Cinema Paradiso

Restaurants are to people in the Eighties what theater was to people in the Sixties," said Carrie Fisher in a movie, ruminating on the importance of restaurants in the late ‘80s.

Fast forward to the 2000s’ sexiest TV show. Another Carrie – Bradshaw this time – spots a couple holding hands while walking and says something like, "Dinner and a movie. Second date. I hate them."

Nothing seems to have changed. Movies, dinners, parties, walks in the park, picnics – the social aspect of going out with friends or lovers has remained the same except for the structures. People are still trying to find ways to satisfy their basic need for entertainment. And in a country where going to the movies is still one of the affordable thrills, the second date is still almost always a movie date, the weekend is still reserved for the family to go to church, eat out, watch a movie or shop. And mall operators are responding accordingly.

In what can only be described as paradise for movie buffs, Ayala Center reinvents old venues and opens new ones to fit every type of moviegoer. There’s Glorietta 1, which is the old and renovated Quad, catering to the mid-market (movie tickets are still as low as P70) and showing mainly local and popular foreign films. There’s Glorietta 4, the pioneer in weekend midnight screening, which caters to the more upmarket audience with its choice of films and its one THX theater. There’s the old Greenbelt 1, which now shows art house and indie films. And now, there’s Greenbelt 3, with its five theaters (two of them THX) showing popular foreign films in a less crowded environment than your typical mall.

You do have to give it to Ayala Center for building a mall and cinemas like the new Greenbelt. The mall itself is a haven for mallrats like me, what with 70 percent devoted to restaurants and entertainment venues, and 30 percent to one-of-a-kind shops.

But the times have indeed changed. Remember those days when cinemas were cinemas and the malls were malls? Remember when there was the lodge section and there was the balcony section and people threw popcorn at each other? When theaters were so big kids could get lost in them?

"That was the time when shopping was mainly done in Manila, which is why most theaters were located there," says Winnie Nazareth, Ayala Land AVP for Commercial Centers, Marketing and Entertainment Businesses. "As the malls developed in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s, there was a move to bring them outside the downtown. Cinemas have become basic components as far as entertainment is concerned especially on weekends. They’re a mall anchor much like the supermarket or department store. Watching a movie becomes part of the plan. In a mall you don’t look at it just as shopping, it’s a hodge-podge of things that you’d want to do."

"Before, the movie houses were a draw by themselves, they could survive in their own location," adds Raffy Prats, VP for Ayala Center Cinema. "But as the people of Manila became more conscious of their options, the stand-alones have pretty much disappeared and what’s been left are the cinemas in malls."

Watching a movie today can be as casual as killing time and as big a production as a second date. After all, you can hardly make a good impression by asking your date to watch a cheap pirated VCD where people’s heads are constantly blocking the picture.

"Our response to piracy is that we have helped change the way people view going to the movies," says Winnie. "It’s not just watching a movie, it’s a total experience. Filipinos will want to go back to the moviehouses if we give them a good experience. That’s precisely where we came from when we launched Glorietta 4. We made cinema viewing an event, a social event. You belong to a group that loves to be entertained. You have dinner or lunch in one of the restaurants here, you watch a movie and then you play arcade games at Timezone. It transcends just watching a film."

In the age of pirated films, cinema operators have suffered big losses along with film producers. Raffy Prats explains, "Pirates don’t pay taxes or anything for that matter. Cinema operators pay 30 percent tax, 30 producers’ tax and we’re left with 30 percent," Raffy Prats. An amount that barely covers the costs of maintaining a theater.

So why did they build more if that’s the case? And why, if people are not paying to go to the movies for box-office hits, put up cinemas for art films?

Winnie Nazareth explains, "You do it because it’s important – it’s something that you don’t make money out of but just enough to maintain it." Also the EVP for Ayala Center Cinema, Winnie adds, "As for the Greenbelt 1 cinemas, we said, what could we do with our cinemas here? Since we already have three types for the different markets (G4, G1 and GB3), we converted one theater into a live stage, which is Onstage, and another will be converted into a trade hall. So we were left with two cinemas and we decided to support art films. Ayala has supported a lot of things that may not be profitable but in the overall scheme of things make sense for the market and the center. Like the Ayala Museum which we are constructing now – something like this would be good for the education of Filipinos."

