Yesterday, I can never type
the word without hearing the opening of the Beatles tune in my head, I had the
most wonderful of days which lasted until going to bed well after midnight. Such
is my satisfaction at the mixture of achievement and new experience enjoyment that
I need to record the experiences before continuing with the writing of a book,
the first section of which is fully researched and drafted, and the opening pages
settled yesterday.
On return from my first
experiences of the new cinema Screen X at the Cineworld Newcastle at the Gate, the
best of the four party areas of one of this most remarkable of British cities; the
other areas, the Bigg Market, the Tyne riverside, with the Millennium Bridge
walkway to the Baltic contemporary art centre and Sage concert halls on the
Gateshead side, and Eldon Square complex
of restaurants on two floors and surrounding streets filled visiting hen and stag
parties, packs of university students setting out for the
bars and clubbing, adolescents
celebrating the end of half term, middle
age and older citizens heading the Theatre Royal and the Playhouse, some younger
ones to the Live Theatres, couples of all ages on dates, families going to the film of Aladdin and the secret life of Pets ,and a mixture of well-dressed
heading for the 24 hour casino at Gate.
I returned home by Metro and
my car parked at the South Shields end of the line station, eat the prepared
salad and a small carton of raspberries, watched the latest episode of the Looming Tower, which chronicles the
rivalry, distrust and compartmentalism of the C.I.A and F.B.I in the years before 9/11, having watched the previous
evening the Berlin Station series in which the U.S funds a right wing
party in Germany in order to house and use its digital surveillance system on
every government, corporate and domestic electronic device in Europe, and Deep State series which chronicles the
machinations of the US government through one of its off the books units
committing murder and blackmail to beat Russia and China in controlling individual
African states, and then decided to watch the last two the most moving and engaging of
Television series of 22 episodes New
Amsterdam on Amazon prime, about a New York Public Hospital with a creative
socialist public service Director, four principal
medical consultants and the consultant psychologists who could be me in another
life, and the sex, loves, addictions and
family dramas of the staff for which they have too little time.
I have never been keen on
hospital set dramas, part of my fear, dread and dislike of all institutions
which become places which concentrate in furthering and protecting the
interests of the providing body, the management and employees before those of
the residents. I also cannot stand the reality of the pain and the bloodshed.
New Amsterdam changed that, as I became totally involved and in tears a during
most, if not all episodes, and saying WoW at the levels of understanding and
insight. The end of what appeared to be the final rather than first season episode
was more shocking and unexpected than the ending of Blakes Seven. The advantage
of Amazon Prime is that you can watch a full series over 24 hours, but New Amsterdam
was experienced no more than one day, and where sometimes a longer break between
episodes seemed right, but difficult, as you are always wanting to know want
happens next. The story line and the characters go well over the top which is
also me.
Having experienced 4DX 3D at the
rebuilt inside of Cineworld in Newcastle I set off to see if the latest screen
film experience to be added was as good or even better. Cineworld had adopted
part the 2009 South Korean system which motion seating synchronised with events
in the film. You are held in seats in the same as on fairground ride with
addition of sensors which can appear to punch or stab you if such an event
occurs on screen. The full model now in Newcastle and Middlesbrough in the
North East includes carefully directed water spray at the face, wind, hot and
cold, smoke and auditorium lights together with surround sound and 3D visual.
Not a fan of the roller coaster and other fairground thrill rides, I decided to
experience the new dimension with a film about the ability through the use of
avatars to immerse yourself in an artificial dimension the outcome of which you
cannot control. The television series Westworld goes one further when human beings
enter an artificial world full of artificial sentient, feeling created, outwardly
human bodied robots, you can kill, torture and sex with until the artificial beings
start to question with inside help and learn how to fight back and decided to
enter the real world.
The Screen X advance publicity
mentioned a 270 degree which I did not think carefully about beforehand
assuming it was similar to Cinerama of the 1950’s and which had a deeply
curving screen arc and a drawback of two joins which created a triptych effect.
On 20th September 1954, the
first theatre opened in London in Old Crompton Street, Soho with “This is Cinerama”
which I went to see on my own and then took the aunties within who I then
lived. A decade later I saw “How the West was won” and possibly “Khartoum”. I
believe I saw 2001, a Space Odyssey at a different London theatre.
The new screen is advertised as
a mind boggling 270 degrees so I was greatly disappointed and nearly went out
to complain to the management when first entering the screen 12, having sat
overlooking the comings and goings on one of the pairs of new leather sofa to one
side of the large reception area which
also serves at the entrance to the four additional small screens on two floors .
To reach Screen X you have to pass the Superscreen and sound, the 4DX with 2
and 3D, the 3D and 2D screens, with leather reclining seats and legroom for
people to pass while you continue to sit, plus two sets of male, female and
disability toilets.
Going through the two sets of
door into the theatre I looked up at the screen and thought what the…. and nearly
went out to complain to the management.
In fairness I had not worked out the implications of a 270 degree screen
compared to that if Cinerama and had expected something similar. Instead, it
appeared there was one slight curved screen wall to wall, floor to ceiling screen
of perhaps 90 degrees but not as big as the Imax screen at the Theatre by
Waterloo.
The long
opening programme of Pearl and Dean advertisements, invitations to join the Cineworld
unlimited monthly subscription and film trailers filled the centre area of screen
until the magic moment when the theatre went momentarily dark and the words
screen x appears before the full screen emerged from the darkness, as did the
screens on either side of the theatre, tapering all the way to the back
corners. To experience the best effect, seats at the back are essential
although the effect wherever you sit is overwhelming and distracting. Several
times I could not cope and closed my eyes. I had the same experience at Imax in
London.
Not
all the scenes in the fil were projected on the three sides which offered some
relief. One problem was the film being shown.
I had made the visit to
experience the new screen and had reservations about the latest in Godzilla
series which were more than justified. The script is laughable, the characters
did not engage with acting half hearted, the story incomprehensible, the CGI of
some of the monsters third rate and action relentless and boring.
It will go again to see a
screen X Screen production when hopefully the film will make the experience worthwhile.
There is a premium charge of £3 over the unlimited subscription, £2.50 for the
Superscreen, £4.70 for 4DX but the premium for special relays is more as I paid
to see the Bruce Springsteen documentary and short concert on his early experience
and attempt to revive the West side of the New Jersey coastal resort of Ashbury
Park.
The Newcastle Cineworld has
been transformed from the former Empire which occupied the same site on the top
floor with 12 theatres and a side extension of four small theatres on two
floors. The entrance foyer has been transformed include a Starbucks
The Gate has a two level
basement garage which I have just discovered has an evening charge of only £
2.50, £3.50 all day Sunday, the 24 hour Casino for those over 18 and which does
not require membership, a two floor night club till 3am two Escape Room
experiences, a video lounge and open play which include chess and table tennis
with I have never used. Similarly, there is major International Banquet, eat as
much you like which I will visit but only when I reduced my present weight of
seventeen and half stones to under 16; I have eaten at the Wetherspoons, but
not Nando’s, Pizza Hut, eat as much you plus Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Wetherspoons.
There two bar, on serves food with huge screens to watch football, and one of
these has topless dancers before, during the interval and afterwards to attract
and retain customers from the other part and places in Newcastle which also
both home and away games. The home games are relayed from other countries.
There are in total some 300 places to eat, drink and socialize in the city.
