A new dimension in entertainment arrived in Merrill last month when the Cosmo Theater upgraded its theater to be able to show affordable 3D movies.

The Cosmo installed the newest form of high quality 3D when owner Dennis Lerch selected the Technicolor 3D system in time for an upcoming slate of movies being released in that 3D format.

Such movies have been taking the nation by storm, proving to be the biggest advancement in cinema history since the introduction of sound and color. There are currently more than 23 titles scheduled for release in 3D from major motion picture studios in 2010 with even more planned for next year.

The Technicolor system the Cosmo is using utilizes a new 35mm film format and a newly designed stereoscopic lens. The special lens combines the left and right images and projects them onto a silver screen. Polarized glasses resembling sunglasses are worn by the audience, translating the film’s images into 3D. The glasses can be recycled following a showing and aren’t required to view the movie in traditional 2D format.

The Cosmo shows movies every night with matinees on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There is an additional charge of $2 for renting the 3D glasses, which makes the Cosmo one of the most affordable movie experiences around.