyDeleteYes! I am so thrilled to hear we will have better film choices downtown. Last few years it's been little other than animated kiddie movies or violent action . A few decent comedies if you like the blockbusters but slim pickings overall. I have been going to Berlin, Hartford, Plainville for movies but will be glad if I don't have to go out of town to see movies in the future.
ReplyDeleteI was there on Saturday to see the new Woody Allen movie. The theater was filthy, the sound sucked and the lights (and screen) went off TWICE during the show so that me and the three other people in the theater were entirely in the dark for several minutes (not even the dim stair lights were working). It was kind of scary. I think they have a lot of gall charging full price for movies while they're renovating, and frankly, I can't see running the film for three patrons. That $7 bag of popcorn probably doesn't make up for lost revenue. Hopefully they'll clean the place up soon because too many people who go there and have a bad experience may not come back regardless of assurances that things are fixed. It would have been better to close the place entirely and fix it right.
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