15 Over The Top Theaters

#1: Vox Cinema — Dubai

We begin our tour in Dubai, where moviegoers are experiencing something most of us still have yet to even realize. Imagine seeing your favorite movie while incorporating all of your senses into the experience. Dubai’s Vox Cinema offers 4DX movie possibilities. This new type of movie viewing incorporates your sense of smell, while also adding in specialized lighting, motion, wind, and even water to the overall experience.

Working with movie producers, the effects are added in with computer programming to synchronize what moviegoers “feel” to match what’s happening on the big screen. While 4DX obviously doesn’t work with just any movie, it offers an unmatched movie watching experience for those willing to try out the very latest in new technology.

#2: Archipelago Cinema - Yao Noi, Thailand

Not typical by any means, the Archipelago Cinema, near the shore of Yao Noi, Thailand, is something that needs to be seen to be believed. This incredible movie screen was first designed in 2012 as part of the Film on the Rocks Yao Noi Festival.

Visiting guests were taken by boat to the Nai Pi Lae Lagoon, where the towering ocean rocks partially enclosed the magical floating theater. Surrounded by sky and sea and made with recycled wood and other materials, this floating cinema was created so that it could be towed just about anywhere. Sadly, the theater was dismantled, but now belongs to the nearby village where residents are free to use it as they like.

#3: Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre - Toronto, Canada

Over the top takes on a literal meaning when you set your eyes upon the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre in Toronto, Canada. The centre actually includes two separate movie theaters, with one of them built right on top of the other one. The bottom theatre, The Elgin, seats around 1500 people, while the top theatre, Winter Garden, seats 992. While extremely beautiful, the theatre is more globally known as the only double-decker theatre still operating in the entire world. You won’t find blockbuster hits here, though, as the theatre is mostly used for screenings of the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as for occasional live entertainment.

#4: Cinesphere — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

If you are staying in Toronto, while it may look like something you would find at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park, the Cinesphere in Toronto is actually the first permanent IMAX theater in the world. Originally constructed in 1971, this dome-shaped theater is still an incredible site to see in person.

In 1991, the theater added digital sound, and then in 2014 added a new NEXIOS playback system and IMAX GT 3D system. The theater seats 752 people, along with a 60-foot tall, 86-foot wide screen. The Cinesphere is found right on the Lake Ontario shoreline within the Ontario Place amusement park.

#5: IMAX Theatre Darling Harbour - Sydney, Australia

Edging out the rest of the competition when it comes to IMAX theatres is the IMAX Theatre Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia. With a massive screen displaying crystal clear pictures, the IMAX Theatre Darling Harbour delivers unmatched resolution, definition, and clarity. Boasting the largest movie screen in the world, this theater offers digital surround sound, as well as both 2D and 3D movie showings.

#6: Prasads IMAX - Hyderabad, India

Coming in a close second to the size of the massive screen in Sydney is the Prasads IMAX in Hyderabad, India. At 95-feet wide and 72-feet high, the massive screen may not exactly be the world’s largest, but it is the world’s most popular IMAX theater, in terms of the crowds it brings in. The Prasads is also India’s first green theater, due to the solar power generation, which sits upon the roof of the building housing the huge theater.

#7: Colosseum Cinema — Oslo, Norway

Shaped like a large dome, the Colosseum Cinema in Oslo, Norway offers the largest THX auditorium in the entire world with 978 seats. Once dubbed as one of Europe’s most beautiful theaters, Colosseum Cinema offers a total of four screens to moviegoers. Outfitted with a new and impressive sound system in recent years, this cinema has served millions of people, including those lucky enough to view the very first color film showing in Norway in 1935.

#8: Old Town Music Hall — El Segundo, CA

Our next over-the-top theater gets a nod more for being “low-tech” than high-tech. Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California is about as old school as you get. This fantastic theater is near Los Angeles International Airport, but tucked far away from modern glitz and glam. With rich red and gold décor, Old Town Music Hall sets the scene for movie viewing as it once was with few of the modern conveniences most of us are used to. The hall shows old silent movies, accompanied by ragtime and jazz music emitted from the huge wind-powered pipe organ, dating back to 1925. There is also a nine-foot concert grand piano on stage. With just 188 seats, this vintage theater has been open since the late 1960s, but the building itself dates back to 1921, when it was known as the El Segundo State Theater.

