The World's Most Remote Theaters...

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

This is a pretty interesting article. I have only been to one of them, Bicknell... (obviously).

[Leo Enticknap]

The Rustic in Idyllwild is one of my service customers! I'm not sure that it would count as one of the world's most remote - you can get there from downtown LA in between 2.5 and 3.5 hours, depending on traffic - but it's absolutely well worth making the trip. It's a lovely, family-run venue with a bar/restaurant in house, and Idyllwild itself is a patch of unspoiled mountain greenery bordering the LA/OC urban sprawl to the west, and the desert to the east.

I haven't been to any of the others, but I have seen the Greenlandic horror pic (https://youtu.be/6R9Zad7sI5o) referenced in one of the entries (believe it or not, on an airplane), and would thoroughly recommend it.

[Marcel Birgelen]

The Rustic in Idyllwild is one of my service customers! I'm not sure that it would count as one of the world's most remote.

It's always a relative thing, isn't it? For those folks that live there, this cinema is actually the closest one, not the most remote.

Still, it's fascinating how some of those theaters are able to operate in such a small community. It's a clear sign that movie theaters are more than just a place to watch moving images with sound and often have a special place inside a community.

[Leo Enticknap]

I guess it depends on the definition of remote. The one I had in mind is the time it takes to get there from the nearest major center of population. In the case of Idyllwild, it takes between one and four hours to get there from a vast metro/suburban/exurban sprawl (LA, Orange, and Ventura counties, plus the built-up parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties) that is home to around 15-20 million people. Compare that to the two cinemas in Greenland, which require at least one long haul flight to reach from a comparable population center (more than one if you're not starting from Copenhagen or Reykjavik), or even Lynton, which is a bare minimum of 5-6 hours from London.

But I kinda see why the Rustic made the cut. To get there, you drive along the 10 freeway (a major east-west arterial route that lacks the mystique of Route 66, but has just as much economic and strategic importance as it did) about 80 miles east of LA, and then make a right turn onto a road that starts with around 20 miles of steep climbs and switchback turns into the mountains (you feel a bit like one of the truck drivers in The Wages of Fear), and then becomes dense forest after you're over the summit for the final ten miles or so. Once in the village, if you didn't know better, you'd be forgiven for believing that you're several hundred miles from the nearest big city.

[Ryan Gallagher]

I think they missed some assuming this project that re-opened her in 2020 is still going strong.

Svalbard, Norway
https://en.visitsvalbard.com/whats-on

Northernmost movie theater reopens on Spitsbergen
(Pyramiden on the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Archipelago, 1,200 km from the North Pole)
https://arctic.ru/tourism/20200814/962453.html

The story about their preserved archive because of the low humidity in the arctic is fascinating too.

Also nearby...

Longyearbyen Kulturhus (Showing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Tomorrow!)
Longyearbyen is the northern most location with a permanent population over 1000, and not too far from Svalbard.
https://ebillett.no/longyearbyenkult...=2023-06-23

[Tony Bandiera Jr]

Although not remote by the standards of the residents, how about the Palace Cinema, located in Douglas, Isle of Man? While I was there for the TT race last summer (2022) I was literally close walking distance to it, (it is right next to the Palace Hotel/Casino, where I was staying), but the race and just sightseeing the Isle took up all my free time. IIRC, whilst I was there, "Top Gun - Maverick" was either playing or coming soon.

https://www.palace-cinema.com/homepage.php

Photo credit: FCO Javier Martin Liceras
P9290024.jpg


For those who don't know, the Isle of Man is literally an island between Ireland and the UK in the middle of the Irish Sea. They are a sovereign entity, and self-governed. You can access the IoM from Ireland or the UK by plane or ferry.

Form the website:

Welcome to the Palace Cinema

The Palace Cinema shows the latest mainstream movie releases with varied genres of film to suit all tastes showing the latest movies. The Palace Cinema houses two screens which allows multiple screenings during peak periods.
Enjoy watching the latest movies in the comfort of the refurbished Palace Cinema auditorium. From its early days as The Palace Lido, The Palace Cinema has been at the forefront of cinema going on the Isle of Man. New seating with drink holders in the arms have been installed for your comfort and convenience. You will be getting an enhanced viewing experience through The Palace Cinemas state of the art Digital projection and 3D facilities. The complex is also available for private daytime hire for presentations or meetings and for exclusive evening film performance, with plenty of parking.

Here are the tech specs, surprisingly detailed for a cinema website, wish more would do it this way:

Facilities


The Palace Cinema was refurbished in September 2011 with new world class theatre seating to ensure maximum audience enjoyment and comfort.
Progressive investment in the Palace Cinema has developed its state of the art facilities. Digital Projectors giving an enhanced viewing experience were installed in 2010 enabling 3D movie projection, with 3D movie goers experiencing the full effects using the cinemas special 3D glasses.
Seating

The modern seating has a tilt seat for an easier movement in the seat rows and arms with drinks holders for a better cinema experience.
Screen One: 293 seats
Screen Two: 95 seats
Sound

Surround Features: Left, right and centre speakers are located behind the perforated screen. Surround speakers are visible, located around the theatre walls.
Screen One: Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Screen Two: Dolby S.R.
Projection

Screen One: Projector Details: DP 1500, Xenon Lamp: Osram DHP 3K, Video Server: Dolby DSS 200, 3D Control: Dolby 3D

Screen Two: Projector Details: DP 1200, Xenon Lamp: Osram DHP 2K, Video Server: Dolby DSS 200, 3D Control: 3D Colour wheel
Screens

The availability of both wide screen ratios 2.35 to 1 and 1.85 to 1 are made possible by the use of motorised screen masking.

