Paradise Theatre (永乐宫)
Located at 308 Anfu Lu; to get there take the subway to the Xujiahui station; tel-ephone: 021-64312961 and 64742606. Enjoy a small selection of movies in English with Chinese subtitles.
Daguangming Movie Theater(大光明电影院)
Located at 216 Nanjing Xilu; to get there take subway lines one or two to the People's Square station; telephone: 021-63274260.
Daguangming is Shanghai's most repre-sentative movie theater, and one of the oldest movie theaters in China. Laszlo Hudec carried out the theater design and renova-tion infusing it with an imposing, almost arrogant, style. Decades later, theater visi-tors are still moved by the theater's grand-ness and luxury. In June 1931, the newspaper Shen Bao ran several days of full page advertisements announcing the theater's opening with the bold slogan, "The Greatest Theater in the Far East." But the ticket prices at Daguangming really took people's notice.
When the theater opened in the 1930's, the cost of a movie theater ticket in Shang-hai was only half a Jiao (lOJiao make up lYuan orl RMB), but a matinee ticket Da-guangming's main hall would cost movie goers six Jiao, a balcony seat would cost one Yuan, and a box in the balcony would cost a full Yuan and a half. An evening show would push the price up yet another half Yuan. Between 1933 and 1942, Da-guangming projected only one Chinese film. Everything else screened here were mostly American Hollywood productions. In order to accommodate the Chinese viewers of American films, in 1939 Daguangming added a specially produced American-de-signed interpretation earpiece. The Chinese audience could pay Uiao for the earpiece. One of the theater personnel would narrate the different scenes and interpret dialogue. Watching a film at Daguangming became quite a status symbol, and high class inter-nationals could always be seen coming and going from the movie entrance. Daguang-ming was packed every Saturday, and hun-dreds of cars could be seen parked along the streets near the theater. Today, both Chinese and Western films are played at the theater.
Studio City(环艺电影城)
Located at Nanjing Xilu 1038 on the 10th Floor of the Westgate Mall; to get there take the subway to the Shimen Yi Lu station; telephone: 021-62182173.
Enjoy a movie in one of Shanghai's top multiplex theaters with six big screens in Dolby surround-sound.
Ticket Prices: Prices depend on the film: 60 RMB to 70 RMB.
Cathay Theater (国泰电影院)
Located in the Luwan District at 870 Huaihai Zhonglu; to get there, take the subway to the Shanxi Nanlu station; telephone: 021- 4040415 and 54042095.
Designed by Laszlo Hudec in 1930, the Cathay Theater is a French style construc-tion with garnet red Taishan brick, vertical white inlays, and stair-step towers rising up from the top of the comer facade. Although not on the same level as the Daguangming Theater, the Cathay was still lavishly decorated and had over 1,000 seats. It utilized the most advanced projection equipment of its day. The second and third floors were used as entertainment and billiard rooms.
Finishing construction in January 1931, advertisements in Shen Bao declared: "The beautiful imposing Cathay theater is the king of Shanghai cinemas. It is a comfortable exquisite modem city of science". Originally located in the French Concession, the theater's American ownership hung English signs outside and hired British citizens to manage the theater. Most of the movie theater's audience was made up of foreign-ers and so-called "high-class Chinese". Like the Daguangming Theater, in its early days the Cathay played mostly American films. Today you can enjoy both Chinese and foreign cinema.
Ticket Prices: Matinee features: 20 RMB to 25 RMB Evening features are 50 RMB.
Shanghai Film Art Center(上海影城)
Located at 160 Xinhua Lu; telephone:021-62806088, Catch Hollywood releases on the big screen. Ticket Prices: Prices vary according to the time of the show: 20 RMB to 60 RMB.
UME International Cineplex(新天地国际电影城)
Located at Lane 123, 6 Xingye Lu; to get there take the subway to the Huangpi Nanlu station; telephone: 021-63733333.
A theater with fully modem screens. For travelers who just can not forget about home, here you can enjoy Hollywood movies in English.
Ticket Prices: Regular Admission 60 RMB and 70 RMB.
Tickets are half price Tuesday before 7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday morning.
Kodak Cinema World(柯达电影世界)
Located at 1111 Zhaojiabang Lu on the fifth floor of the Metro City; telephone: 021-64268181. For more information, please visit the theater's website at: www.cin-emaworld.kodak.com
This is the first Asian movie theater built to the "authorized standards of Kodak film projection" the results are extraordinary. A high-tech and imaginative facility, Kodak Cinema World has attracted waves of Shanghai youth. The newest films from all over the world are played here.
Ticket Prices: 60 RMB to 70 RMB.