Cinemas of Thomas Hauerslev provides the definitive tour...

In this article, Thomas Hauerslev, who is the editor and publisher of “..in 70mm – The 70mm Newsletter” takes Cinema Technology readers on a tour through the cinemas of Copenhagen and also discusses the his- tory, quality, equipment, and statistics of cinema in the Danish capital. Thomas has also provided all the photographs. Thomas Hauerslev (Age Introduction 37) is married to Charlotte As of January 1st 2001, there and they have two chil- were 11037 seats, 58 screens dren, Maria and August. at 13 cinemas (5 single Inside the Imperial - a stunning modern cinema Thomas is an ex-projec- screens) located within a tionist and now works full Danish film pioneers. The and Imperial Bio have lost a radius of 1 km (0,625 miles) time at The European Film Museum relocated and considerable share of the from the Central Station. Most Environment Agency in opened these 3 new cinemas market since CinemaxX of the cinemas are multiplex central Copenhagen. In in 1997 and shows archive opened in week 40 of last screens, including CinemaxX his spare time he enjoys prints every day except year. It will surely be interest- (10 screens), Dagmar (5), studying, among many Mondays. One disappointing ing to monitor developments Grand (6), Scala (7), Palads other things, the fascinat- fact and a great shame is that during the following months. (17) and Palladium (3). This ing history of the cinemas they cannot show 70mm concentration is quite different of Copenhagen. films. from 30 years ago when there The First Century of were no multi screen cine- Cinema Copenhagen. Another 8 years IMAX® too mas. The first Danish performance would pass, however, before Copenhagen also has an of Lumiere Brother’s moving the first permanent cinema IMAX Dome cinema, the Before 1970 the cinemas pictures dates back to 1896. “Kosmorama” opened . The moving pictures was pre- were scattered all over September 17th, 1904 at Copenhagen. Today only very Since 1989, more than 30 sented at the Town Hall Sq. in few are outside the 1 km IMAX movies have been radius. Those outside are the shown on the largest screen Bio in Vanløse, Park in in . The cinema has Østerbro, the Drive-in open a remarkable JBL sound sys- only during summer and from tem and of course IMAX DDP January 5th 2001, the Empire digital sound (Introduced in 4-plex at Nørrebro. 1991 with “Rolling Stones At the Max”). The latest nov- The major players elty is the presentation of “3D The major players are: Mania” in ColourCode 3D, a Nordisk Film Biografer A/S Danish invention. with Palads, Palladium and their flag ship Imperial, Market Share Sandrew/Metronome with On October 6, 2000 the Dagmar and Scala, German CinemaxX Group CinemaxX with opened their first 10-screen and finally the independent complex in the center of The Panorama Cinema from 1896 Grand. Ringside players are Copenhagen, and this had on Town Hall Square Gloria, Husets Biograf, the effect that, for the first Cinema Week 33 Week 41 Week 49 Vester-Vov-Vov and Posthus time, foreign cinema opera- CinemaxX 0 29.3 27.7 Teatret (The latter has the tors are taking a serious bite Dagmar 9.2 8.9 12.1 only rear-projection system in of the audience in Gloria 0.8 0.8 0.7 Denmark. A Bauer U5 is Copenhagen. During the 80s Grand 9.1 8.3 5.5 used). and 90s, foreign investors like Imperial 17.6 10.4 9.9 Sandrew (Sweden), MGM / Palads 39.8 29.9 28.9 Museum cinemas Pathé and Warner/Village Palladium 10.5 4.1 6.1 also invested in existing Also noteworthy are 3 cine- Scala 12.9 8.4 9.1 mas at the Film Museum: Copenhagen cinemas. Asta (Nielsen), Benjamin (Christensen) and Carl It is clear from the table Market Share - percentage (Dreyer), named after 3 alongside that both Grand

