How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Cinema 5 is launching its inaugural free Summer Kids Movie Series on Thursday, June 21.
The nine-week series will be each Thursday at 10 a.m. through August 16.
Admission is free for everyone, not just children.
All the movies in the series are rated PG. There will even be a $4 drink and popcorn special at the snack bar.
The first week the movie is “How to Train your Dragon.”
Doors will open at 9 a.m. each Thursday morning. The movie will show in as many theaters as needed, as each auditorium fills up, the movie will be started in that auditorium until the final auditoriums start at 10 a.m.
Paradise Cinemas Inc., which owns the cinema, wanted an opportunity to give back to the community and provide a fun activity for children when they are out of school, as well as help families out that have had to cut their fun and entertainment budget.
For company president Scott Lotter it takes him full circle to his start in the movie theater business 40 years ago as an usher at summer children's matinées at the 800 seat Varsity Theatre in his hometown of
Davis.
The opportunity to run movies in multiple theaters had not been financially possible until recently with the full conversion of the Lakeport Cinema's 5 screens to digital projection from the old 35 millimeter film projectors.
Previously the licensed rental of a movie was for a 35 millimeter film print that was costly – with shipping costs on the reels that weigh in at around 80 pounds – and which could only be shown in one or two auditoriums at a time. Often the physical condition of the reels had deteriorated from age and use.
Lakeport Cinema completed their conversion to all digital projection in August 2011, and upgraded the sound system to 5.1 and 7.1 digital surround sound with 3D in 2 theaters. Customers notice the brighter, sharper picture and crisp clear sound.
The cost of the new digital projection set up which uses 3,000 and 4,000 watt xenon lamps and Texas Instruments DLP technology is over $80,000 per screen, and even more for 3D auditoriums which required new silver screens and additional equipment.
Now with digital system the movie arrives on a digital hard drive that can be run on every screen for the same rental price as a single 35 millimeter film print, and the shipping is far cheaper on the hard drive that arrives in small plastic box not much bigger than a lunch box.
The digital picture is perfect every showing and the availability of older movie titles is much
better and growing all the time.
Other titles in the weekly series are “Kung Fu Panda,” “Shrek,” “Puss in Boots,” “Over the Hedge,” “The Lorax,” “Tale of Despereaux,” “Happy Feet 2” and “Yogi Bear.”
None of the movies will be shown in 3D.
Additional information about the series, including running times, rating information and a printable schedule, is available at the theater Web site, www.lakeportcinema.com .
