The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
There’s no doubt that technological advancements through the years have changed the way we live. This is especially true when it comes to entertainment, especially those offered by theaters.
Nowadays, it’s no longer enough for a growing number of moviegoers to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the film they’re watching. They want to experience the environment shown in the movie as much as they can.
Some cinema chains have responded to this by installing the newest, state-of-the-art equipment in their theaters. One of them is Bonifacio High Street (BHS) Cinemas in Taguig City’s Bonifacio Global City (BGC), which introduced 4DX technology to the Philippines in 2014. Since then, audiences have been literally moved in their seats and found themselves experiencing what the characters onscreen are experiencing in a given scene.
That’s because 4DX’s choreographed-motion system and environmental effects allow filmgoers’ comfortable, cushioned chairs to heave up and down, roll side-to-side, and pitch forward and backward in sync with the onscreen action. They also allow patrons to experience mist, smoke, and fog; gusts of wind; flashes of lightning; and even bubbles and different scents at appropriate moments. That’s how immersive this technology is in BHS cinemas, which are all equipped with the Dolby Atmos surround-sound system.
Select guests and members of the media got to experience all these—plus the brand-new rain and snow effects—during an exclusive screening of Disney’s faithful, live-action remake of the Oscar-winning animated classic Beauty and the Beast on March 16.
According to Marc Buencamino, general manager for BGC’s commercial business, the new effects testify to his company’s commitment to offer new and unique experiences to the public.
“We always want to provide our customers the best when it comes to retail, dining, and especially entertainment,” Buencamino said in a statement. “Movie buffs are definitely in for a treat, since 4DX enhances and elevates every movie-watching experience.”
“Not only do viewers get to watch a timeless classic, (but) they get to experience some of what the characters feel, as well, including rain and snow,” he said of the blockbuster.
During the screening, viewers wearing 3D glasses truly found themselves immersed in 18th-century France, where Beauty and the Beast is set. Their seats staggered forward as the inventor Maurice (Kevin Kline) and his loyal steed Philippe fled from pursuing wolves, or reclined suddenly when the spooked horse threw him off upon sensing the Beast’s (Dan Stevens) looming presence.
The strong scent of roses wafted into the cinema when Maurice’s daughter, the titular Belle (Emma Watson), found the enchanted rose in the castle’s west wing. Later, raindrops and snow fell on the audience and the air became chilly as Belle escaped from the castle during a stormy winter’s night, only to encounter the same pack of wolves her father had faced.
The choreographed-motion system of the 4DX worked its wonders once more during the film’s celebrated ballroom sequence, letting the audience closely follow Belle’s and the Beast’s steps in their chairs as the characters waltzed across the gleaming marble floor.
All these effects serve to enhance Beauty and the Beast’s obvious visual splendor, while the Dolby Atmos system brought more fully to life the movie’s memorable score and songs, including “Belle,” “Gaston,” “Be Our Guest,” and, of course, the prize-winning “Beauty and the Beast.”
Beauty and the Beast may be a “tale as old as time,” but thanks to 4DX at BHS cinemas, this story is again revitalized for a new generation of filmgoers (and their parents) to be enchanted by. ALVIN I. DACANAY
Bonifacio High Street Cinemas is on the third floor of Central Square, Bonifacio High Street, 30th St. corner 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City. For movie schedules, promotions, and more information, visit www.facebook.com/BoniHighStreet or www.bgc.com.ph/cinema.