12 Cinema Technology March 2001 Østergade 44, now “Strøget”, one CP45 and several the pedestrian street. CP50/55s are still in action. In The Kosmorama has long fact nearly 83% of all screens since closed. Closure of cine- have some form of Dolby mas is actually very common, processor installed. however. Since 1904 more than 100 of Copenhagen’s Until the late 1980s, the A cinemas have closed! In fact and B chains were often out- today, only the Palads, the dated low-end equipment Dagmar and the Grand date from the 70s and the sound back before 1960. quality was mostly rubbish, The fate of the old only just surpassing the quali- cinemas ty of analogue telephone Left - Picture of the the Kinopalaeet cinema in 1959 lines. I’m exaggerating of What happened to the closed Right - same site 2000 - it long ago became offices cinemas? Well, most of them course, but sound was really have been demolished to The big issue today is of the CP650 at 1 screen. There terrible. Most screens lacked make room for new develop- course what kind of sound are two CP200s (There has fidelity, clarity in the high end, ments (in some cases new system the cinema has. The never been a CP100 proces- deep powerful thundering cinemas). During the 1970s buzz word is “digital” and sor in Denmark), 11 CP65s, bass and stereo perspective. wave of closures in the greater Copenhagen area, at Only the Imperial Bio provid- least 16 cinemas were con- ed superior sound with a verted into supermarkets, of Dolby CP50, JBL speakers which many can still be seen. and SAE amplifiers. A simple, They are: Aladdin, Atlantic, yet most impressive set up, Bella Bio, Bio, installed for “Alien” in Casino, Colosseum, DSB Kino, October 1979. Fasan, Merry, Nora, Nørreport, Park, Platan, Roxy, Skovs- Luckily, it’s a different story hoved Teater & Søborg Teater. today. I think the real turning point came when the Scala Other ex-cinemas still to be opened in 1989 with 5 excel- seen serving other purposes lent screens built to THX in greater Copenhagen are: specifications (but not actually Alexandra (disco), Bio THX “certified” at the begin- (Hard Rock Café), Carlton, ning). Many theatres have since upgraded with new Vanløse Biograftheater & The Palads Teatret, dating back to 1918, is showing ‘Titanic’ Øbro Bio (churches), Bio amplifiers and speakers. Lyngby (Furniture store), most of the premiere houses The typical speaker is either Husum Bio (Exercise gym have Dolby Digital installed JBL or KCS. Amplifiers are “Kondigrafen”), Metropol (37 screens, 64%). Second in typically QSC or JBL. (Hennes & Mauritz), line is DTS (12 screens, 21%) Kinopalæet (office space and and finally Sony’s SDDS (2 It still puzzles me, however, due to be demolished in April screens, 3%). Four screens why sound quality in these 2001), Bellevue, Mercur, have installed Dolby Surround newer cinemas hasn’t Nørrebro’s Biografteater, EX, but surprisingly, none of improved tremendously with Rialto, 3 Falke Bio and World the brand new CinemaxX all this excellent and costly Cinema (live theatres) and screens have EX. installed equipment!! An finally Standard Theatret example is the Imperial Bio (video shop!). So, nearly 30% THX and ScreenCheck with THX, JBL and every- of all cinemas are still there, Six screens (10%) are THX thing. “sleeping” like dinosaurs from certified. They are: Imperial an ancient time. The tale of Bio, Scala #1#2#3, CinemaxX I remember getting frequent the closed cinemas in #1 and Palads #1 & #9. In goose bumps from the old Copenhagen must wait to be comparison, there are 36 THX JBL system, but I never get told another time. certified screens in Denmark. that from the new system. A single screen, Imperial Bio The system lacks trans- The Sound of also carries a Kodak parency and fidelity. All films Copenhagen ScreenCheck certification. now seem to sound the same, and there’s nothing Sound on film is not new to beyond 12 kHz anymore!!! It Copenhagen movie lovers. Dolby installations used to be hi-fi sound, but Axel Petersen and Arnold The successful Dolby cinema now it’s like any other “no- Poulsen are ranked as film processors have been name” THX cinema with PA sound pioneers as they installed in Copenhagen sound and exaggerated invented one of the worlds extensively since the first bass. The audience seems first practical sound with film CP50 processor arrived in to like it, but it should play systems 80 years ago. They Palads Teatret on December much, MUCH better with so demonstrated their system at 26, 1978 for “Superman”. Sound equipment installed in the many speakers and ampli- Palads Teatret on October 12, These days the CP500 is Imperial Bio fiers. That’s sad. 1923. installed at 26 screens and