In this sense, the situation works out for the consumer. Yes, ticket prices at Greenbelt 3 are a little more expensive than in other malls, but the quality of the experience is not to be traded.

When Glorietta 4 cinemas opened, people said, "You won’t want to watch anywhere else." But after several years, they found that things could still be improved.

"We noticed that there were people who wanted to go to a place that was not so crowded, and that’s how Greenbelt 3 came about," says Winnie. "We said we would create a mall that doesn’t feel harassed or stressful to shoppers, and it would be an urban entertainment center. The cinemas would be more focused on that type of a mall. It will have amenities and details you won’t find anywhere else."

The theaters are smaller here, from 160 to 320 seats, making for a more intimate experience. And yes, according to Raffy, with all things being equal, the quality of watching is still better in a smaller theater.

Seats are guaranteed at Greenbelt 3 and the moviegoer has the option to reserve seats three ways: by sending SMS (for Greenbelt 3, text sureseats GB3 and send to 2333; for Glorietta 4, text sureseats G4 and send to 2333) or through the Internet at www.sureseats.com.ph or by calling 729-777. Moviegoers should be at the cinema 40 minutes before showtime or the ticketron is free to sell your seats.

Another innovation is the theater lobby. Greenbelt 3’s lobby is well-lighted, unlike the usual dark lobbies of others. The entire development was designed by Callison Architects, the same people who design Nordstrom stores across America and malls such as FlatIron Crossing in Colorado and Ala Moana in Hawaii. Interior design was done by Bernie Miranda.

The lilac-colored lobby has European chandeliers hanging from ceilings and it looks out to the park below, so during the day the feeling is one of openness even though you’re actually going to be confined in a closed space when watching.

The inside of the cinemas is fully carpeted, equipped with spacious fabric-covered seats (23 inches wide, which is bigger than some economy airplane seats) with cupholders (retractable ones in the THX cinemas) and fabric walls.

Cinemas 1 and 2 are THX, the three others are digital. What’s the difference between the two?

"About 30 percent more expensive to build," says Raffy laughing.

He explains that THX and digital cinemas follow the same set of standards with "THX being a notch higher."

The technology and system was designed by George Lucas’ Lucasfilms and before one can be given a license to display the THX logo, a cinema must comply with requirements that encompass the physical structure of the cinema, the projection system, the seating arrangement and the sound system.

A THX cinema is quieter with double doors, layers of walls and acoustic treatments, so outside noise from the lobby and other theaters doesn’t come in, as well as inside noise from the air-conditioning system or projector.

People from Lucasfilms’ THX inspect every THX cinema around the world every year to make sure they complywith the standards. Things like noise, echoing, reverberation, the screen’s brightness level, seating angle, screen height and many more are all measured.

Suffice it to say when you watch at Greenbelt 3’s THX theaters, Vin Diesel sounds and feels like he’s doing his stunts right inside the theater.

But for a more intimate viewing – meaning, you can choose whatever commercial film you like or from your own DVD collection or home movies – there’s My Cinema, a 50-seater cinema. My Cinema can be rented for private viewing, either for corporate events or private parties.

"The venue includes an area where you can serve food. You can rent it for a minimum of four hours and choose your own movie. You just can’t sell tickets because that would be like sponsoring a premier," explains Winnie Nazareth.

We’re thinking: Home movies for that bongga party or mega corporate event. If you’re a guest, brace yourself for the dreaded: "Here we are on Rodeo Drive. Here we are at the Empire State Building. Here we are at the Alamo."

It may not be as spectacular as a Vin Diesel production, but hey, you’re renting and they’re just watching. Tell them to sit back, relax and enjoy your movie.