Movie Theater Reviews
These movie theater reviews are meant to help you find the right place for your viewing pleasure. There are all kinds of theaters showing movies that you’ll love: big and small; Cineplex and single screen; drive-in and indoor. Let’s take a look at some of the velvet seats where we find ourselves knocking back popcorn and Raisinets:
Regal Entertainment: Any list of movie theater reviews must start with the big daddy of the cineplexes. With more than 500 locations and close to 7,000 screens, Regal Entertainment Group is the largest theatre chain in the United States. It loaded its first reel in Knoxville, TN in 1989 and through acquisitions of smaller chains had become the biggest competitor on the scene by 2001. Regal now has theaters in 39 states and Washington, D.C. – everywhere except Idaho, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.
AMC Entertainment: The second largest of the big chains, AMC is the old-timey survivor of the bunch. Founded by a trio of vaudevillian brothers in 1920, AMC began its existence as the Durwood Theatres in Kansas City, Missouri. From Nosferatu to Daybreakers, the theater has been with moviegoers for close to a century and in that time has pioneered such advancements in comfort as adjustable arm rests (all the better to snuggle during the scary parts). The chain now has locations in every major U.S. city.
Cinemark Theatres: The third largest of cinema chains, Cinemark has close to 300 locations in the United States and 130 throughout Latin America. Cinemark was one of the first theaters to adopt “stadium style” seating (you’re welcome) making it easier to see the movie in spite of the tall guy with the big head in front of you. Cinemark is also known for its indie-movie subdivision, CineArts, which plays limited release and art-house films (current selections include: A Single Man, Precious, Crazy Heart, The Young Victoria, Nine, Invictus, and The Road).
The Classics: Of course, these movie theater reviews would be incomplete without mention of the classics, dating back to the days before stadium seating, IMAX, and even surround sound. One of my favorites, the gorgeous Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway in New York City, happens to belong to local chain Clearview Cinemas. Another local favorite, the Park Slope Pavilion, is one of thousands of single location, single screen theaters spread across the country. To see a list of these, visit Cinema Treasures, a site dedicated to the preservation of classic movie theaters.
The Drive-In: No, they’re not dead. Although their hey-day is 50 years in the past, the drive-in movie is alive and well all around the country. To find a place to park near you, visit DriveinMovie.com.
This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 5:28 pm and is filed under Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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