Many of you may have seen me post about the Strand Cinema Rhyl, recently and its reopening on the 19th of December (today), which is a great achievement thanks to Merlin Cinemas for bringing a cinema back into the town.
Last night I attended a VIP Gala Opening night for the newly refurbished cinema that was the former VUE cinema in Rhyl, North Wales. The evening was attended by a selection of guests to check out the cinema before its official opening to the public.
I arrived at the Strand Cinema in Rhyl around 6:30 PM, and it felt like stepping back in time as I approached the entrance. Many of you may remember that several years ago, when I first started my website, the venue was known as the Apollo. It was here that my passion for movie reviews and everything else I do now began.
It was very nostalgic to see the familiar faces of friends and staff that I have known for many years; it really gave it a family feel seeing everyone. Guests mingled and chatted away with their complimentary bubbly to celebrate the opening of the cinema. I opted for the soft drink option as I was driving.
Merlin Cinemas have done a superb job updating the cinema for its reopening. The popcorn is freshly made, and they even have some rather tasty Crunchy Crisps that I couldn’t resist getting a carton of before entering to see a film that the cinema had laid on for guests.
The seats in the cinema have certainly undergone a revamp, and the Premiere/VIP seats, located at the back of the screens, are very comfortable and slightly wider than the usual seats. They are perfect for putting your body to one side and then comfortably leaning over to the other side to rest your elbow on the very padded armrests.
The foyer is a great size and includes some seats for you to wait in while your friends turn up, or if you are a tad early for your film, there is also some seating up some stairs where you can relax and watch the world go by through the large windows.
What about the screens, I hear you ask!
After leaving the foyer, you turn left into the hall that has the screens on either side. The Strand Cinema in Rhyl has five screens, and each one is kitted out with very comfortable seats and is brightly lit as you enter, which is somewhat of a rarity in some cinemas these days. The screens are decorated in the Merlin Cinemas colours with lovely blue walls and the seats in a darker shade. When it comes to leg room, there is more than plenty, so long-legged people like myself don’t feel cramped up when watching a film.
Upon the walls are a collection of speakers that pack out some great quality sound with plenty of bass and the higher frequencies for those moments that need the clarity. As I mentioned earlier, when you walk in, the lights are bright, and when the film starts, the lights are completely shut off, with no dimly lit lights to distract you from enjoying the film.
The picture quality is also crisp and vibrant with clear edges and colours that pop for those brightly lit and colourful scenes. The Merlin Cinema tech team have certainly configured the sound and visuals to be as enjoyable as possible.
I must say a big thank you to Merlin Cinemas for the invite to the VIP evening, and it brought back so many memories of spending hours at the venue over the years during the venue’s lifetime, since it was the Apollo 5 back in the 90s when I first started going.
Having the Strand Cinema opening up in Rhyl is a great opportunity for the town to bring back some footfall for the film lovers, the prices are great value for money, the staff are very polite and helpful, and the venue is one that I can see being popular again.
You can find out more about the Strand Cinema on the Merlin Cinemas website, where you can find all the listings for the films that are showing.
All images Karen Woodham/Blazing Minds
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
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