‘Absolute best way to see movies’ is coming to SLO with downtown theater upgrade
On a sunny December morning, roughly a dozen people stood in the lobby of a downtown San Luis Obispo movie theater, waiting to see something “groundbreaking.”
As the smell of buttered popcorn — already popping away in its kettles in advance of the afternoon slate of films — wafted through the room, Downtown Centre Cinemas owner Bruce Sanborn held court, shaking hands and chatting with the assembled members of the media, as well as a smattering of industry types and family friends.
He talked of the theater’s ongoing renovation — “we’re on year one of a two-year project,” he told The Tribune — and how ultimately he hoped the space would look less like the kitschy memento of theaters past and instead be something more modern.
“I want it to look like Hotel SLO in here,” he quipped multiple times to the crowd.
Sanborn’s biggest revelation, however, was just around the corner, through an emergency exit where the group was directed to turn on their cell phone flashlights to see as they filed into the pitch black room that is the theater’s newest auditorium.
There, Sanborn and Dolby executives unveiled what multiple news releases had heralded as a “groundbreaking cinematic experience”: Dolby Vision + Atmos.
Dolby Vision + Atmos combines the company’s best-yet picture quality with its new immersive sound system to provide a heightened experience for moviegoers, Dolby vice president of worldwide cinema sales and partner management Michael Archer said during the preview Thursday.
“It’s a pinnacle experience,” Archer said.
What sets Dolby Vision + Atmos apart?
So what does the new system mean for the average moviegoer? Brighter colors, darker shadows, clearer details and 360 degrees of pinpoint-accurate sound.
Regular moviegoers might already be familiar with the Atmos system, since Sanborn began upgrading many of the theater’s auditoriums with the technology in the past few months.
The addition of Dolby Vision is brand-new, however, and will only be available in the one newly renovated auditorium.
During the preview Thursday, scenes were shown from the upcoming “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” as well as the previously released “Sinners” and “F1” movies, all showcasing the strengths of the Dolby system.
In the “Mario” movie, Archer noted the contrast and vibrancy of the video-game-esque colors as the characters raced on Rainbow Road. In “Sinners,” he highlighted the Atmos sound that allowed for an immersive experience as singer and guitarist Sammie played a juke joint in explosive fashion. And finally, in “F1” the crispness of details allowed viewers to see the oil droplets as Brad Pitt raced around the track, fireworks exploding overhead, he said.
“With Atmost and Vision combined, what you have here in this auditorium, we’re really excited about it,” Archer said. “It does give you the absolute best way to see movies.“
Another thing that will set Downtown Centre Cinemas’ new auditorium apart is its design.
Breaking with more traditional movie theater design, the new auditorium is entirely done in black, from the seats and floors to the walls.
This is meant to help cut down on reflective light, which can interfere with movie display quality, Archer said.
They also rearranged the emergency exits so the lighted signs no longer appear next to the screen, which can be another distraction that interferes with the movie experience.
Notably, the auditorium is also now stadium seating with a steeper slope and clear sight lines, something Sanborn said he and his family always wanted for the SLO theater but were unable to do in its original design.
The auditorium is still awaiting city inspection approvals and a few other minor additions before it will be ready to open, but according to Sanborn that could happen any day now.
Those who are interested in watching a movie with the new system should keep an eye on the theater’s social media to learn when it will be up and running, Sanborn said.
Why bring new theater tech to SLO?
Lucky for San Luis Obispo, Archer said it was obvious who Dolby would want to work with when it came time to launch the technology in the United States after it was already tested in a handful of markets overseas.
“This is our first movie theater (in the U.S.), and it’s only fitting that we do it with Bruce Sanborn and his family,” Archer said. “As you probably know ... his family is theatrical royalty in Southern California. And starting from the very beginning, they’re always looking for that next best thing in their complexes.”
Sanborn, meanwhile, said he was eager to bring Dolby Vision + Atmos to SLO to help encourage people to start going to the movies again.
He noted there’s been a lot of difficulty enticing audiences back after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the wide availability of streaming services that have some thinking they don’t need to see films in theaters.
For them however, Sanborn has a simple message: Try again.
“To those of you who are sitting at home, who haven’t been to the movies — or to downtown SLO — in a while, come back,” he said. “Try us again.”
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