#1 ·
I honestly think the venue makes or breaks the whole movie experience. It’s probably similar to how people feel about wine—I don't know much about vintages myself, though I'm definitely an enthusiast when it comes to the films.
(Speaking specifically about Washington, D.C.) Right now, my happy place is that little independent theater downtown showing a revival of a flick I intentionally skipped when it was playing at the big multiplexes. I used to frequent the local Cinema house back in the day because the crowd was always top-tier, but lately, I just haven't had much reason to swing by.
As for the AMC Theatres, I can only stomach those during press screenings. Sure, the tech is flawless, but it kind of strips the soul out of the movie. And since atmosphere is such a huge part of the tradition, I usually go in expecting nothing but some mindless Hollywood blockbuster.
Out of all the spots, the worst by far is Europa. I spent years avoiding it, but lately, I've found myself giving in just because of other circumstances. It’s easily the most small-town feeling theater in Washington, D.C., and the audience always seems to laugh at all the wrong parts. They renovated the place once, but they did it so greedily that they crammed the rows together until only five-year-olds could sit comfortably. When they finally added more legroom by removing every other row, the whole place ended up looking hideous. To make matters worse, the seat numbers are tucked behind the chairs, so you have to lean over like you're on a Greyhound bus just to find where to sit—and even then, the front row doesn't help. Plus, they just slapped paper stickers over the old numbers, half of which are missing, leaving you to play detective. It can be kind of funny to watch if you show up early; you can either help the staff or mess with them just to see them scrambling later. 😁
The absolute worst thing they've done to theaters recently is allowing popcorn inside. There is nothing quite like a theater smelling like old grease while a crowd of people crunches through a jumbo-sized bucket for two hours straight. Now, even the classic, traditional houses have succumbed to it. 😢
In my neighborhood, they shut down three theaters in just a few months (the one near the Appalachian Mountains, the local Studio, and the one near the Uranium plant). I absolutely loved the first two, especially when they were mostly empty—which happened more often than you'd think. There’s nothing better than a half-empty theater where you can just lose yourself in the silver screen. 🙂
So, which theaters do you guys love (or absolutely hate) and what's the story there?
(Speaking specifically about Washington, D.C.) Right now, my happy place is that little independent theater downtown showing a revival of a flick I intentionally skipped when it was playing at the big multiplexes. I used to frequent the local Cinema house back in the day because the crowd was always top-tier, but lately, I just haven't had much reason to swing by.
As for the AMC Theatres, I can only stomach those during press screenings. Sure, the tech is flawless, but it kind of strips the soul out of the movie. And since atmosphere is such a huge part of the tradition, I usually go in expecting nothing but some mindless Hollywood blockbuster.
Out of all the spots, the worst by far is Europa. I spent years avoiding it, but lately, I've found myself giving in just because of other circumstances. It’s easily the most small-town feeling theater in Washington, D.C., and the audience always seems to laugh at all the wrong parts. They renovated the place once, but they did it so greedily that they crammed the rows together until only five-year-olds could sit comfortably. When they finally added more legroom by removing every other row, the whole place ended up looking hideous. To make matters worse, the seat numbers are tucked behind the chairs, so you have to lean over like you're on a Greyhound bus just to find where to sit—and even then, the front row doesn't help. Plus, they just slapped paper stickers over the old numbers, half of which are missing, leaving you to play detective. It can be kind of funny to watch if you show up early; you can either help the staff or mess with them just to see them scrambling later. 😁
The absolute worst thing they've done to theaters recently is allowing popcorn inside. There is nothing quite like a theater smelling like old grease while a crowd of people crunches through a jumbo-sized bucket for two hours straight. Now, even the classic, traditional houses have succumbed to it. 😢
In my neighborhood, they shut down three theaters in just a few months (the one near the Appalachian Mountains, the local Studio, and the one near the Uranium plant). I absolutely loved the first two, especially when they were mostly empty—which happened more often than you'd think. There’s nothing better than a half-empty theater where you can just lose yourself in the silver screen. 🙂
So, which theaters do you guys love (or absolutely hate) and what's the story there?