Muvico Rosemont 18 Theater
9701 Bryn Mawr Avenue,
Rosemont,
IL
60018
9701 Bryn Mawr Avenue,
Rosemont,
IL
60018
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 30 comments found
There are 48 D-box seats, and an adult D-box ticket costs $21.50. I guess they tilt, rock, and vibrate according to the action on screen. So now instead of the kid behind you kicking your seat, the theatre itself kicks your seat.
Your dad was correct. Michael Todd had the system. Also correct people were vomiting in the aisles. Being an usher there sure meant being challenged I would say.
Similar, but limited to the shaking of that bank of seats only.
I posted over on the United Artists page about experiencing “Earthquake” with Sensurround when it came out. The UA had to hang mesh netting high up towards the ceiling to catch falling plaster shortly after the film opened.
My late father said Smell-O-Vision was tried at the Michael Todd on Dearborn I believe. But that people became ill when the artificial pipe smoke scent was pumped in for one scene.
I believe this probably is a form of sennsuround that some of the theaters installed back in the 70’s. I saw “Earthquake” at the Nortown Theatre in Chicago back then and they installed big boom boxes at the sides of the theater when the earth moved, so did the theater. Back in the 60’s, In remember the fad of smellavision.
This was installed in a downtown theater and the seats were wired with sensors to release smells when called for in the movie. Must have been a flop because it never went anywhere.
Dean Richards of WGN TV did a piece on the Muvico 18 this morning. The theater has added a bank of seats equipped with “D-Box”. A film activated motion device that rocks the bank of seats along with the action on the screen. Like a flight/driving simulator or interactive space shuttle experience of sorts. The feature is reservation only, and appeared to be limited to a small amount of seats. Special prints of the films encoded to work with the equipment are needed. The upcoming “Pirates” sequel is one that is scheduled. So it’s obviously not limited to planes or cars.
Scott, if you do come up I’ll meet you there. In person it is very impressive! I have heard from friends they were disappointed with the auditoriums not really looking like a movie palace. I suppose they thought the exterior was so ornate and colorful that the theaters inside would also be. Well there is a little decoration and the seats are plush. All the money was spent on the facade and the signage and the stunning lobby. I remind them this IS 2011! The era of over the top decorations and cupids and floating clouds are all long gone. But this theater gives you the flavor of that time.
Scott, that is exactly what I meant. I didn’t even think about it until I read it in this post. We will never see the likes or anything comimg close to our Paradise or Marbro. For what I see around the country that are passing for movie complexes, this was a very bold & beautiful design and I commend Muvico. Their theaters in Florida are also very very nice but without the big marquee and vertical. This must be a new direction the company is taking. They have a Paradise, Palace and Parisian all with the themes throughout the theater. Impressive lobbys, marble floors and chandeliers, plush carpets and plenty of gilt-everything we love!
Bobby, I can’t say that I see the similarity with the Chicago Paradise, except perhaps the galloping steed at the top of the facade being reminiscent of those on the Paradise proscenium. Still, for a modern day theatre it looks pretty impressive. Probably about as good as we can expect these days.
Well Block 37 fell through in downtown Chicago as well as the Northbrook, Il. in the northern burb. Bank Of America took the property back (Block 37) after the developer went bust. There was also to be a Loews Hotel. The property remains mostly empty and unfinished. Northbrook was also against the theater because of the nearby AMC and the people felt too much traffic and noise. Too bad. The design would have been something. I agree with the thought the Parardise was the inspiration for the design, You can see the bright lights over a mile down the tollway. It reminds me of the Marbro Theater on the west side of Chicago with the brightness of the marquee!
More photos are here.
Now that David Barton Gym will be located at Roosevelt Collection instead of 108 N State, perhaps the Muvico’s seating capacity can be expanded.
Wow, I never knew this place existed. And they’re building one at block 37? Awesome.
I agree it will be great if they use the same type of vintage building style.
In hindsight, the great theaters of downtown Chicago might have survived longer even vacant, if they weren’t in the Midwest. (Of course they couldn’t be great Chicago theatres then).
