Cinema Paradiso 2015 : Review
This year the second edition of Cinema Paradiso took place from June 16 to 26 in the nave of the Grand Palais in Paris.
The event itself is always exceptional, as installing a cinema in a place as resplendent as the Grand Palais is an achievement in itself. With 2 films per evening for 10 days and more than 80,000 visitors, the 2015 event was undoubtedly a success.
Successful programming first of all, with a selection of films eclectic enough to please everyone. From Jurassic Park to Manhattan, from Goodfellas to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, old and new classics were shown in the two cinemas of Cinema Paradiso.
Success also at the level of the construction of the “soirée Paradiso” around 3 great moments: The afterwork from 7:30 pm to 10 pm, the movie show from 10 pm to 0 am, and the clubbing until the end of the night. The afterwork is very friendly and offers multiple activities, each one more pleasant than the other: foosball, dancing, bowling, we don’t have much time to get bored between two snacks. A small black mark on the picture: The price of snacks.
It’s hard to get by under 15€ for a meal “reasonable” knowing that the entrance ticket is already 34€. The idea of a ticket “global” for the evening a little more expensive (for example 45€) with a voucher for a dish and a drink would have been an excellent idea, giving then the real impression of a “total” access to the evening.
About the movie at 10pm, it’s hard to beat that ! The two rooms face each other, and the sound is sent directly to individual headphones. If these are not active noise reduction, they wrap well enough to isolate us from the world around, and therefore enjoy the movie without suffering the surrounding noise. Add to that a beginning of the session at sunset, and you’ll have a really nice movie experience.
Finally, for the clubbers, after the movie, it’s time to dance in a wild atmosphere where the greatest DJs meet. If, at the redak, we are rather metal and Hellfest oriented, our fan contacts told us the best of these evenings. So we will take their word for it !
In conclusion, this 2015 edition of Cinema Paradiso was successful, correcting the mistakes of the first year. If in 2017 the prices could be a bit more affordable and/or global (with a unique ticket giving access to the meals), there is no doubt that the success would be total !