DRAPER — Are you a moviegoer who's not going to the movies much anymore? That is, do you rent a movie and then watch it on your home theater system?
Millions of people are doing exactly that. But the Cinemark movie chain is hoping that its new, state-of-the-art, all-digital theater designs will entice you back.
Thursday night in Draper, Cinemark's new 12-screen "NextGen" entertainment complex opens to the public. The stadium-seating styled auditoriums feature wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screens, with 7.1 capable digital surround sound by JBL.
And when you walk into the theater complex, you'll see the letters "XD" everywhere — meaning "Extreme Digital."
"It's actually an industry term, it's large format moviegoing," said Bryan Jeffries, Cinemark's director of marketing. "More people are used to the idea of going to an IMAX to see a large format presentation. This is the same concept. It's putting the movie on a larger presentation. And in this case, the entire fourth wall of the auditorium is a screen."
And in the Draper complex's largest auditorium, that screen is about 65 feet wide.
Cinemark's CEO, Utah native Alan Stock, said the new theater designs provide an entertainment experience that cannot be duplicated at home.
"People have good theaters at home, good televisions and all that, but you still can't replicate what we can offer," he said. "So today's modern theaters like this one have all the latest amenities. So the idea here is you get into a very nice environment, an immersive picture, immersive sounds, very comfortable chairs."
Cinemark got its start in Utah in 1986. It has since grown to be the No. 3 movie chain in the United States. Worldwide, Cinemark has approximately 400 theaters with 4,000 screens in 13 countries.
The new high-tech cinema design like the one in Draper is also very versatile, with 2-D or 3-D movies at the flip of a switch.
"We have six auditoriums than can handle 3-D," Jeffries said. "Usually, if your 3-D movie is over 3 weeks old, it's moved over to the 2-D auditorium to make room for the next 3-D. Here we can just keep playing them in 3-D."
Besides the giant screens and giant surround sound, Cinemark is also getting away from the traditional snack bar design. No more waiting in long, time-consuming lines for popcorn and nachos. Now the concession area is set up cafeteria style. Get your own drinks, slather on as much butter as you want, fill up a cup of malted milk balls from a bulk dispensing machine and then take it to the register. There's even a seating area where you can eat, if your movie hasn't started yet.
This multimillion dollar complex in Draper is only the second "NextGen" theater that Cinemark has built. The third one is on the way: a 14-screen complex in Farmington that will open in July.
"When you're watching 3-D and watching some of the latest movies that are out, it's just phenomenal as to what you can see and visualize and watch. We love it," Stock said.
Email: kmccord@desnews.com