SM Cinema Brings the IMAX Experience to Davao

SM Cinema, the country’s leading film exhibitor, continues its quest to elevate this country’s cinematic experience by bringing in state-of-the-art theater technology. Introducing the IMAX Experience to the Filipinos is one of SM Cinema’s ways of delivering world-class quality entertainment.

One of the highlights in the opening of SM Lanang Premier is the opening of the IMAX Theatre. IMAX Lanang opens with 457 seats and a digital projection system that can support both 2D and 3D films.

IMAX is the world’s leading film entertainment technology. It utilizes laser-aligned digital audio feed in addition to a revolutionary projection system that enhances image quality and display, delivering unparalleled and realistic sound and visuals.

IMAX is more than a technology; it is an experience. The IMAX Theatre is designed to fill your field of vision and engulf you in sound so powerful that it is almost tangible. IMAX screen is several times larger than the screen of the standard theater, delivering an image so large that it fills your entire field of view.  The screen is slightly curved and the seats are angled to allow audience to have an unobstructed view of what they are watching. The IMAX image is several times larger than any other cinema format, offering far greater resolution than the 35mm film. All these contribute to bringing images to life like no other—making you feel you are part of the movie and not just a mere spectator.

The immersive movie-viewing experience that IMAX brings is made possible by IMAX Digital Media Remastering (DMR), the transformative process used to enhance and optimize the image and sound of Hollywood feature films for the IMAX format. During this process, IMAX spends hours, weeks and months working directly with the filmmakers and technical teams of each film on dozens of ways to enhance the movie, including adjusting the saturation, contrast, brightness, re-mixing the soundtrack, and a bunch of other variables in virtually every frame.

The result delivers an unparalleled image and sound quality that is designed specifically for IMAX theatres. Watching a film in an IMAX Theatre gives you a unique experience; it allows you to lose yourself in the scenes unfolding before you. With IMAX, you are absorbed by the movie.

Through SM Cinema, Filipinos are able to enjoy the IMAX Experience--an experience that takes you beyond the edge of your seats to a world you have never imagined.

SM Cinema Opens 6 Digital Cinemas and an IMAX Theatre in Davao

World-class entertainment reaches Mindanao as SM Cinema, the country’s biggest film exhibitor, launches a branch at Davao with the opening of SM Lanang Premier on September 28, 2012. The new branch has 6 digital cinemas capable of showing 2D and 3D movies and an IMAX Theatre, the first IMAX Theatre in Mindanao.

SM Cinema holds the blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 27. The highlight of the event is the screening of the chartbuster “The Avengers”, delivered through a powerful cinema technology—IMAX.  

The 5^th IMAX branch rises in Davao

SM Cinema elevates entertainment in the south by opening the 5^th IMAX branch in Davao.  IMAX Lanang opens with the blockbuster film “Resident Evil: Retribution”. Like all other IMAX Theatres, the branch in Lanang is designed to deliver premium movie-watching experience to cinephiles. It has revolutionary projection system, which supports 2D and 3D films and delivers crystal-clear and larger-than-life images. IMAX Lanang has 467 seats, arranged at a steep angle so that the audience is facing the screen directly.

SM Cinema digitizes its movie theaters

To keep pace with the global trend in theater technology, SM Cinema is in the process of digitizing its theaters. Following this trend in digitization, SM Cinema Lanang opens with 6 theaters that are all equipped with state-of-the-art digital projection system, promising crystal-clear image display. They’re also furnished with the most advanced audio system that delivers booming sound—making movie-watching more engaging and a great deal fun.  The digital theaters have a total of 2,240 seats designed for a cozy movie-viewing. The theaters open with films like “Santa Nina”, “Of All the Things”, “Hotel Transylvania”, “Perks of Being a Wallflower”, “Judge Dredd” and SM Cinema’s CinExclusive “Most Wanted”.

 A more convenient and rewarding cinema experience

SM Cinema Lanang is equipped with the turnstile system to facilitate the automated entry to all its entrances. The turnstile system promotes paperless ticketing. Instead of paper, SM Cinema issues cine access cards. The cine access cards are single-entry cards. One can also get a reloadable card which is referred to as the e-PLUS (Entertainment, Privileges, Lifestyle, Upgrades and Surprises) card. This allows patrons to load credits on the prepaid card. It is also upgradable to a loyalty card so that for every transaction at SM Cinema and SnackTime, e-PLUS cardholders earn reward points that are redeemable at any e-PLUS booth.  

Movie Time is Snack Time

A tasty treat is hard to resist while watching movies. This is why there is SnackTime to offer popcorn, the ultimate movie companion. Aside from popcorn, SnackTime offers a wide array of snack options for patrons. It has hotdog sandwiches, doughnuts and exciting drinks. SnackTime also offers 100g Beef Burger and 200g Double Decker Burger to its patrons.

