Which one will you go to?
Small old theatre. More character.
Actually, my husband and I frequently travel to a theatre in a small town about 1/2 hour away to see movies. They show movies after they’ve been out for about 3 weeks.
Admission is 2.75, popcorn is anywhere from .50 - 2.00, candy is .50 - $1.25, same with drinks.
Last time we went there, (saw Planet of the Apes), they had to stop the film in the first five minutes because they hadn’t made the screen wide enough. A guy came out, moved back some curtained panels and then they started the movie again.
It was great.
For those of you in the mid-Michigan area, its the Sun Theatre in Williamston.
Cast my vote for small old theater, if it’s an independent. If it’s just a shabby Edwards that has fallen into disrepair, forget it.
Support your local movie house! God, I miss the Port…
Depends on the movie. If it’s a classic film, or something not action oriented, old theaters are definitely cool. But if we’re talking about something like The Fellowship of the Ring, gimme THX, DTS, DSS, TLA, PDQ, ASAP. On the other hand, it’s a pain when you park at a multiplex and then have to hike 10 miles uphill through the snow just to get to the door.
Multiplex if I can afford it ($12.50 for just the ticket here in Canada where our money is colorful but worthless, heh). I figure if I’m going to go see a movie, I might as well see it as big and loud as I can. If I want to see it small and without all the surround sound and such, I can just rent it on video. Of course, this is no doubt the attitude that’s responsible for forcing independant theatres to shut down when the huge one opens up next door…
…but they have really cool chairs in the big ones! You can lean back in the seat and everything.
- Tsugumo
I agree with Strum. It depends on the movie. Generally, I find the older, smaller movie houses are where you can find the harder-to-catch movies, or the older, in the public domain, movies. Example: There’s a teeny independent movie house that shows “It’s a Wonderful Life” every year around Christmastime.
Yes, I’ve seen that movie a ton of times before – but it’s SOOOOOO much better on a 20 - 40 foot screen.
For the newest movies I can’t wait to see, I like the new, big theaters so I can be totally immersed in the experience.
Fairly new movies that have been out for a month or so, best at the multiplex – especially a matinee. (Cheaper that way.)
I think this is pretty much a no-brainer. I agree completely with sturmhauke that an action movie almost requires the full modern movie theatre to be fully appreciated, as that’s how they are “designed.” But for anything else, a small independent is the way to go.
In Tampa the only theatre that really shows “art” movies is the Tampa Theatre, built in the twenties. The concession stand serves cappuccino, wine, beer, and fantastic home-style cookeis and other confections. You go into the theatre proper, and it’s decorated to look like the outside of some Italian-type plaza, with the facades of buildings, complete with back-lit stained glass windows, stuffed birds, and hanging plants, arranged around and on top of the screen. The ceiling is gently rounded, painted a very dark blue, with little holes in it that have lights behind them, simulating a starry night, and some tricky projector that projects clouds drifting by onto the ceiling.
The theatre was built during the days of silent movies, and still has a Wurlitzer pipe organ which is played by a real live person before every showing. As the movie begins the organ and organist are lowered into the stage. A couple of years ago they showed the original silent film “Zorro,” and had a woman who had actually played the organ for silent films way back in the twenties play the “soundtrack” while the movie showed. She was the sweetest, tiniest little old lady you can imagine, and just jammed on that Wurlitzer.
Get the picture?
No contest, given that I live in Seattle: the Cinerama.
It’s one of the few original “Cinerama” theatres, built in 1963, although it was quickly retrofitted to 70mm. Paul Allen refitted the entire place in 1999, making it one of the most high-tech cinemas around. Watching a film on its enormous curved screen, with top-of-the-line sound is enjoyable, whether it’s the latest special-effects circus or a classic.
I will definitely be there on October 5th, to see the premiere of the new digital print of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
One other thing. When Allen fixed the place up, he kept the 60’s style. The carpeting moves, I swear.
Big theater with all the fancy audio visual systems and the really comfortable seats. No contest.
Marc
Just curious bunny, but what city do you live in? I live in Howell.
Anyway, I prefer the big Multiplex, mainly because where I am they have reclining love seat chairs where you can pull up the armrest in the middle so that I can snuggle with my woman. And I also like that I can put my own butter and salt on the popcorn with the little dispensers they have. It’s nice.
Oh yeah, and how do you get to that theater you metioned? And is it crowded? Anything else you can tell me about it?
Smaller independent theatres have better ambiance, but the sounds usually sucks so bad I can’t understand half the dialogue. This exacerbates the already poor sound of many independent films resulting in a theatre experience which is less than memorable, unfortunately. Unless you are just going to a “brew and view” for the brew, I would probably choose the larger theatre.
I almost always go with the multiplex, as long as it has stadium seats. Man, I love those. As a short person, I have lived a lifetime of watching movies in theaters with someone’s head blocking out a small portion of the film. Sure, I can still watch the film and ignore the little half moon of blackness … but, I’ll still take the uninterrupted view offered by stadium seating any day.
Frankly, I don’t know of many old historic theaters that offer the same things at the same time as the area multiplexes. We like going to the BAM Rose Cinema (which is an old theater recently converted to a movie theater), and it is usually showing all independent films and/or film revivals. I can’t see these at the multiplex anyway.