Constant winters with little or no heat had to greatly accelerate the downward spiral of so many of the theatre’s structural integrity.
Since everything was virtually steam heat back then, or worse yet converted from coal, many owners probably just shut everything off when they ultimately closed, and walked away. Especially if they were already losing money.
It’s truly great that the long vacant Uptown has survived as it did through so many harsh winters. Good luck JAM, we’re all behind you.
I am planning to go out to Rosemont to check this theatre out.
I am also anxiously awaiting the Muvico theatre at Block 37 in the Loop. I hope that Muvico’s design will strongly evoke some of the classic theatres of the Loop. The interior could re-create Randolph street of the 1950s and 1960s, with its colorful and carnival-like atmosphere. Why not? That’s the reason we go to the movies anyway, to escape for a few hours, so why not make the experience memorable?
Here is a nice 2008 photo.
View link
Strangely, rather than expanding the building to its original 22-screen configuration, Muvico has announced plans to REDUCE its size to 14 screens, while expanding the footprint to where those additional 4 screens would have been. This space will become a bowling alley, which was originally going to go in a new building across the street. To get approval to do this, Muvico agreed to void an agreement with Rosemont not to build over 20 feet in height along the tollway, a restriction intended to maintain Muvico’s visibility.
Also, the theater’s architect was Development Design Group
Does anyone know what is the largest auditorium/screen here?
This theater is amazing. Just went to see “Michael Clayton” recently. The seats remind me of the Kerasotes Showplace 12 at Golf Mill and the projection is great. The screens a bigger like the Cinemark Melrose Park and the Showplace 12 at Golf Mill. For free parking go to Guest Services to have your ticket validated when you purchase your movie ticket at the box office.
I saw Nightmare here. It is done with polarized 3D glasses. So you only need one projector. I assume it’s 4k, since that’s what all they use here. Perhaps it’s upsampled. It looked great when I saw it this weekend.
I see that ‘Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas 3D’ is there – how is that done with 4K systems? Or is it standard 2K?
Interesting review of this place View link
I went back after a month and used the theaters for the teeming masses, instead of the hoi polloi.
The theater I attended (all have stadium seating) was huge! Much larger than Cinemark’s, and it seemed taller than the York’s newer theaters. Cavernous is the word that comes to mind. The screen was large, and I couldn’t notice any quality problems regarding the digital screen.
Food selection is almost as good as the VIP’s. Besides the usual popcorn and nachos (although, to be truthful, I don’t know if they had nachos, because I don’t care enough for them to check), they serve pizza (‘Both’ kinds: cheese and pepperoni. Why no sausage?), hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, curly fries, mozzarella sticks, buffalo wings and popcorn shrimp(!)
(They could use a better butter for the popcorn, though.)
There was also a children’s playroom.
I noticed a self-ticketing area when I entered. I think you can buy tickets on the spot using a credit card (and not just print internet tickets there), although I’m not sure.
Plenty of workers on hand once again.
It’d be nice if Rosemont would provide bike racks. They have everything else.
Recent photos of this theatre are HERE
Also, Gizmodo has a description of the projectors.
Anyone want to figure out what the architectural inspiration was? I’m thinking the Paradise; particularly with how the pediment is topped by a Pegasus thing like the Pardise’s proscenium.
I have also read that this design will be the template for future Muvico projects, rather than creating a new design for each.
But do standard 35-millimeter movies look better via 4K digital than regular film projection?
The answer is complex, local film projection technician James Bond said, because there are so many variables. A 35 mm print that comes directly from the camera negative and is projected under optimal conditions can’t be beat, he said, but most Hollywood movies are reproduced by the thousands with a resultant drop in quality.
Digital projection removes human error from the equation (the movies are files), but because studios do their postproduction work at a lower level of resolution than 4K, you can’t necessarily see the difference on screen. Also affecting the experience are such factors as overly bright exit signs.
“It’s a delicate recipe that has followed precisely in order to realize this exciting format’s full potential,” Bond said.
-http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/chi-0909_pop1sep09,1,4386579.story
A review of the food (when was the last time you saw a food review for a theater?) is at View link