Screen X and New Amserdam

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 20^th 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.