Michigan’s First ScreenX Opens in Waterford

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Fans of new movie experiences and ways of becoming immersed in the action have a new destination in Michigan – MJR Waterford Cinema 16. Opening this weekend to the public is Michigan’s first ScreenX theater, a 270-degree movie experience that takes your viewing to a new level.

ScreenX utilizes additional projectors to add content and details to the screens on the flanking walls of the theater. The additional information is gathered from B-roll footage, or created in a studio to add to the viewer’s overall experience. While it may seem like it may be a distraction in some situations, audiences still focus on the theater’s main screen, and the additional information is mostly seen by their peripheral vision. This may not stop you from watching what’s happening on the side screens during the film. Still, the main action is unedited and on the main screen so your viewing experience is similar to watching a regular movie, just with added information.

ScreenX Review Waterford Michigan

The ScreenX Viewing Experience

We were lucky enough to get our early screening of Twisters in the new ScreenX theater, and at first, the whole concept and idea seemed a bit overwhelming. Will there be too much going on that you focus on the side screens or will it even be enough to notice a difference? Thankfully, since you’re focused on the main screen throughout the film, the additional information just adds more to the scene and doesn’t seem to be distracting.

But does that mean I didn’t spend some time watching the side screens as well? Of course not. Being the first time we saw something in a ScreenX theater, I was curious and wanted to see how they were blending the screens together and into the movie. Sometimes the scenes were just extensions of what was on the main screen, other times you could tell it was created content. Would I have noticed this if I just kept my eyes straight ahead? I’m not sure. But there were a few times items didn’t quite line up and you could tell something was off. It seemed like the resolution of the side screens (or maybe projectors) weren’t the same as the main screen. Honestly, since it’s just additional content you’ll be picking up in your peripheral view, it doesn’t need to be as high of a resolution.

ScreenX adds content to the existing movies that audiences are going to the theater to see, and in the case of Twisters, there were over 60 minutes of additional content to help you feel like you’re in the movie or scenes. This means the side screens are not utilized the whole time of the movie and at times, are just black walls like you’d expect in any movie-watching experience. This also means that when the side screens are utilized there is a lot more light in the theater, which can be a distraction on it’s own. While the side information is meant to add a more immersive experience for audiences, the brightness can also take you out of the story as well. The separation between the main screen and the two side walls also can take a bit of the experience away, but this is something that quickly can be forgotten or disregarded throughout watching the movie.

Would I see another movie in a ScreenX theater? Yes, but I would want a seat as close to the center as possible. I don’t think it will make that much of a difference in the viewing but I won’t know until I try it.

One concern about new technologies like ScreenX is often the cost of tickets or just the cost being a barrier or entry for most theatergoers. Thankfully, when I researched the cost of a ticket for the opening weekend of Twisters, in the seat I was in (and the VIP section), the tickets were about the same as standard movie tickets. I had expected an extreme jump but instead, it’s just a regular ticket price to watch movies in this specialized theater.

About Michigan’s First Screen X

MJR Theatres, a State-of-the-Art Multiplex Cinema Operator with ten Michigan locations and over 160 screens, and CJ 4DPLEX, the world’s leading producer of premium film formats and cinema technologies, announced today that guests visiting MJR Waterford will soon be able to enjoy the first and only ScreenX theater in the state of Michigan.

ScreenX is the world’s first multi-projection cinema that enhances the traditional movie-going experience by seamlessly extending the screens onto the surrounding walls of the auditorium. This revolutionary approach offers viewers a captivating 270-degree panoramic viewing adventure. Through its unique presentation of key scenes and exclusive scenic elements, ScreenX immerses audiences in an unparalleled visual environment, reimagining the way movies are experienced.”

ScreenX Review Waterford Michigan

The first film to debut in ScreenX at MJR Theatres will be Universal Pictures’ Twisters, arriving in theaters nationwide July 19. A current-day chapter of the 1996 blockbuster, Twisters marks the return of the epic studio disaster movie with an adrenaline-pumping, big-screen thrill ride that puts audiences in direct contact with one of nature’s most wondrous—and destructive—forces.

Featuring a Barco Laser projector, the ScreenX auditorium will deliver a superior image, with exceptional brightness levels, an increased contrast ratio and vivid colors for a radically improved viewing experience.

“Partnering with MJR Theatres to introduce ScreenX to Michigan is an exciting milestone for CJ 4DPLEX,” added Don Savant, President & CEO, CJ 4DPLEX America. “We are confident that Michigan moviegoers will be captivated by the enhanced storytelling and dynamic 270-degree differentiated experience that only ScreenX can provide.”

In addition to fully powered reclining chairs throughout the auditorium, select rows will also offer VIP Seats, MJR’s exclusive luxury seating concept featuring premium heated reclining chairs, two convenient side tables, storage compartments for purses, coat hooks and a surrounding privacy enclosure designed to provide additional personal space.

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