Why watching inside the cinemas is still 'magical'
Photo from @kolenchii/Instagram
Nearly three years of being under stay-at-home orders could put everyone in a blue funk especially movie lovers who enjoy watching in the cinemas. Considering all valid arguments for watching films on streaming devices, it does not always capture the magic of movies when played on small screens. Movie nights at home can also be disrupted by stray cats having a tumble over your roof or your neighbors’ in-fighting. Not to mention, not every household could afford a 55-inch smart TV and soundbar to emulate the viewing experience we get in theaters.
Cinemas are immersive, thanks to crystal clear pictures on the big screen and audio settings that provide textured sounds. Cinema ‘76 Film Society located in Anonas, Quezon City, boasts of a DCP cinema equipped with a high quality projector that delivers pristine images and a surround sound system matched with Dolby sound server that promises a more enhanced audio-visual experience. But apart from the state-of-the-art features a theater can provide, nothing beats sharing emotions with like-minded individuals.
Case in point is Instagram user @kolenchii who shared that she and her friends rented a whole microcinema at Cinema ‘76 Anonas to watch “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. They even cosplayed the character Spidey’s love interest Mary Jane Watson.
Photo from @kolenchii/Instagram
“If you haven’t watched it yet, ano pa hinihintay mo? Rent na din kayo ng cinema with family and friends para safe,” she posted. Renting the cinema with people you feel safe with rather than sharing a space with strangers is a smart way to navigate the challenges brought by the pandemic. She also showed that they still followed safety protocols specifically physically distancing from each other while they watched the movie.
For movie blogger Nazamel Tabares of Pelikula Mania, going to the cinema is the closest thing to traveling, which comes with mental health benefits. When running errands outside, he tries to include watching a movie in the theater in his itinerary. “I think what made cinema still magical is the thought that for more or less two hours, it’s only you and the story you’re about to watch,” he shared. “No disruptions and no option to pause. It’s just you immersed in a story whether to escape or to feel something relatable.”
As a publicist of a boys’ love series “Love At The End of The World”, he also booked the microcinema of Cinema ‘76 in Anonas as the gala night venue for their GagaOOLala show. “The accessibility and the convenience of having a cinema and a café where you can have a screening and interviews made it the best option to have our gala night at Cinema ’76,” he said.
Photos from @chiiloyzagagibbs/Instagram, Temporary Insanity Pictures/Facebook, and Cinema ‘76/Facebook
Cinema ‘76 has an eponymous movie-themed café downstairs that can also serve as a venue for programs prior to the screening. Other groups that have booked Cinema ‘76 are VivaMax’s “Mang Jose” starred by Janno Gibbs and Alex Gonzaga’s fan screening of “Exorcis”.
Because it is located at the Anonas LRT City Center rather than the usual crowded shopping malls, Cinema ‘76 is frequented by movie lovers who are also fine with watching with fewer people inside the microcinema. Deaf customer Nikko Laguador opted to watch “Spider-Man: No Way Home” at Cinema ‘76 because he believes that Marvel movies are best experienced on the big screen. GMA actress Eunice Lagusad also chose to watch the movie at Cinema ‘76 because of its proximity to her neighborhood.
Photo from @eunicelagusad18/Instagram
Like any hero facing back-to-back challenges in the movies, we could hope that we are on the last mile of the pandemic. So if you want to watch a film on the big screen with friends and family, you can now book an entire microcinema at Cinema ‘76 Anonas.
Cinema ’76 can be an exclusive venue for all film-related events, premieres, and film festivals. You can also rent our theaters to host events, seminars, and workshops. For booking inquiries and venue rentals, contact us at cinema76filmsociety@gmail.com and 0977-705-4276.