Nightmare on Elm Street in a New Light

Bookmark and Share

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 11:57 -- Nick Dager

The original 1984 Warner Bros. horror classic Nightmare on Elm Street will screen in Los Angeles this Halloween weekend with a new twist: the film will be screened with immersive visual effects from Phillip's new cinema experience, LightVibes.The original 1984 Warner Bros. horror classic Nightmare on Elm Street will screen in Los Angeles this Halloween weekend with a new twist: the film will be screened with immersive visual effects from Phillip's new cinema experience, LightVibes. The film is being shown at L.A.’s Downtown Independent Theatre tonight at eight p.m. and October 30-31 at seven p.m.

Nightmare on Elm Street was a major success three decades ago and spawned a long list of sequels and remakes. The first film’s story is a horror staple. On Elm Street, Nancy Thompson and a group of her friends are being tormented in their dreams by a clawed killer named Freddy Krueger. Nancy must think quickly, as Freddy tries to pick off his victims one by one. The original poster probably said it best: “If Nancy doesn’t wake up screaming, she won’t wake up at all.”

This is Philips LightVibes first test with Warner Bros. As the event cinema market grows, so has the demand for classic films and the studios are all considering ways to release the best films in their vast archives. Halloween weekend is a perfect time to bring back Freddy Kreuger.

The LightVibes surround cinema lighting technology delivers compelling, subtle ambient visual effects to every viewer’s peripheral field of vision, enhancing the impact of the onscreen content. The effects for Nightmare on Elm Street were created in the Netherlands by Philips’ in-house post-production team. A company spokeswoman did not want to spoil any surprises but she did suggest that several times during Nightmare on Elm Street the LightVibes system creates the illusion of blood splattering on the auditorium walls.

By augmenting and intensifying the movie-going experience, Philips LightVibes allows for theaters like the Downtown Independent to create new opportunities and drive excitement, thereby attracting broader audiences without a major investment or renovation disruption. Philips LightVibes can help theatres access new revenue streams and make better use of their assets, including classic films like Nightmare on Elm Street.

The event cinema market is expected to top $1 billion by 2018.

James Kirst, the founder and executive director of Los Angeles's Downtown Independent Theatre said, “With Philips LightVibes we are able to strengthen our position as a resource for exploration and innovation, finding new ways to develop motion-pictures as a major form of art, expression and experience.”