Camelot Cinemas

Labonte18 on May 26, 2005 at 11:02 pm

I attended the 4pm showing of Sith today (5/26) at the Camelot, and I agree with the previous poster that it looks almost exactly the same as it did when it was Carmike. That’s not a bad thing. The only thing I could notice that might be different was maybe the seats had been reupholstered? Also if I remember correctly, the old screen was concave or convex… Whichever.. I shoulda paid more attention in Science class. And the screen was actually like a stage. That’s all either gone or i’m remembering incorrectly.

Price for a matinee is $6.00 and any other time is $8.25, same as other theaters in the Greenville area. To be honest, they could get away with charging more for the digital projector screens because it’s worth it.. More on that later.

The snack bar is OK, as of right now, it’s your basic movie-going snack bar plus nachos. Popcorn, drinks and candy. Prices probably in line with the other theaters in the area, but honestly, I think the last movie I saw in a theater was several years ago, so I might be off on that. One thing that I was told is that with the large popcorn you get free refills. This isn’t stated anywhere, just what I was told by the woman working the snack bar. Makes sense because the large does seem to be a bit smaller than others, and if anyone actually manages to finish off a large popcorn (or a large drink for that matter) then they deserve a free refill because they’ll be picking husks from their floating back teeth. I think a large is something like a 44oz Gonzo Gulp or something. I’m a “Coke” man myself, and the theater’s Pepsi, but hey, big deal.

Ok, so that’s the inital part out of the way. One thing that probably won’t last just simply due to economics is that there were no commercials before the movie. I think that’s great, and hope it lasts, but… This is different from the “slideshows” that many theaters have, i’m talking about the actual commercials that show after the lights go down.

Did see the new THX trailer and that was good. The thing about a digital projector is that it is just SO much better. Anyone who watches a film that has been played before will notice the occasional pops and “hairs” on the screen. Just little imperfections in the film due to wear or whatever. The more times it is shown, the more imperfections there are. Anyone who saw a show at the old “Movies by the Mall” before it closed down knows what I mean here. The movies were $1.00 because they had been played so many times they looked like crap. With the digital projector, there is none of that. Also no projector noise that I noticed. With the old projectors, you could hear them during a quiet time in the movie, not with this one. No pops in the audio, nothing. It’s like watching a DVD on one heck of a big screen.

Not knowing how much damage the Revolution people did to the place to make it a Christian Theater (Whatever they did) it doesn’t appear that a whole lot of work was needed. Not as much as if, say, it had been vacant for 7 years. I’d be interested to hear exactly what had to be done to undo what they did to it.

Theater was very clean, which is a bit surprising as there was only about 30 mins of turnover time, and it’s a huge theater. I counted seats as being 7 x 15 x 7, with roughly 30 rows, so that would be seating for just shy of 900? Seating is not true Stadium seating like at Hollywood, but it is staggered and sloped, so no viewing problems. Staggered meaning the seats are all offset, so you do not sit directly behind someone, you’re offset from them by half a seat.

Parking isn’t a problem. Just park over to the McAlister Square side rather than towards the stores. Will keep everyone happier.

All told, if given the option of seeing a movie at this theater vs Hollywood 20 or the other one in Greenville up at Cherrydale, the Camelot wins hands down for the digital projector.

BeansRDone on May 24, 2005 at 10:12 pm

I wanted to tell you it has been a long time I went “WOW!” at a movie in the theater. Tuesday Night, 7:15 show of Episode III, I did just that. The picture was perfect, and the sound was just right. Great job in the presentation. My friend had been to see Star Wars at the Hollywood 20, and said the difference was like getting a new pair of glasses.

Having worked in a theater for many years, I had grown to expect only the best in my movie watching. No matter at a theater, or at home, I want it to be just right. More often than not, something at a theater has spoiled my movie experience. But tonight, I had a great time. I enjoyed the movie a lot, but the presentation was even better.

I hope I can get a tour of your new showplace one day when things settle down for you, and I can say I will be back.

