In search of experiencing the new cinemas for the first time, Sabahbah stumbled across the official launching of Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) in 1 Borneo.

With every visit the largest hyper mall in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and East Malaysia is looking more and more like one. Tonight 1 Borneo was actually busy with a host of people, locals and tourists alike.

Our main aim on this visit was dinner and a movie, the former which took place at Sushi King on the lower ground floor. Sushi plates lined the conveyor belt and it was alive with a buzz of eager sushi eaters.

GSC, as you may know by now, is located on the 2nd floor of 1 Borneo and it’s safe to say that it’s one of the major attractions at the moment. There are some other shops, which are completed and open, but none draw in the crowds like Golden Screen Cinemas do.

Although GSC in 1 Borneo has been trading since about 30 May, tonight was the official launch. A small, formal ceremony attended by GSC Chairman, General Tan Sri Dato Mohd Ghazali Seth, announced the fact and a short tour of the facilities declared it to be officially open.

The Sabahbah Test Panel sampled Superhero Movie. Although the movie itself was nothing to write about, it was a pleasure to experience it from new, comfortable seats in an international standard movie hall.

Let’s run you through the GSC 1 Borneo experience.

Ticket Collection

Our pre-booked tickets were quickly secured from the ticket box office, which are staffed with a generous number of staff. This means that even when it gets busy the queues should move along quickly, and with 8 screens you know it will get busy.

The skinny on movie prices at GSC 1 Borneo: Our movie tonight was RM8, as are all shows Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday after 6pm. Before 6pm they’re RM7 and before 12pm RM6, great for school holidays.

On Saturdays (this includes after midnight Friday night), Sundays, Public Holidays and the eve of a public holiday after 6pm, the shows are RM9.

On Wednesdays, all shows are RM6.

Students, Senior Citizens and handicapped movie goers pay RM6 for all shows before 6pm, except for weekends and public holidays. Children pay RM5 for all U-rated movies.

Confectionery

What’s a movie without popcorn? Just not the same.

GSC 1 Borneo offers the usual line-up of confectionary including the ever popular caramalised pop-corn, from very hi-tech pop-corn makers might we add, and a selection of F&N softdrinks, including ice lemon tea.

The pop-corn was fresh and crunchy and was neither too sweet nor too plain. The Sabahbah Test Panel Sprite tasted like it might have had just a bit more soda water in it than what the formula require. But we’re pedantic.

Cinemas

GSC in 1 Borneo brings 1,500 additional seats across 8 screens to KK’s movie circuit.

Cinema 1 is the biggest with 330 seats (plus 2 for wheelchair spaces), Cinema 2 has 274 (plus 2 for wheelchairs), Cinema 3 has 196 seats, Cinema 4 has 210 seats, Cinema 5 has 160 seats, and Cinemas 6 to 8 have 110 seats each.

All cinemas have stadium seating, which means no tall heads will spoil your show, ever. The seats flip up and the backs are high, providing ample support. They are also molded and at a fixed angle.

The mould of the seat-backs are very comfortable, although the angle might tire the body during one of those two or three hour epic movies. Will report back after we sit through one of those two to three hour epic movies.

The lighting in the cinema hall is appropriately subdued and faded out when the trailers started. The quality of the screen is superb and the sound is impecably balanced and at the perfect volume.

Something to commend GSC at 1 Borneo on is the temperature of the movie hall. It was perfect. The tendency in the down-town cinemas (they’re all guilty), is to chill the movie hall to a point where patrons start to shiver. No such issues at GSC 1 Borneo.

After the movie, patrons exit through the front and are channeled through a series of tunnels which exits to the back of the box office. You walk right into the bowling alley, or you will, once it’s finished.

The movie experience at GSC 1 Borneo was virtually flawless and it’s certain that the bar for movie night has been sufficiently raised.

Watch out for upcoming promotions and specials, although the experience in itself will see you returning again and again to Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) in 1 Borneo.