| When you go to the movies, trying to find the best seat in the house is a difficult proposition that is dependent on several factors. The shape of the theatre, the chairs, the amount of legroom, the cup holders and the distance to the bathroom all must be considered before you stake your claim on cinematic real estate.
I am an enthusiast who has developed a set of sonic and visual criteria for theatrical positioning, based on fake scientific principles. I haul them out whenever I have to rationalize my seating choice:
"The middle of the theatre is clearly superior due to the fact that the patron is equidistant from both sets of hi-fi speakers. The finely tuned stereo spread would be compromised if one were to sit in the wings. From this same vantage point, your proximity to the screen mimics the human eye. Increased proximity causes the visuals to overwhelm while distance lessens the optical impact."
Still, since all theatres aren’t created equal, it may not be enough to find the geographic centre of the movie house. Five different theatres offer have five different optimal seating options, and here’s why.
THE LOWDOWN
The Uptown Screen offers the most history for your movie-going experience, and at the same time takes the silver medal for seating. The lower theatre is a large bowl, which at times offers some seating challenges, but the screen upstairs offers some great raked seating. The front row of the upper theatre offers the best of both worlds. Elevated slightly, you don’t have to contend with those en route to the snack bar obstructing your view. The aisle runs right up the middle so you can have central seating and an aisle seat at the same time. While the padding in the seats is aged and there are no cup holders, the retaining wall at the front of the upper theatre makes a great drink- and leg-rest, yet it is still far enough away to offer substantial legroom.
The Plaza Theatre offers history of a different kind. Years of wear and tear have given this Kensington institution a homey feel, but aging foam and pesky springs will make sitting through longer films a bit of a chore. Given the size of the screen, sight lines on either side are sketchy, so the centre is recommended once again. Regular patrons of the Plaza can navigate the auditorium like expert soldiers on a minefield. Too close and the stage-level screen will strain your neck; too far back and every time someone hits the snack bar you can hear the popcorn machine. The hanging fans for circulation aren’t much of a problem unless you are right under them and the film is quiet. The middle of row eight is optimum, but even if you get a seat there, legroom is still an issue.
The Globe Cinema was redesigned in the mid-90s to bring a multiplex feel to inner-city cinema. Both theatres are identical, offering narrow yet deep auditoriums. Drink holders come in handy, legroom is abundant and since the seats are only about 10 years old, they are consistently comfortable. Given the shape of the theatres and position of the speakers, the center of row 12 offers the best seating. The volume is kept low, presumably to avoid interference with the other theatre, and with the bulk of the sound coming from the speaker behind the screen, each theatre’s cavernous depth makes it hard to hear when sitting too far back. Audio levels have been higher as of late, but if you get a chatty art film viewer nearby, they are never loud enough.
The Sunridge Spectrum offers multiplex convenience with modern amenities. Theatres 1 and 14 are the largest, each with a steep raked seating scheme. There is ample legroom, and both theatres have drink holders and wireless headphones for the hearing impaired. Many will find the reclining seats comfortable but keep in mind that the act of reclining brings the back of your seat closer to the foot of the bratty kid sitting behind you. The middle of row seven in the upper bowl is a perfect position to preserve the scope of the film, but you recline at your own risk.
Finally, Paramount Chinook, with its ancient Egyptian motif, may have the most annoying lobby in movie theatre history, but it has the best seating in the city. It is not, however, in the IMAX theatre. Unless your movie was filmed in IMAX, you can’t take advantage of the size the format offers. Theatre 2 offers a large screen without stadium seating vertigo. The bathroom is close, legroom is good and cup holders are present. To top it off, the seats are quite soft and there is assistance for the hearing impaired. The middle of row 3 in the upper section gives you a decent view regardless of the film format, with no need for craning the neck.
Because some people need the aisle and others are front-row viewers, personal needs and preferences will lead you to your seat. These recommendations are merely a starting point. It’s all a crapshoot anyway, because even your favourite seat can be no damn good if the joker behind you talks through the film.
Do you see what I’m saying
In every theatre at Sunridge Spectrum there are optional wireless headphones that amplify the film’s soundtrack for individual listeners. Since they’re battery-operated, power failures are a possibility so to avoid frustration midway through a movie, be sure to check the unit thoroughly before you use it. Reception is best on the aisles, with mild interference being an issue throughout each theatre, so find the seat that is best for your headset
Over at the Paramount Chinook, only Theatre 2 is equipped for the hearing impaired, but their system is considerably more inclusive, as it offers captions instead of headphones. With a LED projection of the film’s dialogue on the back of the theatre, a small mirror on some seats becomes a personal Closed-Captioning device – just one more reason why the Paramount Chinook has the best seats in the city. |