I have to add that the Paragon Restaurant and Bar they advertise has wonderfully good food at reasonable prices, and of course, genuine Guinness on tap.

When I return to the Isle next time, I will go see whatever is playing there and give a review here on the forum.

[Leo Enticknap]

So they installed their Series 1 Barcos during the first wave of the 35mm to digital conversion. I hope that they business planned on the basis of those projectors reaching the end of their reliable service life around now, and therefore being able to replace them immediately the light engine or FIB (those being the two major Series 1-specific parts that Barco no longer supply) goes out.

Last week, I made my every-two-years-or-so service visit to a nonprofit theatre in a small town in northern Nevada, population 9.000 or so, and surrounded by at least 100 miles of desert in all four directions. It's a two screen, with NC1200s, both manufactured in 2012. The board chair asked me while I was there how much realistic service life I believed was left in them. As they are Series 2 and do relatively light duties (their regular movie screenings are Thursdays through Sundays, with occasional private rentals on other days) and have given no trouble (apart from a router board going out on one of them) thus far, I advised him to plan to be able to replace both around 2027-28. I was relieved and impressed by him thinking ahead like that: the theatre is basically the only thing there is to do in the evening, besides drink in a bar, and so the loss of even one of the screens would be a big blow to that community.

[Tony Bandiera Jr]

So they installed their Series 1 Barcos during the first wave of the 35mm to digital conversion. I hope that they business planned on the basis of those projectors reaching the end of their reliable service life around now, and therefore being able to replace them immediately the light engine or FIB (those being the two major Series 1-specific parts that Barco no longer supply) goes out.

Last week, I made my every-two-years-or-so service visit to a nonprofit theatre in a small town in northern Nevada, population 9.000 or so, and surrounded by at least 100 miles of desert in all four directions. It's a two screen, with NC1200s, both manufactured in 2012. The board chair asked me while I was there how much realistic service life I believed was left in them. As they are Series 2 and do relatively light duties (their regular movie screenings are Thursdays through Sundays, with occasional private rentals on other days) and have given no trouble (apart from a router board going out on one of them) thus far, I advised him to plan to be able to replace both around 2027-28. I was relieved and impressed by him thinking ahead like that: the theatre is basically the only thing there is to do in the evening, besides drink in a bar, and so the loss of even one of the screens would be a big blow to that community.

Leo, I hope so too. Their location and the expenses of shipping anything to IoM are major factors in any sort of equipment replacements. IIRC the page mentions that the theatre has been around for many years, so hopefully they are in good enough financial state to do that replacement soon. Maybe your sales guys should reach out to them? If they do buy, it would make a wonderful trip for you in case you've never been there. (Just don't go during the TT, you'll never find a room.)

And if you get that install, suggest to Bevan that you need an assistant and drop my name.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

So they installed their Series 1 Barcos during the first wave of the 35mm to digital conversion. I hope that they business planned on the basis of those projectors reaching the end of their reliable service life around now, and therefore being able to replace them immediately the light engine or FIB (those being the two major Series 1-specific parts that Barco no longer supply) goes out.

Last week, I made my every-two-years-or-so service visit to a nonprofit theatre in a small town in northern Nevada, population 9.000 or so, and surrounded by at least 100 miles of desert in all four directions. It's a two screen, with NC1200s, both manufactured in 2012. The board chair asked me while I was there how much realistic service life I believed was left in them. As they are Series 2 and do relatively light duties (their regular movie screenings are Thursdays through Sundays, with occasional private rentals on other days) and have given no trouble (apart from a router board going out on one of them) thus far, I advised him to plan to be able to replace both around 2027-28. I was relieved and impressed by him thinking ahead like that: the theatre is basically the only thing there is to do in the evening, besides drink in a bar, and so the loss of even one of the screens would be a big blow to that community.

Sounds like the 2 screen I installed back then...

[Leo Enticknap]

Leo, I hope so too. Their location and the expenses of shipping anything to IoM are major factors in any sort of equipment replacements. IIRC the page mentions that the theatre has been around for many years, so hopefully they are in good enough financial state to do that replacement soon. Maybe your sales guys should reach out to them? If they do buy, it would make a wonderful trip for you in case you've never been there. (Just don't go during the TT, you'll never find a room.)

And if you get that install, suggest to Bevan that you need an assistant and drop my name..

Much as I'd love to see the IoM, there are at least four major sales and service dealers for the big cinema equipment manufacturers in the UK that I know of (Sound Associates, Bell Theatre Services, Omnex, and Future Projections), and likely one or two in the RoI, too, that would almost certainly be able to serve their needs far more cost effectively without the overheads of shipping personnel and equipment from California.

[Dave Macaulay]

Nice that they have the Astro (Iqaluit) shown with the new entrance. It was originally a door off the lobby of the hotel beside it. They were not always happy with cinema patrons waiting in their lobby. There's at least a wide hallway inside the new outer doors so the lineup doesn't have to be outside... it can get a bit chilly there and the wind never stops.