By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Large multiplex movie theaters have become the norm, with wide screens and killer sound systems. But for those looking for something slightly different, there are alternatives to spice things up. Spend some time at an artsy, retro theater, combine a five-star hotel dinner with cinema, or go to a drive-in theater.
Blast From Past
It's far from the bright neon signs and large glossy halls of multiplex theaters. Dream Cinema, Seoul's last remaining single-screen theater, gives you a whiff of nostalgia with its run-down charm. It has been part of the Seodaemun landscape in northern Seoul for the past 45 years and is still widely known by its former name Hwayang.
Once the ultimate hotspot for Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s, it now caters mostly to free movie previews. With the area's renovation plans, Seoul may soon have to bid the Dream Cinema farewell once and for all.
But before being torn down, the theater is reliving its past glory in style. Hundreds of moviegoers are flocking over to the dormant theater to watch the explosively popular romance flick "Dirty Dancing". It has been showing on an open run since last November, marking the 20th anniversary of the 1987 movie.
"It's sort of crazy", Kim Eun-joo, 35, the head of Dream Cinema, told The Korea Times. She invested 100 million won to change the movie screen and update the sound system -- to do justice to her all-time favorite film. The cinephile translated subtitles herself.
Kim transformed the entire theater to a 1980s look.
Kim Young-joon, who painted movie posters for Dream Cinema back in the day, took up the brush one last time for the hand-painted poster that decorates the entrance. Once you step inside, you will notice the turntable and vinyl records, which Kim purchased to complete the retro appeal. There is also an antique movie projector on display.
Plus, you pay 3,500 won -- the 1980s price -- for your ticket.
You won't find cushioned, reclining seats here -- the red chairs are hard and worn out, and rather uncomfortable, with 700 seats tightly packed on a sloped platform. But Kim has achieved her purpose: It's like a time machine that takes you back to the past.
Kim had seen the movie -- illegally -- when it opened here at the Joonang Theater in 1988. She was a middle school student at the time and the movie was rated 18 and over. She tried to sneak in a couple of times but failed, until the third time when she, clad in awkward make-up, accompanied her big sister.
"I don't regret it", she said about the far from profitable endeavor. "In fact, I thin...
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