Cinema Technology March 2001 13 The Format is the Thing and Dolby equipment and 57% of all screens can show installs THX in Denmark. AB at least 3 standard 35mm for- Global is responsible for most mats; anamorphic 2.39:1, flat of Nordisk Films Biografers 1.85:1 and / or flat 1.75:1 / recent updates and new cine- 1.66:1. Nearly every third mas. screen can show the Academy format of 1.37:1. The Ruler of Design Danes have a long history of Unlike other capitals of the cinema design. The craft blos- world, the 70mm Dolby format somed and developed in the was not used in Copenhagen late 1950s with great cine- (thanks to distributor / mas, purpose built for exhibitor resistance to CinemaScope and Todd-AO. importing the more expensive Holger Pind, Ole Hagen and 70mm prints) until the re- Erik Engelstoft are all names Inside the Gloria projection room. A Bauer U4 projector release of “Lawrence of of great cinema designers. with a Kinoton ST200 platter hidden behind it. Each cinema was different Arabia” in 1989. Only 3 cine- Note the manual lens turret mas can show 70mm today; Imperial Bio, Palads Teatret Screen 9 and 15/70 at the IMAX Dome. The latest dra- matic film to be shown in 70mm was “Titanic” in 70mm DTS during 11 record- setting weeks at the 1102 seater Imperial!

Other forms of non-standard filmed entertainment have been shown over the years. In 1959 “Windjammer” was Interior views of the The Palladium - Screen One is favoured by many for its large screen shown in CineMiracle. throughout at CinemaxX’s 10 ment. The company is man- from any other, unlike today 3-strip Cinerama appeared in screens. The image steadi- aged by Mr. Jørgen when most cinemas look the 1962 and vanished again in ness on the large screens is Søndergaard and Mr. Lars same. Today, most of their 1963. Cinema 180 was shown outstanding thanks to the Abel. DKF A/S did not supply works have been destroyed, in two places in the 70s / 80s electronic “intermittent”, done projectors, amps or proces- in the name of progress and and Motion Master was with step motors. The FP30 is sors to CinemaxX. Kinoton competition, especially in the shown very briefly in 1991. also installed at Dagmar, supplied all equipment direct- 70s when many cinemas Grand and Scala. ly to CinemaxX in were either closed/demol- Equipment Supply Copenhagen, pre-assembled ished or re-built into a 2-plex, - Projectors Danish companies in Germany. 3-plex or more. Two major projector manufac- Historically there have been The current trend is to build turers have a strong foothold many cinema equipment In Århus, 2nd largest city in cinemas with “stadium” style in Copenhagen. For 20 years, companies in Denmark. Denmark, another respected seating and a large flat both Cinemeccanica (43% Dating back from the turn of company recently (1993) screen in front of you. This market share) and Kinoton century is Dansk entered the field of cinema environment creates a very (47% market share) have Kinematograf [DKF] A/S equipment. Mr. Asger Bak is effective cinema, especially if supplied most of projectors. located in Copenhagen. They managing AB Global A/S and the auditorium is kept in dark There are no Century, Westar specialize in Philips/Kinoton, he sells Cinemeccanica, colours. The down side is, or Ballantyne projectors in Dolby, ISCO and JBL equip- Skeie seats, ISCO lenses, however, that all cinemas are Copenhagen. There are a built the same, so there is no number of other uncommon real reason to prefer one the- machines running. Three atre over another. They all Bauer U4s, a single Bauer become the same and the U3, a very rare U5R and a “romance” if you will, of cine- Prevost P55. A pair of Philips ma-going is gone. It’s a DP70 is still used at the shame. Imperial Bio. In fact those machines have been running The Scala cinemas, opened 10 hours every day since in 1989, were the first modern November 3, 1961, an out- style cinemas just described. standing achievement. The Before Scala, most popular Victoria 5 is used Copenhagen cinemas dated extensively at the Palads and back from the 70s with the many of them date back to shoe-box styled cinema, dis- the late 70s when they were liked by so many moviegoers. first installed. The Victoria 8 is Scala was definitely a move also used in several cinemas. The pair of Philips DP70 projectors (serial numbers 1640 & The Kinoton FP30 E is used 1644) still giving good service at the Imperial Bio in the right direction, but sta-

