For over a century now, films have engulfed popular culture with their multi-dimensional nature. They make us laugh, cry, cheer, sing, dance, and shudder with terror. Whether it’s an oldie-but-a-goodie, or a brand new blockbuster, everyone loves that moment when the lights go down, and the opening titles blare on the big screen. But there’s nothing better than watching these classics in a cinema. As you lose yourself in the huge screen and fall into the surround-sound speakers, their magic is intensified, and you escape from your own reality. So, to celebrate the opening of our brand new cinema, we’ve compiled a list of 5 films that are at their best when shown on the big screen.
Avatar
This cinematic masterpiece directed by James Cameron was made for the big screen. Having won many awards, including Oscars for Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, this landmark epic is an unforgettable experience of visual artistry, especially when it is brought to life through the projector. Between the soundtrack, the graphic design, the story, the fantastical set and costume design, the acting, and of course, the length of the piece, Avatar is one of the best exercises in ‘movie magic’ of all time.
Mamma Mia 1 & 2
If you’re a lover of romance, drama, musicals, comedy, or late 1970s pop, both these movies have something for you. Based on the legendary music of ABBA we all know and love, set to an intriguing, Shakespearean comedy-esque story, and filmed in a beautifully scenic Greek Island, these films cannot fail to delight and excite, especially when paired with the immersive nature of the big screen. As Dancing Queen and Super Trouper blare out the speakers, the cinema is transformed into a 70s disco, and few can help but get up, dance, and sing along.
The Matrix
Before there was Inception, there was The Matrix. This cult-classic, sci-fi epic is the original mind-blowing, reality-questioning, cinematic venture into modern philosophical questions about technology, truth, and the human brain. At the turn of the millennium, this two-and-a-half-hour psychedelic experience shocked, confused, and entertained countless cinema-goers, and what better way to experience it than in its original, intended glory, on the big screen? Immerse yourself in the larger-than life display, as the chaos and action take over your entire reality; with the lights off and your popcorn in hand, you will never think about anything in the same way again.
Psycho
This horror flick needs no introduction or explanation whatsoever – widely considered one of the best and scariest films of all time, its reputation as a piece of movie history precedes it. We have all heard of it, but not all of us have dared to watch it in a cinematic environment when it is at its best. Between the culturally ingrained and terrifying soundtrack of Bernard Herrmann, the first-class horror directing of Alfred Hitchcock, and the eery black and white stylings of the Film Noir era, nothing is more frightening than watching this film in a dark cinema with a surround sound system.
The Hangover
The first instalment of the legendary The Hangover trilogy, this laugh-out-loud, adventure-comedy blockbuster is definitely one to watch over and over again. Standing proud as one of Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘150 Essential Comedy Movies To Watch Now’, it is perhaps one of the most famous slap-stick, blue comedies of the 21st Century, and had audiences at the time, and those of now, in fits of laughter. Starring powerhouse actors such as Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis, to name but a few, this film’s quotable one-liners and hilarious physical comedy skits are infinitely funnier and more knee-slap-worthy when paired with the big-screen. The jokes are louder, the scenes are bigger, and the humour is darker – there’s no better way to watch this infamous movie than in proper cinema-mode.