Although, Mr. Del and I are probably personally responsible for any slump in the film business that results from watching movies with our ample behinds comfortably settled in our couch in front of our TV. I love watching movies with our cat and over a dinner that I just prepared and some excellent wine. I know this makes me an uneducated philistine in some circles, because I am not seeing the film as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen, in a communal experience, blah blah blah blah. Pass me that Frescobaldi Nipponzano '96, please.
Here in Melbourne, Australia, we have the Astor (five minutes from my place) which is like your small old theatre, but with the big screen and novelty sound system installed.
It’s an independent, and shows a different double bill each night. A calendar comes out every three months with all the details, and locals keep them on the wall with the films of interest circled. Seating is all upstairs with a sloping floor, and uninterrupted views.
But the personal touches are what makes it lovable.
The foyer is not ornate, but in a smart low-key art deco style. There are numerous large sofas to sit and chat, and a grand piano in the corner. I’ve been there when a blues pianist has performed during interval.
There are photos of ex-employees on the wall, and a theatre cat. Nice, unflappable ginger colour.
I have actually seen him walk during a film (Rear Window, from memory) daintily all the way along the parapet of the balcony, settle himself at the far end, and go to sleep.
A warm, lovely movie house. Ain’t I lucky?
Redboss
In principle, I love supporting the old theatres. We have one here that even has an organ in it, and they play it before features. They used to use it to provide the music during silent films. Utterly cool.
But now, I am ashamed to admit, comfort takes precedence. I’ll go to the big theatre with the reclining seats. feels guilty
I don’t understand why you feel guilty. I’d happily go to whatever theater provided me with the best movie experience for the most reasonable price. Since I don’t generally purchase concessions that means I want comfortable seats, a big screen, and a neato burrito sound system. Although I have to admit going to a movie theater with an organ sounds pretty cool.
Marc
The only way you’ll get me into the old theatre, with their low-tech sound, and tiny seats (I’m a very large person, OK? Seats made for anorexic children don’t fit me.) is if it’s a classic or obscure film that will never get to the multiplex, and might even be hard to find on video.
The only way I’ll watch a movie in discomfort is if there’s no way to be comfortable while watching it.
No doubt about it, the small old theater. I’m not a big movie fan (I prefer buying CDs and books with my money), so I usually only see indie films. And the Charles Theater in Baltimore is the best theatre ever. Not only do I only pay $5 admission with my college ID, but I can get popcorn and a soda and still only spend $10 total. Also, they ONLY play small indie films, which are my fave. In the past two weeks I’ve seen Ghost World, Memento (for the fourth time!), Bread and Tulips and Himalaya there, and I never fail to have a great time. Granted, I prefer the stadium seats, and only one theater in the Charles has them, but I don’t mind.
The last mainstream film I saw, “The Others,” was at the ginormous “Muvico” in Arundal Mills Mall. The mall could easily house most of Spain’s population, and the movie theater is similarly proportioned. It has this weird psuedo-Egyptian thing happening, with huge hollow pillars and a big Sphinx. I might have had a nice time but for the noisy, rude teenagers who were apparently on crack and the recurrent cell phone ringing. Lots of giggling, lots of talking, and they turned off the flim to ask people to turn off their cell phones and then flashlighted the row where the cell-phone-commandos had been reported.
Thank God for the Charles. No one talks during the film and no cell phones have ever rung. Most of the audience is 20+, so there’s a nice level of maturity. Plus, there are lots of great bars and restaurants around too.
Viva La Charles!
Strum is it? Well, I do have an old guitar that I’ll get around to learning one of these days…
'Pends on the movie. If possible, I’ll go to the theater where the movie was designed to play. That means I’ll see indie films at the art houses (frankly, with the increasing popularity of the handheld camera movies [sub]where[/sub] [sup]the[sup] picture[/sup][/sup][sub]goes[sub][sub] up[/sub][/sub]and [/sub][sup]down[/sup], I’ll take the smallest screen possible, please, because I would feel bad making theater employees clean up my barf), but I’ll see major studio releases at the multiplex.
And I make every effort to see special-effects driven films, if I’m going to see them at all, in a huge theater with every possible tech gimmick. That’s how they were made to be seen, and seeing them anywhere else deprives me of, oh, 90% of the movie. (What would’ve been the point of seeing The Phantom Menace on a bitty screen in tinny sound? The acting? The dialog? Please. There wasn’t any of either that was worthy of note. It was the eye candy or it was nothing, and AIR there wasn’t much else playing for three weeks or so the summer it came out.)
Another factor: there are no decent cheap movie theaters in LA, at least not in these parts, but the multiplexes are the cheapest - 9.50 v. 12 bucks at the independent/art house theaters. I’m not paying more for less, so there had better be something else to get my butt in those seats - a good ‘smaller’ movie with no explosions is usually what it takes.
And the final factor, of course, is audience. With some movies, I know just about the only entertainment I’ll get is from watching the audience watch the movie (this applies especially to the costume dramas and romantic comedies dear to the LO’s heart), so I tend to judge theaters in large part by their patrons. If I want to watch the movie, we’ll go to a place that draws people who remember to turn off their cell phones and who don’t talk. If I’m going to be watching the audience, it’s off to the place that draws folks who are easily puzzled and exceptionally vocal.