Better Theater Experiences

This a follow up to "People talking in the theater... " at this thread:

http://www.therpf.com/f12/people-talking-theater-110674/

....which are stories of people's bad movie going experiances. I have run across an article of how better improved theaters should be and found some actually exist that I wish I could attend but sadly most are out of my reach.....maybe some guys here live near one of these or know one like these. Some theaters are very unusual and some might be to your liking...some not:

CINEBISTRO - Miami, 2 others in Florida, 2 in Virgina and Colorado
http://www.cobbcinebistro.com/dolphin-info.asp
Reserved seating in a boutique theater for the +21 crowd though they do allow parents to bring children to family films that play until 6pm. Stretch out on duel reclining leather chairs that boast 6' of legroom and enjoy an order of Churrasco Steak and a pitcher of white-wine Sangria. No food or drink served once lights go down...free valet parking.


CINEFAMILY - Los Angeles
The Cinefamily, Los Angeles
Expertly curated art-house films in a single screening room with 158 chairs and 8 leather couches. An average Friday night double feature? "Citizen Ruth" introduced by director Alexander Payne followed by "Flirting with Disaster" with David Russel in person. Some can drool over special events when Stephen Merritt from the Magnetic Fields popped by one past summer to perform a live score to the 1916 silent film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. the concession offers Crumbs cup cakes.


RERUN GASTROPUB THEATER - Brooklyn
reRun Gastropub Theater | Indie Cinema with a Buzz
Tucked in the back of the reBar Restaurant is a new art-house theaters that fits 60 on refurbished minivan seats. The eclectic programming is plucked from the festival circuit : 75% of the films are self distributed or looking for distributors. One-off screenings of classics like "sweet Smell of Success" or ridiculata like the erotic lesbian vampire romp "Daughters of Darkness are free. The theates boasts a full bar and heavenly menu and a small popcorn can come drizzled with your choice of bacon fat or duck fat.


THE THEATERS OF CANAL PLACE - New Orleans
The Theatres at Canal Place
Each of the 5 screening rooms which have 50- 70 reclining leathers seats are outfitted for all digital projection. Chef James Beard semi-finalist Adolfo Garcia created a Mediterranean-inspired menu that includes a Spanish muffuletta sandwich and a glazed duck salad brought to your table with a simple press of the call button. Wine also served and they have $10 matinees.

THE ACADEMY THEATER - Portland, Oregon
The Academy Theater - Portland, Oregon
The 2nd run theater completely restored in 2006, sell sushi, frsh salads,Flying Pizza by the slice and Nathan's hot dogs, plus organic juices and 10 microbrews on tap at the concession stand. The theaters also offers babysitting services Thurs thru Sundays for customers with children 18 months -8 years old. They also occasionally run vintage trailers.


ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE - Texas and Virginia
Alamo Drafthouse
Full service awesomeness from the pioneer of movie-going fun. Besides good eats and drinks (beer too) brought to you throughout the film, you have access to first run movies and a treasure trove of signature events: sing-a-longs, quote-a-longs, Master Theater (a glorious pairing of turkey movies and live comedy show). Terror Tuesdays and Weird Wednesdays where $1 earns you a truly depraved and deplorable exploitation movie. Annoyed by a blabby neighbor? Hold up your menu card and a server or manager will promptly adress the problem. Every Tues is Baby Day when parents can shamelessly tot along their infants to the 1st showing and no glares if a kid squawks.

AMC MAINSTREET 6 CINEMA SUITES - Kansas City, Mo , New Jersey and Texas
AMC Mainstreet 6 Kansas City, MO 64105 | AMC Movie Theaters
A civilized haven for the 21+ crowd. Relax in reclining leather seats-equipped with subwoofers underneath so your chair vibrates along with the action on screen-and let your server bring you dinner from the full in-house menu. Sip wine, themed cocktails, or Kansas Cities own Boulevard beer on tap. Attendents bid you "good evening" with a warm towel and a Ghirardelli chocolate mint. every bathroom has its own private sink.

BIG PICTURE - Seattle
Big Picture Movie Theater Seattle Meeting Event Facility
A little gem speakeasy style nestled below a neighborhood steakhouse. The 21+ first run theater has one screening room that seats 88 people. They serve their famous white-cheddar-cheese popcorn in a champagne bucket. Wash it down with a Bogart-muddled fresh sage with lime, Cointreau and Tanqueray gin. You can reorder your cocktails and request when you'd like them delivered to you during the movie.

I realize some of these theaters aren't to everyone's liking but I found them interesting and wouldn't mind trying one or 2 if I could. Maybe someone out there has an unusual theater they attend that they could share.

Re: Better Theater Experiances

Good stuff. Thanks for posting. I'd also add GOLD CLASS cinemas in Pasadena, CA. Good food. Great seats. You pay more... but you GET more.

