While a select few were given a sneak preview of the new Bridge: Cinema De Lux on 40th and Walnut streets last night, students will have their chance to try out the much-anticipated and long-delayed theater today.
Entitled "Penn Picks Movie Day," the all-day event is being co-sponsored by the Social Planning and Events Committee. The event will allow students to see six different films for free by showing their PennCards. The movies to be shown are Seven, Casablanca, Risky Business, Top Gun, Citizen Kane and Moulin Rouge.
The Bridge, the result of a collaboration between National Amusements, CineBridge Ventures and the University, will open officially to the public tomorrow. The new theater's opening comes about two years after plans to bring a theater owned by Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas were scrapped when Sundance's partner, General Cinemas, went bankrupt.
In addition to the free movies, those who attend can potentially win one of 15 MTV 1000 Singing Machines, which are compact karaoke systems. Students can also win items through a SPEC raffle.
SPEC President Lindsay Jaffee said that the organization is thrilled to be co-sponsoring this event.
"I think everyone's been looking forward to the movie theater opening for a while, so we're really excited," the College senior said. "I mean, it's free movies for Penn students."
"We love showing free movies at SPEC, and this is a lot of free movies in one day," she added.
Local families can also go to the movies at the Bridge today, although only if they have picked up advance tickets beforehand. Shrek and Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie will be shown in the morning, prior to the start of the student event.
The Bridge features six movie screens with 1,150 seats. Specific seat reservations can be made while tickets are purchased, thus removing the need to wait in line for good seats prior to a movie.
The new theater also includes a multimedia art gallery called the Media Immersion Room. The gallery contains six plasma screens where some of Penn's film and animation students are showing their work. Also showing in the Media Immersion Room are trailers for coming film attractions and footage from cameras inside the theater.
"It is the place where we hope to create a real physical presence for the Film Studies Program at Penn," University President Judith Rodin said.
The new complex also houses the 12 Lounge, a full service restaurant and bar that can be accessed independent of the theater. And along with the usual movie theater concessions, the Bridge offers concierge services and free wireless internet access in the lounge, lobby and Media Immersion Room.
Additionally, the theater and lounge will feature alternating "zones" of music, so patrons can hear different music while standing under different audio "cones."
Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements and chairwoman and chief executive officer of CineBridge Ventures, said that she is very excited about opening the Bridge at Penn and meeting the needs of the University.
"We really want it to be a university center, a place where people can hang out, congregate," she said.
The theater has long been expected to help revitalize the area surrounding 40th and Walnut streets, and the University will offer several promotions like free parking to entice people into prolonging their stay in the University City area.
"We hope that will draw from downtown and have people come here because they want the University City experience," Rodin said. "The free parking and great restaurants along 40th Street now will really give them an opportunity to have a destination spot in West Philadelphia."
Rodin also said that the Bridge should serve as a place for Penn students to get their entertainment right in University City.
"We hope that with this theater and with so many other amenities in University City, that students won't feel compelled to go downtown to get their arts and culture experience," Rodin said.
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