Once you have been in the home cinema game for a while, it can be easy to forget about what brought you there in the first place.
Although it is one of the most dedicated groups of fans that you can come across, you can find yourself forgetting the initial sense of wonder that came with hearing an incredible sound system or seeing a film with a projector outside of the cinema for the first time.
I remember watching Arcane on the Award-winning Sony Bravia Projector 8 (which launched at a staggering £15,999 / $15999 / AU$21999) back in 2024 when I joined the What Hi-Fi? team, and being absolutely awestruck by the level of detail and contrast that the premium projector offers.
While other systems can still give me that feeling of wonder, it is not as frequent as when I first started the job.
But this old husk was reminded of the brilliance of home cinema when I attended a grassroots cinema club last week. Run by movie fan Will Mead, Midweek Cinema hosts movie screenings in various pubs across London primarily at the start of the week.
The club has also just been given access to the newly reopened Plaza Camden, which was thought to have closed its doors as a cinema back in February. But the venue is being given a new lease of life, and Midweek Cinema now operates from a 72-seater cinema screen for some of the week.
I got the chance to attend one of the screenings, kicking off with A Panic at Needle Park. I’ll be the first to admit that it was not a film that I had heard of, but I quickly learnt that it stars Al Pacino in his first major role. The movie follows Bobby (Pacino) and Helen (Kitty Winn), who fall in love, but their addiction to heroin forces them go to any means necessary to get high.
Tucked away in the ground floor of a cosy pub in West London, the small but passionate audience was treated to a bowl of popcorn each before the film began. Everyone is encouraged to talk to each other if they would like before and after the film as well, and plenty of regulars turned up.
Will’s setup includes the Hisense C2 Ultra projector, a pop-up foldable screen and a portable PA system for the audio. Now, that's not the reference-style system we'd expect to see in our home cinema room; there's no AVR or surround sound system involved, and (understandably) 4K discs aren't always the priority.
But that didn't matter quite as much here, as the system serves as a way for people to connect and enjoy films together, and ultimately that's what I think home cinema should be all about.
In fact, the four-star Hisense C2 Ultra's middling black levels and somewhat flat colours didn't distract, or even really cross my mind. The versatility, easy set-up and punchy high brightness that this projector boasts were perfect for this situation, making it an ideal choice for Will.
As the lights went off and the crowd settled, the magic of seeing a film with others was all that mattered. Sure, it wasn’t on a premium projector, and the sound wasn't coming from a £10,000 system, but sharing a movie with a group was really touching.
No gatekeeping, no competitive specs comparison; just watching a film with fellow movie nerds. I’ll certainly be testing my next projector and sound system with a renewed passion.
MORE:
How a film lover made his own affordable movie club
These are the best projectors
And check out the best soundbars
