SO: Do you live near a great movie theater?

[mom2rtk]

We have a big AMC complex about 15 minutes away, but I haven't been there in some time. I prefer to patronize the small local theater just a few minutes away on our town square. I'm generally home within minutes of the final credits rolling. I love that I can arrive last minute and get a great seat and that the movie actually starts within a few minutes of the published start time. We'll be seeing Kong this weekend and BATB there next week.

I also feel much better about sending my teen daughter there with a friend or 2 rather than sending them to the big complex in town.

 

[MrJT]

I live in a city that has a lot of movie theaters. My favorite place is one of the Alamo Draft Houses in town. We saw Beauty and the Beast there on Friday, and it had apparently been renovated since we were at that one last, so it was even cooler.

 

[simplyton]

Local Cineplex is the only one within 45min drive or so and at big new release times it does feel like the only show in town.
Its pretty run of the mill and as per most can get $$$ pretty quickly

Over the course of the summer the local drive-in opens and its crazy popular with locals and tourists alike
Very committed owner seems to have found a nice balance between old time setting and new advancements
Its a godsend for us
Awesome location and much more of an experience than the Cineplex imo

 

[Bilberry]

There is a nice theater around 15 miles away. This is a tourist area. Depending on the time of the year will determine how long it takes to reach the theater. I imagine with spring breakers here and winter snow birds still around it could take 30 to 45 minutes to reach. Other times of the year it will be a quick drive to the movie theater.

I've wondered if that theater will be around much longer. It is attached to a mall. The mall, as with many other malls, is seeing less and less foot traffic. The anchor store closed up shop last year. Other smaller stores have done similar. It would not surprise me if the nice theater shuttered up also in the next couple of years.

There is a small theater around a 15 minutes bicycle ride from me. I have not been to it. It looks interesting when I ride by. It is on my list of things to do in the future. It's an older theater, that appears to only show one movie at a time.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

We've got an iPic near us. They're pretty awesome:

 

[BrianL]

My go-to theater is pretty nice, but not the best. I really want a theater with the assigned seats and recliners. Still, it's not too bad. Seats are decent and they have some large screens. I miss the Muvico downtown though as it was much nicer and they popped fresh popcorn.

 

[FINFAN]

Finfan - that looks amazing.

We have all the Imax, etc. out the behind. Our local historic art house was recently remodeled and its my favorite. I go often and just watch whatever is next and those previews tell me what's going to be great - and what to check out next. I happened upon Moonlight this way with a friend - in the fall before the buzz built. I love it for that very reason. Walk in not knowing what you'll see - leave not knowing what you saw besides that it was special.

There are 2 of these near me...one is 5 minutes the other is about 20. Called Hollywood Palms. Food is decent and they get celebrities in from time to time. It's on my top 10 of things to do here. When you have cold crappy weather most of the year, places like this are very popular, lol.

 

[rastahomie]

@FINFAN that's amazing! Where is this place, if you don't mind me asking?

As for me: it's a 40-minute drive to the nearest theater, and it sucks. It's small, it's cramped, and when I went there for Beauty and the Beast, they hadn't cleaned up from the previous show, so the floors were covered with popcorn and soda and such. My feet stuck to the floor! AND, it had been an unseasonably warm day that day, but they didn't turn on the A/C, so it was muggy and hot and it smelled like sweat and BO.

 

[FINFAN]

@FINFAN that's amazing! Where is this place, if you don't mind me asking?

As for me: it's a 40-minute drive to the nearest theater, and it sucks. It's small, it's cramped, and when I went there for Beauty and the Beast, they hadn't cleaned up from the previous show, so the floors were covered with popcorn and soda and such. My feet stuck to the floor! AND, it had been an unseasonably warm day that day, but they didn't turn on the A/C, so it was muggy and hot and it smelled like sweat and BO.

Hollywood Palms in Naperville, and also Woodridge. If you head up for a Cubs game, make a weekend out of it and hit the 'burbs for a movie.
https://www.hollywoodpalmscinema.com/

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yes several. Reclining leather seats and one in the area even has a waitress that will bring you your food and alcoholic beverages.

 

[Astryd]

We have an Alamo Drafthouse right down the street from us.

