Silverspot Cinema opens Friday in Mercato

Silverspot Cinema, the "boutique hotel of movie theaters," opens at Mercato on Friday, Sept. 11, after an invitation-only VIP celebration Thursday, Sept. 10. The 11 screening rooms, each designed to cocoon 100 people in plush, reserved seating and surround them with stateof the-art sound and projection technology, are only part of the sophisticated Silverspot experience.

After gliding up the escalator, moviegoers who arrive early can enjoy drinks and appetizers in the lounge, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the lively shopping areas of Mercato below. Reservations for dinner in Silverspot's 65-seat restaurant are another option.

In keeping with its traditional movie theater roots, Silverspot also has a concession stand with all of the customary goodies. The popcorn is cooked in healthier coconut oil, however, and alongside the Milk Duds and Dots are edamame and nuts.

"Films, of course, are the real reason one comes to a theater," says Gonzalo Ulivi, Silverspsot's co-president with his cousin Ilio Ulivi.

The screens at Silverspot will feature the latest Hollywood blockbusters as well as a smattering of independent and foreign films. Opening weekend presentations include "District 9," "Julie & Julia," "The Time Traveler's Wife," "Extract," "Inglourious Basterds" and "(500) Days of Summer," as well as a documentary about Vogue magazine called "The September Issue" and, in 3D,

Silverspot at Mercato is the first U.S. location for the boutique chain the Ulivi cousins started eight years ago in their native Caracas, Venezuela. Today there are five Silverspots in Venezuela and one in Argentina, and the Ulivis are remodeling a cinema in Chile as well as scouting additional locations around the world.

"Naples was the perfect match, and Mercato presented itself as the perfect home for Silverspot," says Gonzalo Ulivi. "We share the same consumer and the same mission, to create an experience where people will walk out feeling special."

After Thursday's VIP opening, Silverspot will open at noon every day of the week and show movies continuously until midnight. Regular tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for children; matinees are $10. For movies in 3D, tickets are $19 for adults, $16 for seniors and $14 for children; matinees are $12.

At 9118 Strada Place in Mercato, the entrance to Silverspot is between AZN and The Pub restaurants.

For information about movies and times, or to reserve a seat for the showing of your choice, call 592-0300 or visit www.silverspotcinema.com.