Cine-cism: Meet the future - “stadium seating”

Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997 | 3:38 a.m.

Wow!

The place is massive. Although the theaters were unfinished, we can tell that the project will be quite impressive when completed. We were led into the huge projection room where the state-of-the-art film projectors and sound systems were being installed. All of the theaters will have THX sound systems to provide you with the best quality audio.

The theaters mark a real change from the Century Theaters of the past. Gone are the domed Globe Theater-style screens. The angry-red decor of the walls and seats has been replaced by cool, soothing blues and greens. The main thing that seperates these theaters from all others in Las Vegas is the new stadium seating.

Simply put, it means that the rows of seats no longer decline from the back of the theater to the front on a single plane. Each row is on a seperate "step" from the others, just as in a sports stadium. The effect is astonishing. No more huge heads blocking your view of the films! Plus, for the first time, your line-of-sight can be parallel to the screen instead of having to look up to see it. It really does make a difference.

The new Century Orleans theaters open on Oct. 31. It's definitely a step in the right direction for Las Vegas film fans. Now, if only Century would get rid of those noisy paper popcorn bags ...

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