They make it hard to want to go anywhere else with their zero tolerance policy for using cellphones and for no talking and a great beer selection.

 

[marthachick]

We have no movie theaters in our town. There are theaters in all of the surrounding cities with the closest one to us being about a 40 minute drive. It's ok, with decent seats but none that recline.

 

[elgerber]

I live within 5 miles of 3 theaters.
One of them I can't stand. It's older and they say they have stadium seating, but the really don't. There is maybe one short step between rows. They have low back chairs, and they serve Pepsi LOL. That is a deal breaker for me unless absolutely unavoidable LOL.
Another one is beautiful, Moulin Rouge themed lobby, full bar, food, pool tables. Real stadium seating. Decent seats, recliners in the front two rows. And they serve Pepsi. My dd worked there for awhile, so we did go there fairly often, much more rarely now.
The final one has true stadium seating. They do not serve real food...yet. They have been bought out and are being redone. They had good seats before, plush rockers, but now they all have the most comfy recliners I have sat in, in any theaters I have been too. They are also adding a bar and food service, eventually. They let you reserve your seats online for no service fees. Prices are $5 matinee, $7 evening. No upcharge for 3d and $2 upcharge for the Monster Screen. And they serve Coke. This is our theater of choice, we love it.
I do not live in the city, we live in a very far outer ring suburb of Minneapolis.

 

[camreesmom]

The closest theater is about 10 minutes from our house but only has two screens, no stadium seating and the popcorn is never great. We can drive about 45 minutes and get stadium seating and great popcorn the majority of the time. If we want reserved seating, reclining seats, etc., it's about an hour and a half drive for us.

 

[superme80]

We have a 10 screen theater in the town about 15 miles from us. It is nice. Nothing special, but good place to go to a first showing of a Marvel or Star Wars movie. The next larger town has a Studio Movie Grill, and 2 other theaters another town away. It only takes about 30-40 mins to go to a really nice theater.

 

[bcla]

I think everyone has a different definition of what makes a movie experience great. It may be a little bit uncomfortable, but occasionally I like to see a movie in a grand palace like the Castro in San Francisco. The Paramount Theatre in Oakland is mostly a performing arts venue, but they still have a movie screen and have the occasional one-day showing.

The UC Theater in Berkeley (not related to the University) was a big single-screen movie house. For years they were doing single-night or short term showings. They had The Rocky Horror Picture Show for at least a couple of decades. Still - the seats were uncomfortable and they didn't necessarily maintain it well. I heard a joke that the name stood for "unclean". It closed for a few years but reopened as a performing venue. I think Green Day did opening night.

 

[ImDMous]

We have two 20 screen theaters about 10 minutes away in either direction, regular Regal stadium seating, no IMAX. About half an hour away is a 20 screen with IMAX.

Our favorite is Cinepolis with reserved leather recliners, waitresses with food and drinks, alcoholic beverages and the best zebra popcorn. That's about half an hour away and where we usually see all our opening weekend movies.

 

[aristocatz]

yep, several great one's to choose from
...and this one is my favorite, 5 minutes away

seats have since been redone to the stadium recliners, book ahead etc. The above is just one of he themed rooms.

WOW!!!!! What is the name of that theater??

 

[FINFAN]

I think everyone has a different definition of what makes a movie experience great. It may be a little bit uncomfortable, but occasionally I like to see a movie in a grand palace like the Castro in San Francisco. The Paramount Theatre in Oakland is mostly a performing arts venue, but they still have a movie screen and have the occasional one-day showing.

The UC Theater in Berkeley (not related to the University) was a big single-screen movie house. For years they were doing single-night or short term showings. They had The Rocky Horror Picture Show for at least a couple of decades. Still - the seats were uncomfortable and they didn't necessarily maintain it well. I heard a joke that the name stood for "unclean". It closed for a few years but reopened as a performing venue. I think Green Day did opening night.

plus you have a theater capable of showing real 70mm real Imax.

 

[FINFAN]

WOW!!!!! What is the name of that theater??

Hollywood Palms
best part? BOGO Sunday-Thurs with coupon (excluding new release)
https://www.hollywoodpalmscinema.com/