[KineJapan] 109 Cinemas Premium

[Earl Jackson]

Dear Markus,
Thank you for the report on this cinema. Sounds like a great way to see
Godzilla Minus One.
Best wishes,
ej
Earl Jackson
Chair Professor
Foreign Languages and Literatures
Asia University
Professor Emeritus
National Chiao Tung University
Associate Professor Emeritus
University of California, Santa Cruz


On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 7:08 PM Markus Nornes via KineJapan <
kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:

> Yesterday, I went out to catch Killers of the Flower Moon before it
> disappeared from theaters. A quick search revealed a well-timed show at the
> new 109 Cinemas Premium. This is in the new Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, the odd
> new sky scraper in the heart of Kabukicho that looks like it has frosty
> spikes midway and up tip top.
>
> This sits on the footprint of the old Milano Theater. This was one of the
> grand theaters of postwar Tokyo. With 1,500 seats, it was a great place to
> watch films. People still talk about their swan song in 2014, when they
> showed all their biggest hits over the years on 35mm. The building went
> down shortly after that.
>
> The new theaters are on the 9th and 10th floors. I worried upon arrival,
> as the first few floors are a very strange restaurant with a DJ playing
> anime tunes, and a very noisy game center. Thankfully, the chaos recedes
> when you go upward. The surprisingly small lobby has  stunning views of
> West Shinjuku, a staff desk and kiosks. Huh.
>
> I pull up to a kiosk, select the film, then my seat, and then the bill
> comes up: ¥4,500! I actually asked the desk attendant if that was for real.
> He smiled and affirmed the price. This was probably my last chance to see
> the Scorsese on a decent screen, and I was curious what this pricepoint was
> all about. So I hit the buy button and entered.
>
> It was interesting.
>
> Low lighting. High end seating. Stunning views of Kabukicho, the Toho
> Godzilla down below. It's an attempt at making the architectural space a
> big part of the movie-going experience, not unlike the strategy behind the
> silent era movie palaces. In interior corners of both floors, there are
> spaces with completely different interior designs that evoke different
> eras.
>
> The million dollar view isn't worth the price of the ticket, but then I
> discovered another part of the strategy. Popcorn and non-alcoholic drinks
> are free and tabehodai. There's also a bar with beer, wine, whiskeys and
> some mixed drinks, but those cost.
>
> Over at one of the entrances, I noticed they were playing Merry Christmas
> Mr. Lawrence. As I approached, I saw that it's a 35mm screening room, and
> they'll be showing films on 35 into the future. (A sign outside warns
> people that analog prints sometimes have scratches.)
>
> The theater itself has steep seating and wide reclining seats, each with a
> little table space next to the arm rest. There's a special trailer on the
> sound system, which they claim is the best set-up in Japan. It was
> "installed and checked" by Sakamoto Ryuichi, who gives a speech in the
> sound system trailer. They are selling a lot of Sakamoto goods in the gift
> shop, including LPs and programs from all the films he scored. The sound
> was, indeed, good.
>
> All in all, a wonderful, overpriced theater. Not sure I'll go again,
> unless I really feel like gorging out on the popcorn.
>
> The theater also had a strip of seats that were even wider, with wood
> cube-like enclosures to separate you from the people next to you. I asked
> about these on my way out. They're ¥6,500 (!). But after the film, you can
> move to an incredibly cush lounge with city views. The first drink is free
> and the lounge is open until 3:00am.
>
> I wonder if this will work?
>
> BTW, the film was great. But I was annoyed at the subtitles. They pulled
> punches around issues of race. For example, Scorsese's references to
> anti-Semitism were all erased by substituting 奴 for "Jew."
> Considering what's going on in the world today, I thought this was really
> unfortunate and obnoxious.
>
> Markus
>
>
>
>
>
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