14 Cinema Technology March 2001 Exterior view of SCALA cinema, located in a shopping Large screens are a special feature of CinemaxX cinemas. centre in the heart of Copenhagen. Note the four huge This is their largest screen, 24.5 by 9.5 metres. 24-sheet posters. dium seating and a wall-to- meters. people and made a lot of con- Benjamin at the Film Museum wall screen had already been troversy. The discussion even with a disappointing 42 seats. introduced with the opening of Which brings the subject to hit the newspapers and local Almost half of the cinemas of 3 Falke Bio, in 1958!!! screen size. CinemaxX adver- TV. In this case our new Copenhagen (25 of them) tised their screens to be up to guests, the Germans, must have less than 100 seats. Screen and theatre sizes 80% larger than ever seen in have consulted with an ama- The recently opened Copenhagen! It is simply not teur in Copenhagen screen The aforementioned 58 CinemaxX pushes the design true, as there are several size history. screens contain 11037 seats. issue even further by intro- examples of screens larger The average number of seats ducing some VERY large than CinemaxX’s magnificent Here are the facts as I see is 190. However, if the three screens. The largest even too screen #1 in Copenhagen. them. The largest cinemas in largest cinemas are removed big in my opinion, since the The IMAX Dome screen is terms of number of seats are (23% of all seats), the aver- 35mm image is washed out nearly 3 times as large and in Imperial Bio (1102), age theatre size is about 154 and contrast and colours are 1962, 3-strip Cinerama was CinemaxX #1 (754) and seats, a number which more lost. 70mm ought to be used shown on a screen nearly 28 Palads Teatret #1 (689). The accurately reflects reality. on any screen wider than 17 meters wide! smallest cinema is screen Distribution and Their claim offended a lot of

