iMAX screens are thought to be the largest in the known World, but actually CGV Starium is, more horizontally on the wide-size at compared on related LiNKS below and on CGV-dedicated Pages on Top Menu . CGV currently offers them on only TWO of their branches throughout the Korean Peninsula, and ofcourse both in the latest and largest Shopping Malls built Post-Millennium :

  1. Times Square Mall in the West-side of the Capital of SEOUL – just North of the old YeongDeungPo Train Station-turned into another whole multi-plex mall itself . as with many old train stations : this whole area was a poor merchant and sleazy district and its remains can still be seen inside the surrounding alleys . the theatre is on the top-floor, furthest from their main entrance towards the train station, so better arrive early to shop around – including eMart super-mart deep in under-ground B2F .
  2. Centum City Mall – an incredible city-planning endeavour in the Port City of Busan or Pusan, towards the Summer vacation area of Haeundae Beach !

this Post is about the former above, and while cheaper restaurants are under-ground surrounding eMart super-mart : many brand-name restaurant branches are situated around their entrance at fourth-floor end . you have to go another floor up onto the fifth floor where Starium is located, where the rest of this floor is actually the roof-top garden of the whole Times Square Mall . no need to line-up for popcorns and soda of the fourth floor, as there is another – all with a cozy cafe up on the fifth floor too . and there it is, a huge “The Largest Screen in the World” sign at the entrance to their Starium hall .
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I had the previous pleasure to visit here on an installment of The Avengers . I sometimes see now-much-old G.i’s who fought in the Korean War at SEOUL Station, back in a program organized by the government . it must be a wonder to their eyes : a poor, humble nation  barely without any weaponry, not to mention tanks or even planes, who after-all were saved by them . I mention this as there is so much option when choosing a place to see a block-buster motion picture .

  • from the cheapest seat on a matinee hour in a refurbished old theatre,
  • or the most super-wide frequency of sound,
  • one among the largest screen size in Asia or even Planet Earth
  • and all-sorts of synthesized effects including blowing air and water-spray,
  • to the comfortable arm-chair seats with reclining head-rest and now even a semi-bed toppling First Class seat on an AirBus A380 .

like any choice in Life itself, the best way to decide upon which type of theatre hall you want to watch a movie : is to narrow-down and prioritize . large-scale science fiction movie comes down to either Starium, iMAX 3D and 4DX . where motion simulation is effective on super-action-filled Avengers, Star Wars Universe called for big, big screens, and preferably : wider than tall . so this was the ideal option for die-hard Star Wars fans who had been longing for the continuum of this epic trilogy series . this theatre even began release of this historic film sequence late at 11pm the eve on November 16 Wednesday . but perhaps the Force was not enough to Awaken on the Korean Peninsula even among such fan-base, as then and on the first showings next morning : the hall was far from being sold-out as only the centre portions were filled-up – same with other CGV chains as well as competing Lotte Cinema and MegaBox, on the more special effects halls .
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as you enter you exclaim at its size – one which is diminishing constantly from the end of the Century as smaller, regional theatres in near-by malls popped-up in the States as well as developed countries around the World . Starium hall atop Times Square at YeongDeungPo Train Station consist of three large blocks of seats . the hall is fore-most wide side-ways . and the stairs-up are steep ~ understandably, as you have whole view of the screen no-matter how tall or big the person seated in front of you is . the screen is tilted way~ up-wards . meaning : the couples seat at the rear-row would still have a horizontal view onto the screen .

and I am glad and proud I made the right choice, as the concept of space and the massive universe was actually graspable on the super-wide screen . there are especially two scene which remain the most impressively rightful for such a screen-size :

  1. the opening scene and rest of life depicted on the desert planet of Jakku, especially albeit fighters’ grave where crushed space-ships are scattered .
  2. full-size scene of a whole star destroyer on one-big screen lurking atop this planet and else-where . much grander than the super-large Lego pieces you ever wanted to have .

 

 

– Korea Tech BLog –