[KineJapan] 109 Cinemas Premium

Sun Dec 17 09:42:16 EST 2023

 4,500 yen is about $31USD. 
As points of comparison...
Prices vary throughout NYC but Midtown Manhattan movie theater adult tickets are about $20...add in concessions and the total can easily soar north of $30 pp with no additional amenities. 
A recent experience in an upscale Bangkok theater ran to $60USD pp including all of the Tokyo amenities and then some. 

    On Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 08:29:09 AM EST, Markus Nornes via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:  

 They are currently showing the new Godzilla film. Thanks to projects like this building, a couple of new hotels catering to tourists, and the Toho building/theater next-door, Shinjuku is starting to feel like a shiny Shibuya wrapped around a seedy Kabukicho. So at least one or two screenings a day are showing in Godzilla with English subtitles. I was struck out how many foreigners were at the theater. One other guy and I were there for Scorsese, and everyone else was there for Godzilla. 
Markus 

--- 
Markus NornesProfessor of Asian Cinema

Department of Film, Television and Media, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design

Homepage: https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww-personal.umich.edu%2F~nornes%2F&data=05%7C02%7Ckinejapan%40mailman.yale.edu%7Ccae6bb33a29c4758366008dbff0e5f0e%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638384209410628443%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hGbPvpkVuEWaGVAgTkXdRNyXZTXAMIzsCE9mdoOdxKY%3D&reserved=0
Department of Film, Television and Media
6348 North Quad
105 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285

On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 10:18 PM Earl Jackson via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:

Dear Markus,Thank you for the report on this cinema. Sounds like a great way to see Godzilla Minus One.Best wishes,ejEarl JacksonChair ProfessorForeign Languages and LiteraturesAsia UniversityProfessor EmeritusNational Chiao Tung UniversityAssociate Professor EmeritusUniversity 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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