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Cinema Technology March 2001 15 Cinema Screen Width or area Technically top-of-the-line the pervasive smell of pop- screens, a café and a book- corn. www.biobooking.dk Tycho Brahe Planetarium 823 sq.m 8859 ft² shop. Cinemas are named Palads Teatret: A Drive-In, Copenhagen 33.4 m 109 ft after three Danish film pio- Copenhagen landmark cine- CinemaxX 1 24.5 m 80 ft neers (not cinema, but film ma dating back to 1918. CinemaxX 4 18.1 m 59 ft pioneers). The environment Rebuilt 1978 and 1979 into 17 Imperial Bio 15.7 m 51 ft around the cinemas is very screens and became a model CinemaxX 5 15.6 m 51 ft sterile and perhaps a nice for many multiplex cinemas CinemaxX 2 & 3 15.3 m 50 ft place for the cultural film elite since. Although many screens Palladium, København 12.3 m 40 ft in this country. It is not my are small, Palads remains a cup of tea. The cinemas show very popular cinema among Closed Cinemas Screen Width a diverse range of old films, the younger moviegoers, Forum (1998) 35 m 115 ft but never 70mm. www.dfi.dk probably because Palads is "Starship Troopers" & Gloria: Very good atmos- always running a film worth "Mulan" phere in the tiny foyer. The seeing. Like the Imperial and Kinopalæet (1962) 27.2 m 89 ft projectionist, who is also in Palladium, Nordisk Film man- Cinerama charge of ticket sales etc, ages Palads (And it is a Kinopalæet (1960) 23 m 75 ft sells video films and French money-maker!). A very inter- Todd-AO movie posters. I’d like to esting café dedicated to the Forum (1959) 22 m 72 ft request a nice neon sign Olsen Gang movie series "Windjammer" please. Member of “Europa (1968 - 1999) with lots of 3 Falke Bio (1958) 18.5 m 60 ft Cinemas”. www. gloria.dk memorabilia from 14 films. Todd-AO Grand: One of the oldest cin- The building was painted by emas in Copenhagen and still professor Paul Gernes in Screen sizes independent. Have special- 1989 in an incredible sympho- ized in French movies since ny of colours. Programming in the largest cinema is the 60s although program- www.biobooking.dk The distribution of films is curved. JBL, QSC and ming is much more main- Palladium: Nordisk Film’s done by Nordisk Film A/S, 2x10mm2 wires are used stream today. Digital sound in cinema for the mature audi- United International Pictures, throughout. A most eye-catch- 5 of the 6 screens. The excel- ence. Opened in 1978 and Buena Vista and ing waterfront glass wall, lent café in the foyer is always renovated twice during the Warner/Metronome. Nordisk which surely will be used a lot crowded before films begin. 90s with JBL speakers and Film handles titles from next summer. Free parking Posters for sale at reasonable new Skeie seats. Located in a Columbia, TriStar, MGM. UIP space, and a very spacious prices. Sadly, they took the mall just off Town Hall Sq, have Paramount and and clean restroom. Very con- neon sign down a few years Tivoli and opposite Scala cin- Universal and recently they fusing television screens dis- ago - Put it up again, please. ema. Lots of posters for com- added titles from ScanBox playing what is being shown Member of “Europa Cinemas”. ing attractions and a large Films. All companies also dis- spoil the entrance. www.grandteatret.dk café. Managed by Nordisk tribute domestic films. All for- www.cinemaxx.dk/fisketorvet Husets Biograf: Independent Film. The men's rest room eign films are shown in origi- Dagmar: 5 screens next to cinema specializes in films has recently been renovated. nal versions with Danish sub- Town Hall Sq. Features digital not shown anywhere else. www.biobooking.dk titles. Animation is dubbed sound and JBL speakers in all Well hidden on the second Posthus Teatret: Perhaps the into Danish but often released screens. A very informative floor inside an old warehouse. most eccentric of all in original language versions web site. Movie books and www. designlabs.dk/husetsbio Copenhagen’s cinemas. A as well. CDs are sold from the box Imperial Bio: State of the art privately run and owned cine- office, a café and a nice red Grandeur in size, picture and ma with rear projection. The Cinemas One by One neon sign. Staff are always on sound. Celebrates its 40th cinema is small and located in CinemaxX: The latest addi- top of things and make the anniversary in 2001. Managed the basement. The manager tion to the cinemas of foyer a nice place to wait for by Nordisk Film and home of is also distributing his own Copenhagen. 10 big screens the film. The foyer was “updat- most red-carpet premieres in films with great success. with state-of-the-art projection ed” last year to Swedish Copenhagen. There’s a large Scala: The Scala cinemas and sound equipment and Sandrew high-tech standards. dedicated crowd of “Imperial are located on the 4th floor in modern auditoria appearance Dagmar and Scala are man- Junkies” who see everything a shopping centre. All screens of off-the-shelf interior aged by Sandrew/Metronome. there BECAUSE it is Imperial. are state of the art with JBL “design” or lack thereof. On www.dagmar.dk Probably the best cinema in speakers, THX (#1, #2, #3 the positive side, the screen Filmmuseum “Cinemateket” the world. Only drawback is only) and digital sound. If the

