Tell Us About Your Favorite Local Theater

[David Meek]

Brandon's description of the Westwood theaters in another thread got me to thinking about different qualities in cinemas. What's your favorite local (to you) theater and what makes it that way?

Unfortunately, I can't recommend a "super" theater here in Houston. The one I frequent is a Cinemark close to the house. Some of the theaters in it have better sound systems than others and some of the projectors seem to output a better picture, but that's a VERY subjective opinion on my part. I can say that none of them are state-of-the-art or even outstanding - they do manage to throw an acceptable image and soundfield most of the time. Now, if someone knows of a reallly good theater here in H-town, please post it!





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[George Bellefontaine]

Here in New Glasgow, a community of 20,000, there is only a 7 theater cineplex that is El Crappo. Period. In Halifax, a couple of hours away, there are a few cineplexes that offer better quality, but there are no... absolutely no grand old movie palaces. And for me that is a crying shame, because atmosphere and surroundings were so much in my memories of movie going from as early as I can remember. And that is why my wife and I rarely go out to a movie.




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[Danbry39]

I hate the chains that operate locally, so I'd have to say the Tower theater in Sacramento, CA. The audio/visual quality is not that good, but they show the Sundance type films I most enjoy seeing. And, the audience is like I remember as a kid, full of appropriate response to the movie. They seem to be really enjoying it, kind of like the scene in Sullivan's Travels. One more thing: their buttered popcorn is great!!!




Keith

[Burke Strickland]

David -

When they closed the Odean Cineplex near the Galleria, we lost the last remaining truly "big screen" movie house capable of screening a 70mm film in all its glory (without bastardizing it at an IMAX) that I knew of in Houston (that's where I saw the 25th anniversary showing of "Lawrence of Arabia") -- but even that was only one room in the complex. The rest were "shoeboxes". :>) And since none of them had stadium seating, the place was doomed, crappy parking aside.

A couple of remaining alternatives are the larger screens at the AMC 30 on Dunvale south of Westheimer (where I saw the restoration showing of "Wizard of Oz" a few years ago, as well as a piece of crap billed as the "first" Star Wars episode, but that egregious abomination wasn't the theater's fault -- the sound system was certainly up to the task of conveying the thunder of special effects, and the subtle nuances of dialog if there had been any), :>)and the Edwards Houston Marq*E 23 on I-10 near I-610 has at least one good sized theater (where I saw "Spirited Away" a few weeks ago and the picture and sound were quite good).

Actually the Cinemark in my neighborhood isn't bad for just catching a show if you time it right to avoid the worst crowds. (And by that I am not referring to the NUMBER of people, but rather the RUDE people who think the movie is really just a big TV set playing in the background at their party.) But I wouldn't rate it as anything "special", although the floors aren't as sticky as some theaters I've been in. :>) (They do make an effort to keep the place reasonably clean.)

Of course the Landmark River Oaks is"special" due to what they book there (such as the special showing of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" I enjoyed last summer), but the theater itself is a dump. I haven't been inside the Angelika Center downtown, so I can't comment on the facility but the roster of films they play is sure enticing. (For instance, they ran "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" for several weeks before it opened in a bazillion other theaters across town).:>)

So Houston isn't New York or LA when it comes to movie theaters, but we do have a few places to catch a good flick now and then. :>)

Burke

PS -- Houston isn't New York when it comes to live theater, either but we're trying -- reputedly second only to NYC in the US in number of seats available in live theater venues.