Re: Better Theater Experiances

Arclight here in L.A. ain't so bad...

Re: Better Theater Experiances

The little locally owned one in town is pretty good and they don't take crap from teens. Then again the old theater is the hip hangout i guess where the teens go, it has 8 screens, and it seems to be favored by the local PTAs as it tends to only have kid/teen friendly movies. Which is funny considering all the drugs and violence in the parking lot.

Re: Better Theater Experiances

I wish I lived closer to one of those, I can't stand the theaters here.

I always hear the guys at aint it cool yammering on about the alamo drafthouse in texas and I would love to go, but it's such a far drive hahaha

Actually Portland has more than one microbrewery/theater. Nothing like seeing Casablanca on the big screen and quaffing fine fermented beverages.

Alamo Drafthouse is awesome but the Canal Place Theater is decently close to me since I moved. I wonder if I should go sometime?

Looks like you just have to hike past Harrah's a bit to make it. Crap, I know what's going to reel me in before I get there.

So with all these bring the food to you deals, are people constantly walking in front of you during the movie?

We have a Cinebistro about 20 minute from my house, but I have never been.

We also have a drive-in close by -- You don't need to worry about people talking since you are in your car. The only thing you have to worry about is people turning their lights on...which is quickly taken care of by the staff.

Re: Better Theater Experiances

alienscollection.com said:

Arclight here in L.A. ain't so bad...

Click to expand...

Arclight is a great movie theater. I love it....I wish there was one closer by to my house. I went there last year for a special showing of the rocketeer. It was an amazing experience

or maybe, the experience made it amazing........hmmmmmm

Most of the time I go to the local "art" theater (owned by Regale). Because they don't play most of the over the top block-buster movies (Avatar, etc), there isn't a lot of crowds... I really like it, most of the time there is only 5-15 people watching a film and most of them are mature adults... I saw "Moon" there 3-4 times. Once on a friday night and it only had 20 or so people in the theater. Afterward we hung around the lobby and discussed the movie for about an hour.

Up here in Thousand Oaks we have Muvico. We have a 21+ section and the seats are huge and the 21+ is a balcony and pretty small so even if it's full there's really not a lot of people. We love it. Along with your tickets for the movie you get a free popcorn and $3 of your ticket goes to concession. I mean it kind of sucks that you have no choice but to "pay" for that but the price of the ticket is worth it to have space and good seats and no kids. And it's assigned seating so you don't have to stand in line or any of that nonsense.

For a while in Oakland, there was the Speakeasy theater, which served food and had couch seating.

In SF, Sundance took over the old Kabuki theater in Japantown and it's a nice place to go see a movie: Sundance Cinemas : Theatre Kabuki

They offer reserved seating, have a restaurant next door and a bar inside, and some of the evening shows are even 21+.

This is why I built my own Home Theater. I hate going to the local Theaters.

Bear Tooth in Anchorage. (Second run, Classic, Arthouse)
Excellent pizza, $3 movies, over 21 section, micro brews, and micro brew soda. Plus, they have an attached bistro with some of the best food in town.

Gold Class iPic theaters in Redmond, WA is awesome. 21+ theater, reserved seating too.

We've got Cinecentre. No wait, that sucked. And it closed. Oh! There's Cinema City. No silly me, that had sticky seats, sucked hard, was closed, and demolished. Oh, but there's the Town...no, closed and converted into serviced apartments. Um, the Capri? The Capri was great, they had a great staff who used to get right into the horror showings...oh sorry no, it's now a shoe shop. Uh, there was always Hoyts City Arcade...no, that was upstairs and the stairs themselves have been removed, I think it's just a howling void now. Hoyts Wanamba Arcade must be...gah, forgot, it got converted into a Borders...which went bust and closed down. There's the Plaza...no, not been seen in living memory, all sealed off and dusty I presume. What about the Piccadilly? That's still going, AND it's a really nice bit of 30s deco...something's wrong there, surely it needs to burn down? Anyway, they serve ice creams and coca-cola from the ticket counter.

I think two of the more distant suburban multiplexes have an actual bar serving actual alcoholic drinks, and you can go to the bar and buy the drinks, if you've paid $30 for your premium ticket, so that's all right then.

Cinetopia serves the Portland/Vancouver area. It has two locations with a third on the way. The new location is in Beaverton, OR (a Portland suburb), and the original is on Mill Plain Blvd in Vancouver, WA. (an unofficial Portland suburb). A third location is being built at Vancouver Mall.

It's very nice. High prices but you get nice amenities like their living room theater, a 4 star restaurant and wine, with meals served before the movie (but not during).

It's very classy and nice. No bad patrons.

I hate you all.