Cinemark
Vista Ridge Movies 12
Lewisville, Texas,
USA
Located in Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville, TX is Cinemark's EX-flagship
theater.
The theater has 12 screens and was the first in town to offer stereo
surround sound in every auditorium.
Nowadays it shares product with the UA (Regal) Lakepointe 10 across
the highway.
This lobby used to get REALLY packed on the weekend, as this theater
would frequently sell out most shows on the weekends.
This theater opened in 1989 and paved the way to how Cinemark would
build their theaters for most of the 1990s.
The video game room, behind the box office and video wall.
Entrance ramp to the theaters. Above the patrons are two "nipples"
on the wall no one has ever figured out what their purpose is.
This "now seating" sign is new. It was added sometime in the
last several years. Otherwise nothing has changed since the theater
opened, but it has been very well taken care of over the years.
The satellite concession stand and those "nipples" on the left wall.
Really, what the hell???
The theater is one big "V" shape. Theaters 8-12 are on the left
and 1-7 are on the right.
The sign in the middle isn't really as bright as this picture makes
it appear, it's just that these back hallways are really that dark.
#9-12 on the left (these are the smallest auditoriums and the staff
lovingly calls it "death row".
The biggest auditorium #8 used to be THX certified with a CP55 and
is on the far right.
Screenshot of #8 during a trailer.
#7, the only auditorium in the complex with side masking. All
other auditoriums have top masking, which makes scope movies awful small.
#5, this auditorium was the other THX certified auditorium when the
theater opened.
Neither #5 or 8 are still THX certified, but dts has now been added
to the larger auditoriums.
#10 between shows.
#1 between shows.
Reverse shot of #1. Those chairs to this day are still the most
comfortable chairs ever made...ever!
Here is the booth. Death row is on the left.
#12 at the far end is extra-special, as the "masking" breaker also
powers the outside "Movies 12" sign.
The electrician who decided to wire it in there must've been some kind
of super genuis!
#7 on the left with #6 behind it. To the right is the booth restroom
and #4 hidden behind the restroom.
The buildup station is between #6 and 7 in the middle of this picture.
It used to be on the restroom wall by #4.
Print can storage area behind #10.
The #10 projection system. The bottom platter of this platter
from opening day until
this day still has no "medium" speed and ramps from off to full.
Odd this was never fixed.
That stairway leads to the mall's food court...EXTREMELY CONVENIENT
for dinner breaks!
#8 the big house. Looks like somebody was "fixing something",
because there's a can of WD-40!
Maybe they were trying to fix the leaky roof, as throughout the theater
(especially in the auditoriums) it is obvious the mall's roof must
be leaking BADLY.
#4 with newly added dts player. Part of the old rigged interlock
system is still on the walls. This theater used to interlock kid's
movie camp prints through multiple projectors (#4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) on a
regular basis without interlock circuitry. Makeup tables had to be
used to get the film down to the far end of the booth at #8, but despite
bad condition acetate prints, the film never broke.
The booth buildup station complete with purple barstool.
#1, 2 and 3. #6 is to the camera's left. #5 is around the
corner behind #1.
Above the wet floor sign is more of that old interlock system.
Nothing beats going around corners!
#6 with newly installed dts player and more of the interlock rollers.
This makes #4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 having dts and the rest having Ultra Stereo
with A noise reduction.
#5, the second largest auditorium. This was the screen where
the first gearless Christie projector was tested.
At the time Cinemark decided against it. Now they use them exclusively
on their new builds.
The #5 sound system and "paintbrush fro" on the shelf.
#7 with newly installed dts player. This is the only auditorium
where the Peavey amps were removed and replaced with QSC.