The Hunting Party: To Be Screened Exclusively at SM Cinema Starting September 19

Richard Gere’s action-adventure-thriller film The Hunting Party will be shown on the big screen this September 19, 2012. SM Cinema gets the exclusive rights to screen this film in its theaters.  The movie will have a Press and VIP screening on September 17 at 7:30pm at the Cinema 4 of SM Megamall.

E-PLUS members get to enjoy 50% off on the ticket. SM Advantage cardholders, Prestige Card, BDO Rewards Card and Global Pinoy Card holders can enjoy 20% discount on tickets.

About the movie

The Golden Globe Award-winning actor, Richard Gere, plays Simon Hunt, a journalist who is desperate to save his sinking career. On a frantic hunt for a story big enough to propel him back into the limelight, he convinces his former camera man, Duck (Terrence Howard), to embark on a mission to interview the number 1 war criminal of Bosnia, Radoslav Bogdanovi, also known as "The Fox".  They are accompanied by Duck’s buddy, the young reporter Benjamin (Jesse Eisenberg).  Simon Hunt convinces the two to track down and capture the Fox. Along the way, they are mistaken as CIA hit squad by the United Nation’s police force and by the Serbians. They are captured by the Fox’s guards and are about to be executed.  Fortunately, the CIA assassins come and free them. The CIA orders the journalists to board the plane bound for the US, but they run away and continue their quest to hunt down the Fox. They seize him while he is hunting in the woods and then release him in the village filled with the family members of the victims of his war crime.

The cast includes James Brolin, Diane Kruger and Joy Bryant.  The film is directed by Richard Shepard based on the screenplay written by Richard Shepard himself.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has given the The Hunting Party an R-13 rating. It is distributed in the country by Solar Entertainment.

About SM Cinema

SM Cinema is the leading film exhibitor in the country with its wide network of cinemas. At the present, 91% of its theaters are now digital.  SM Cinema also boasts 4 IMAX Theatres located at SM Mall of Asia, SM City North EDSA, SM Southmall and SM City Cebu. Before the month ends, a new branch will be opened in Lanang.

To know more about the company, visit SM Cinema’s website at www.smcinema.com. You may also like SM Cinema on Facebook (facebook.com/smcinema) and follow them on Twitter (twitter.com/sm_cinema).  To connect with IMAX on Facebook, follow facebook.com/imaxsmcinema and like them on Twitter.com/imax_smcinema.

SM Cinema is Screening The Raid Exclusively

SM Cinema, the leading film exhibitor in the country, got the exclusive rights to screen The Raid. The film opened last September 5, 2012. SM Cinema hosted the advance screening of the film on September 4 at 7:30pm at the Cinema 6 of SM Megamall.  Members of the Press, brand partners and other special guests graced the event.

SM Cinema offers 50% discount on The Raid ticket for e-PLUS card holders. SM Advantage Card, Prestige Card, BDO Rewards Card and Global Pinoy Card holders can enjoy 20% off on tickets for this film.

The film is under the direction of G.H. Evans and stars the rising Indonesian actor, Iko Uwais.  The Raid is the 2^nd film of G.H. Evans and Iko Uwais together. Their first film is Merantau, released in 2009, and is considered one of the best martial art films. Like Merantau, The Raid also features the pencak silat, an indigenous fighting style created in Indonesia. Aside from pencak silat, The Raid incorporates different fighting styles. The cast is actually composed of professional martial artists from different disciplines.

The film is presented by METANTAU FILMS and XTZ FILMS in association with Celluloid Nightmare.  The film is about an elite team of cops tasked to raid a rundown 30-storey apartment and remove its owner, a notorious drug lord called Tama. The apartment has never been touched by the police before and is now a sanctuary of infamous gangsters.  The team infiltrates the apartment but a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover. Tama orders the lockdown on the building. While the team has been stranded on one of the building’s floors, Tama solicits the aid of notorious criminals to defeat the special unit.

Iko Uwais stars as Rama, one of the members of a special team lead by Jaka, played by Joe Taslim, a professional Judo athlete.  Ray Sahetapy, winner of The Best Actor award in the Film Festival Indonesia in 1989 and was nominated several times for the same award, plays the infamous drug lord.  The cast includes Yayan Ruhian and Donny Alamsyah. The former plays Mad Dog, the right hand man of the criminal boss. The latter plays Andi, Tama’s second right hand man.

The Raid is distributed in the Philippines by Viva Films. It gets an R-16 rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

To know more about SM Cinema, visit the company’s website at www.smcinema.com. You may also like SM Cinema on Facebook (facebook.com/smcinema) and follow them on Twitter (twitter.com/sm_cinema).