Big Screen Belgrade

Arts :

Belgraders can now enjoy a night at the movies in style.

The New Year has brought a new star to Belgrade’s cinema scene. The multiplex cinema in the Delta shopping centre in New Belgrade has just been taken over by the Austrian-owned company Cineplexx. The six-screen cinema was previously run by the Greek company Ster, which opened the complex in 2009.

The muted minimalist entrance hall at the Cineplexx brings a touch of Austrian design to the capital. The cutting edge posters in front of the cinema combine moving and still images adding to the contemporary chic. The staff are all kitted out in full uniform, which adds to the sense of occasion.

Screen Six has been completely renovated but sadly without a stylish 21st century curved screen. That said, all the screens here are huge, so hunker down in the back row for the best view.

This is the cinema to pick if you If you appreciate the quality of the digital image. Digital screenings here cost 20 dinars extra but it is well worth the money. Although most films shown here are in classic 35 mm format, the management say that one of their main aims is to get distributers to send them as many digital versions as possible.

Cineplexx uses the most widespread 3D system in the world, Real 3D, but don’t sit near the aisle as the blue lights which illuminate the steps in the middle of the hall reflect on your glasses.

All screens are fitted with the Dolby SD 500 sound system which works well in the mid-sized screens but is rather loud in the largest one and too quiet in the smaller ones. However, less volume often means more detail in the cinema.

After years in the doldrums, Belgrade’s cinemas are at last catching up with their western European counterparts. Belgrade, until the breakup of Yugoslavia, was at the cutting edge of the latest big screen technology. Dolby Stereo was installed in the Kozara cinema just off Terazije not long after it had made its debut in the cinemas of Leicester Square in London and Broadway in New York.

Tuckwood was the first post-Yugoslav cinema to open its doors in 1999. In the years before that a number of old cinemas closed down and film-wise Belgrade cinema was left in a time warp. With three of its five screen equipped with Dolby Digital and DTS sound systems, Tuckwood brought digital sound to the capital for the first time. 

Ten years later, in 2009, the Slovene -owned 11 screen Kolosej opened in the Ušće shopping centre. Now even the grand old lady of Belgrade cinemas in the landmark Dom Sindikata has the most modern digital sound system.

Along with a couple of multiplex complexs outside the city centre Belgrade now has some 30 screens with digital sound, although sadly only a few of these offer digital image on a regular basis.

Comfort zone Kolosej

The Kolosej is perfect for the all-round good blockbuster experience. There is plenty of room to stretch and enjoy the movie without having to find your legs rammed up against the seat in front.  

The larger Telenor and 3D halls can seat over 400 people each and are the place to get really sunk into the action. The curved screens are 16 meters long and over seven meters high and it is possible to get a good view even from the edge of the theatre.

The Kolosej uses the XPAND 3D system and in the 6D hall there is a JBL sound system with subwoofers that can literally catapult you from your seat when it starts up. Other screens also have excellent sound systems with miles of volume, which plunge you into the drama.

For a big night out it’s worth paying that little extra for the gigantic reclining seats and miles of leg space in the 60 seater VIP screen where movie goers are treated to complementary drinks and popcorn.

A blast from the past

Dom Sindikata is an institution. Before the Sava Centre was built, its 1600-seat theatre was the largest and best equipped in Yugoslavia. Step inside and take a trip back in time. The place will take you back to the time when Belgrade was a cinema metropolis, but it can take on many of the modern cinemas when it comes to quality of the sound.

The outdoor ticket booths add some old world charm and, in bad weather, braving the elements to buy tickets gives one a gratifying sense of achievement. There are no curved screens here. A screening in the main hall is a trip down memory lane. Relax in the comfortable old chairs and enjoy the new sound system which is impeccable. The sheer size of the screen makes this a very special movie going experience.

If you navigate your way through the exhibition stands that frequently clutter up the lobby of Dom Sindikata and head to Screen 4, things have moved bang up to date. The seats in the tunnel like auditorium are cleverly laid out so that every second row has an aisle side seat that juts out slightly which provides ample leg space for tall movie goers but, as the floor doesn’t slope towards the screen, make sure you take a seat at the front of the theatre.

Screen 2, located upstairs, is the second largest in Dom Sindikata with 305 seats and is one of the best equipped cinemas in Belgrade. The new Dolby 3D projector, the state of the art sound system and the floor of the auditorium that slopes down towards the screen offering all cinema goers a good view of the screen, go a long way to make up for the lack of leg space.

The tuckwood tradition

The attraction of Tuckwood certainly isn’t the small screens and the non-digital sound system in two of its smallest venues. Anywhere else most movie goers would probably boycott the two small 50-seat auditoriums in the basement and especially the one in which the columns that support the building almost block the view from some seats.

Despite this, Tuckwood has a loyal following. It opened when times were tough, offering people a glitzy escape from the harsh realities of everyday life. Belgraders are loath to forget this, so despite the technically superior competition across the river, there is often a queue for tickets at Tuckwood.

What makes the grade is the actual quality of the copies of the films shown, as the cinema is owned by a film distribution company. There’s also a touch of class here as every customer is escorted to their seat, which is not typical of Belgrade cinemas. As in Dom Sindikata, the 3D here is Dolby and is top quality.

Ticket prices in Belgrade are surprisingly similar. Budget between €2 and €3 on a discount day (Monday for Dom Sindikata, Tuesday for the Kolosej and the Cineplexx,) and up to €5 for a 3D projection at the weekend.