As of Friday, March 16, the Triplex Cinema will be a fully digital theater with Real-D 3D capability. To accommodate the installation of the new, state of the art digital projectors and screens, the Triplex will go “dark” on Monday, March 12 through Thursday, March 15. On Friday the 16^th the Triplex will dim the lights once again and light up the screens with brighter, sharper, clearer and richer images than anyone has ever seen in South County. Combine that with Real D 3D digital projection and new 5.1 Dolby Digital sound the movie experience will be as good as any around.

When asked what led to the upgrade, owner Richard Stanley replied that “we knew from the time we were planning the Beacon that digital projection was the where the industry was headed. That’s why we chose to open The Beacon as an all digital complex. But recently, the studios have made it clear that they are going to stop providing theaters with film prints sometime with in the next two years. So it really became a now or never situation.”

General Manager John Valente draws a parallel to the Academy award winng “The Artist”.  He points out that “The Artist is the story of a man whose career is nearly destroyed because he fails to adapt to the new technology of “talking pictures.” We faced a similar decision here at the Triplex. Once the major studios drew a line in the sand, it was a case of “adapt or die” and we chose to adapt.”

The principal benefit for the audience is the superior picture quality which looks as good on the last day of the run as it does on the first. In addition The Triplex will be better able to accommodate the Berkshire International Film Festival as festival films increasingly come in a variety of digital formats.  The Triplex also hosts a number of one-time special event screenings on DVD which will no longer have to be confined to the smallest theater since now all will be DVD capable. Valente adds that he forsees no significant change in the theater’s bookig policy and points to the March 16 re-opening as a typical eclectic Triplex mix.

 In addition to holding over the Academy Award Winner for Foreign Language Film, A Separation the Triplex will open:

Pina in 3D. Wim Wenders shows that 3D is not just for kids with his Academy Award nominated documentary about legendary dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch. Her unique creations transformed the language of dance and Wenders’ 3D puts the audience right on stage with her.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax  3D has been delighting family audiences and now we are able to bring it to the Triplex in 3D. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph follow up their success with Bridesmaids in Friends With Kids, a romantic comedy also starring Mad Men’s John Hamm.