#9: Castro Theatre - San Francisco, CA

Sticking with the theme of old meets new is the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. This magical theater was first built in the 1920s for just $300,000. These days it holds the distinction of being one of the few U.S. movie theaters from that decade which is still in operation and open to the public. Both intimate in design and lavish in décor, the Castro Theatre combines wet plaster wall murals with large organ grills flanking both sides of the movie screen. Twin staircases dramatically reach balcony seating with rare film posters dotting the walls.

While the theatre still maintains its classic and period charm, it now sports new stage lighting, a new PA system, plus includes systems capable of conforming to more modern video and audio needs.

#10: Le Grand Rex — Paris, France

Sticking with the theme of old meets new is the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. This magical theater was first built in the 1920s for just $300,000. These days it holds the distinction of being one of the few U.S. movie theaters from that decade which is still in operation and open to the public. Both intimate in design and lavish in décor, the Castro Theatre combines wet plaster wall murals with large organ grills flanking both sides of the movie screen. Twin staircases dramatically reach balcony seating with rare film posters dotting the walls.

While the theatre still maintains its classic and period charm, it now sports new stage lighting, a new PA system, plus includes systems capable of conforming to more modern video and audio needs.

#11: Grauman's (TCL) Chinese

One of the most famous theaters in the world is possibly also one of the most celebrated by Hollywood’s elite. The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre first opened in 1927 in Hollywood with the premier of “The King of Kings.” With imported stonework, temple bells and other authentic Chinese artifacts, this ornate theatre offers a testament to Hollywood’s biggest stars. With a huge, 30-foot tall carved stone dragon and giant Heaven Dogs guarding the theatre’s entrance, this incredible location is truly over the top in design. It continues to be Hollywood’s most requested location for studio premieres. In 2013, TCL Chinese Theatre added Hollywood’s first IMAX theater. It continues, though, to serve broadly as a focal point for tourists. The theatre is listed as a Los Angeles Historical Landmark.

#12: Batcave Home Theater — Greenwich, CT

Not to be outdone, it’s obvious that over-the-top theaters do not have to come only in large public or historic displays, either. The Batcave Home Theater is an amazing tribute to the Dark Knight, privately existing within a home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
This incredible home theater was built by ELITE Home Theater Seating, for $2.5 million dollars. The screen exists behind a sliding metal screen, along with a real-life “escape tunnel” and a life-sized Batmobile. Other extreme features include the fireplace, life-sized Bat Suits, stainless steel elevators, and more. It took about two years to build this masterpiece.

#13: Star Wars Home Theater — Oahu, Hawaii

From Batman to Star Wars, this next home theater is truly out of this world! The Star Wars Home Theater in Oahu, Hawaii includes a life-sized R2D and a realistic looking moon roof, making it appear as if you are soaring through the galaxy while enjoying your favorite flicks. Built by Modern Home Systems, this unique home theater also includes iPad control, transforming what could have simply been dubbed a man cave, and taking it to a galaxy far, far away.

#14: Nautilus Submarine Home Theater — Private Residence

From outer space to under the sea, the Nautilus Submarine home theater is a tribute to Disney’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Located within a private residence, this magical home theater combines bronze medallions with rich velvety red curtains and plush red seating. The screen’s projector is hidden in a hatch on the ceiling of this incredible theater. Dillon Works designed this unique getaway, encompassing about 900 square feet of magical delight.

#15: Pirate Ship Home Theater — Palm Beach, FL

Sailing the seas takes on an entirely new meaning when you step inside this pirate ship home theater in Palm Beach, Florida. This amazing display includes 12 posh seats, plus a tavern and ticket window. Built by Elite Home Theater Seating, this majestic theater transports moviegoers to a pirate ship’s deck, complete with stone floors, a hand-painted ceiling mural of the sky, and candlelit ambiance.