Thanks,
John Burton

Zufall on May 23, 2005 at 2:48 pm

Wally,
Do you know how long you’ll keep Revenge of the Sith on the main screen? I saw it last Thursday, but want to make sure I see it again on the big DLP screen before it leaves.

Thanks again for bringing a first-rate viewing experience to Greenville!

ShaneRoach on May 23, 2005 at 1:52 pm

I finally managed to get out to the Camelot for the 4 pm show on Sunday. There was a huge crowd, it looked like a near sell-out. I was happy first of all to see that things look almost exactly as they did when the place was open before. My brother-in-law was a little skeptical at first, but seeing and hearing the DLP logo trailer convinced him it was worth the drive. I was a little disappointed/confused not to see a THX or Dolby trailer (I presume DLP uses Dolby), but I’ll let it slide this once. Once the feature started, I was as giddy as a schoolboy. The 35mm print I saw Wednesday night was pristine and perfectly projected, but the digital show (my first DLP experience bigger than 60 inches or so) beat it silly. I was looking for artifacts, pixel structure, anything to say that it “looks digital.” There was nothing. Just a bright, smooth, utterly gorgeous picture that’s bigger than the front of my house.

Wally, a question and a comment: What model is the Barco projector is #1, and when I get a chance to go there without having to keep other people entertained, I do intend to take that tour.

PixelPusher on May 23, 2005 at 10:52 am

I went to see Star Wars Episode III at the Camelot this past Saturday morning and would like to make my comments. Before the Camelot closed, I saw Star Trek: First Contact in the Camelot’s then premium THX sound equipped theater and was very impressed. The screen was the largest in Greenville at 60 feet if I remember correctly. Now the old-THX theater is reborn better than ever with a digital projection system. This was the first time that I have been to a digital theater and I was literally blown away. The picture was crystal clear and didn’t look like it was projected onto the screen as much as projected from the screen. The total experience was complimented by the Camelot’s friendly and helpful staff. As Ahnold would say “I’ll be back”.

P.S. It seems that the advertised showtimes are the actual start time for the movie. I arrived into the theater 10 minutes before the 10:00 showtime and the previews had already started. Not too big of a deal but I enjoy the previews and I will remember the next time that I visit.

bdegraaf on May 20, 2005 at 7:35 pm

I was also at the Camelot for its grand reopening- all the staff was clearly very excited, which only added to the energy in the air that night. For the hour before the show, the main theater looked like a cocktail party. Everyone was standing in the aisles and in their rows chatting like old friends. Once Wally and the staff completed their ‘inaugural speeches’[=)] and the projector came on, we knew we were in for a treat. The picture quality was nothing short of stunning, and the sound was tremendous. It was a wonderful event, I’m proud to have been a part of Greenville’s history in this way, and I plan all my future movie viewings in Greenville to be at the Camelot! -Bill

jtdwab on May 19, 2005 at 7:30 pm

Just saw Episode III and this movie house is AWSOME. The sound was great the picture was incredible. My wife and I had a great time. We look forward seeing other movies here in the near future.

Wally Fayssoux and his partner did an excellent job of returning this to be a great place to see a movie.

secb on May 19, 2005 at 8:41 am

Patsy, there are no movie theaters in downtown Greenville.

secb on May 17, 2005 at 9:41 am

Is there a website for the camelot? How can we buy tickets online?

Patsy on May 16, 2005 at 9:26 pm

When was the Camelot built and when was it changed from one large auditorium into 7 screens? Also, I just checked the map location and see that the theatre isn’t downtown, correct?

jtdwab on May 13, 2005 at 7:04 pm

Will all the screens (all 7) be digital?

Patsy on May 13, 2005 at 12:21 pm

Wally: Sounds like you are connected with the Camelot so will ask for you when I’m in town come October.

jtdwab on May 13, 2005 at 11:38 am

Wally,

Thanks for the update I will see you Monday afternoon. When will you have show schedules available?

P.S. Great work getting things ready.