The Grand The Grand by night Palladium

16 Cinema Technology March 2001 management would address “Europa Cinemas”. The café the spectacular high-octane plaints from me, and more the smelly restrooms, worn tables and chairs are made titles. Much too often these neon signs would be a nice out seats, sticky floors and by Maison Drucker S.A. just are sent to the considerably touch. I most enjoy screens noisy foyer music seeping into north of Paris. An old smaller Filmstan, their local which are curved and the cinemas during commer- Ernemann VIIB is displayed in film supermarket. Royal is equipped with curtains but cials, however, the overall the foyer. The specialty of open every evening and in the they are rare. It would be fab- experience of Scala would be VVV is the airplane seats in afternoon during weekends. ulous if the digital sound for- much better. A BIG plus for screen #1 www.sf.se/biograf/malmo/royal mat and cinema in which the Scala is excellent design of www.vester-vov-vov.dk/ /huvud.html films are shown were specifi- cinema’s #1, #2, #3 (although cally announced in the adver- a curved screen would ...and next door to Summary of tising. At most of the cinemas enhance #1). Another plus for Copenhagen Copenhagen’s cinemas you can buy your ticket in the location is the out-door The “Pilstorp Exhibition of All cinemas are very close to advance on a reserved seat café during the hotter summer Industry and Crafts”, in public transportation, they all basis, even several weeks months and the four immense Malmö was the first place in show the end titles of films ahead. By the way, the first 24-sheet posters on the exte- Sweden to show moving pic- and most projectionists man- row of seats in Danish cine- rior facade. tures way back in 1896. Today age to focus quickly. All pro- mas is known as #1 and it’s www.scalabiograferne.dk there is one cinema in Malmö jectionists I know are very always nearest to the screen, Tycho Brahe Planetarium: that is worth a 45 minute voy- skilled and take great pride in except at CinemaxX it’s differ- Some people will argue that age to Sweden. The Royal, their job. Many of them work ent: the first row is called “V” “it’s not a cinema”. Well TBP purpose built for 70mm- and full time and spend many and the last row is “A”. shows IMAX Dome films 11 CineMiracle projection in hours in the cinema. They are hours every day, 7 days a 1961, is the only 70mm house all very open to visitors who I think we have a very high week, 365 days a year and left in Malmö. The screen is ask permission to see the standard in our cinemas here has done so since opening in 17.6 meter (58 feet) wide and projection room. The minimum in Copenhagen both in equip- 1989. On top of that it’s the deeply curved. The Royal has wage for a projectionist here ment terms, how films are largest screen in Denmark. the crème-de-la-crème of is DKK 107.75/hour (Nearly presented and how the cine- The foyer is rather boring and equipment: DP70, QSC, JBL, 10 British pounds). mas are kept and run. There except for a single poster or Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS is of course room for improve- two, certainly not exposing and THX. Four to six times a Most cinemas have a café, ment here and there but the IMAX 70mm experience year original 70mm titles are where you can buy everything things are constantly being in any way. A large neon sign shown on the massive screen your heart desires; popcorn, updated. Judge for yourself on the front would not hurt, projecting them as they were chocolate, beer, wine or a next time you come for a visit. except the architect’s pride I meant to be seen. drink before the film. Ticket suppose. www.tycho.dk/ prices range from around Thomas Hauerslev english/index.html Unfortunately film bookings of DKK 50 to DKK 85 (GBP 4.3 - Vester Vov Vov: The only cin- the Royal are rather weak. 7.4). There is still the need for email: [email protected] ema to take its name from a Svensk Filmindustri AB in more rest rooms for women web:http://hjem.get2net.dk/ vintage Danish silent film. Two Stockholm could make much around town. The smell of in70mm/ screens, a splendid café and better use of the 682 seats popcorn can be reduced a pool table. Member of and the big screen by playing everywhere without any com-

The IMAX Posthusteater Vester Vov Vov

The Gloria The Royal, Malmo Dagmar

Cinema Technology March 2001 17