We hardly ever step into movie theaters these days. When choosing between $7 popcorn and sticky floors, or Netflix and our comfy sofa, there's no contest.
But now a new generation of luxe theaters are trying to lure us and our fellow homebodies back. They are throwing in amenities from restaurants on the premises and extended concession stands to bars, leather stadium seating with lots of leg room, huge lobbies, birthday-party rooms and child care — all for about the same price as a regular multiplex. Is it enough to get us off the couch? We tried four luxury theaters, each part of a chain, to see if they're for us.
First on our list was Florida-based Muvico Entertainment LLC. It has 14 theaters so far and is opening outposts in Los Angeles and the Meadowlands in New Jersey soon. We visited the theater in Centro Ybor, an upscale urban development project in Tampa. We decided to try two of the 20 auditoriums: one of four which were limited to 21 and over — with access to a full bar and a slightly higher ticket price — and one open to all, without bar access.
Our first contact could have been better; the woman who answered the phone when we called had no interest in either giving directions or telling us what time our movie was playing — she told us to look online or in the newspaper. That said, everyone at the theater was very helpful. Valet parking was just $3, and the theater has fun Disney-esque faux Spanish facades.
To get to the section reserved for 21 and older, we had to walk through the bar, but it was 3 p.m., so the bar was still closed. We did get a free popcorn with the 21-plus tickets, as well as big leather seats with small tables and cup holders in the armrests.
Muvico President and CEO Michael Whalen later explained that Muvico has theaters with more amenities, in Boca Raton and Chicago, adding that the company plans to open more. Each one has a restaurant, Bogart's, and "premier galleries" — which moviegoers over 21 enter through a separate entrance, and sit in even larger seats. Martinis and hors d'oeuvres are available, and there are "interactive gaming rooms" for kids.
We also tried National Amusements' Cinema de Lux in White Plains, N.Y, a pioneering luxury theater that's been around for seven years. We opted for the $15 valet parking, but later wished we had parked ourselves in the attached garage. Of the 15 auditoriums, two charged an extra few dollars for a few special amenities — including a hostess who shows you to a reserved seat and a concierge who can call a taxi. But even the regular auditoriums here are pretty swanky. They had "Ultraleather" seats (we thought they were real leather), stadium seating, good leg room and cup holders. There was live piano music played on a baby grand, a comfortable seating area with newspapers and a television, and a bar and grill, Chatters. Our only complaint: The women's bathrooms could have used a midevening cleaning.
National Amusements is piloting an even higher-end "Lux Level" line of theaters under its Showcase name — the first opened in Randolph, Mass., at the end of 2007, and two more are planned for 2008.
For our next test, we went to a Rave Motion Picture theater on the outskirts of Houston on a Saturday night. The theater's pricing seemed only slightly more expensive than other local theaters. Food was average theater fare: nacho chips and cheese sauce, popcorn, hot dogs, candy.
So what's upscale about Rave? The theater we visited had clean, plush, stadium-style seats, and the screen image was super-sharp. Rave uses a digital projector (the company says it's the largest theater chain that is 100 percent digital) and boasts 48 inches between the rows of seats. We believe it. (At most theaters, our tester's 6-foot-2 frame causes him to contort to avoid kicking the seat in front of him when he crosses his legs.) Seats were also a little softer and plusher than at other local cinemas.
In San Francisco, we tried the Kabuki Sundance, predominantly a venue for independent films, and one of two Sundance theaters so far (the other is in Madison, Wis., but outposts in Denver and Chicago are also in the works). All seats are the same price, including the 21-and-up balcony (where you can bring alcoholic drinks sold in an adjoining bar), located in one of the seven auditoriums. (The company says it will eventually add "over 21" areas to two more screens.) Tickets were $10.50 plus an amenities fee that changes based on time of day. It's $2 for prime time. We paid $1.50 each on a Sunday night.
There are several food-and-drink options: a full-service sit-down restaurant called the Kabuki Kitchen downstairs, a bar on the mezzanine with a more limited "bistro" menu, and an upstairs "balcony bar to go" that connects to the 21-and-up balcony. We ordered a cheese plate ($12) from the mezzanine bar. It took 15 minutes to arrive from the kitchen in the restaurant downstairs, which made us late for our movie. (A company spokeswoman said she was surprised; "usually the server asks the patron when their film is starting," she explained.) A small popcorn (with real butter), two boxes of candy and two sodas cost $20.50.
The seats are wide, upholstered with a dark, knobbly cloth, and rock back and forth. They have strangely high armrests with cup holders and lots of leg room. While there are reserved seats, ours were occupied when we arrived. Since we didn't want to make a scene, we just took the nearest open ones.
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Gary McWilliams and Justin Scheck contributed to this article.
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MOVIE THEATER: Muvico Centro; Ybor 20; Tampa, Fla.
TICKET PRICE: 21 and over theaters: $10 before 4 p.m., $12 after 4 p.m. Regular theaters: $6 before 4 p.m., $7 after 4 p.m.
AMENITIES: Full bar and free popcorn with tickets for the four 21-plus theaters, extended concession stand, arcade, valet parking (for the complex), stadium seating with extra leg room, 4 theaters with leather seats.
COMMENT: People were helpful, the faux Spanish facades were fun, and the theaters were spacious and comfortable. Unfortunately, the food was still fast food.
MOVIE THEATER: City Center 15: Cinema de Luxe, National Amusements; White Plains, N.Y.
TICKET PRICE: $10.75 general admission adults (evening); $8 child or senior (evening); $12.75 all tickets in the 2 Directors Halls, offering reserved seating and a concierge service; $17.85 dinner and a movie
AMENITIES: Extended concession stand offering Nathan's, Sbarro, Ben and Jerry's; Chatters, a full-service bar and grill; guest services desk; live piano music; birthday-party room; seating area with newspapers and television; stadium seating in spacious auditorium, valet parking for the complex. ($15)
COMMENT: We felt we got more for our money at the Cinema de Luxe than at a typical theater complex. The food was pretty forgettable.
MOVIE THEATER: Rave Motion Pictures; Yorktown 15; Houston
TICKET PRICE: $9 adults (Saturday evening); $6.25 for children 11 and under
AMENITIES: Clean, plush, stadium-style seats; screen image was super sharp; stadium seating and lots of leg room (four feet between every row); small seating area near a video arcade; birthday-party room.
COMMENT: Tall patrons will find the seats more more comfortable than those at the average multiplex. But someone should have emptied the overflowing trash bins in the bathrooms.
MOVIE THEATER: Kabuki Sundance; Sundance Cinemas; San Francisco
TICKET PRICE: $10.50 plus an amenities fee that varies based on time of day. ($2 for prime time. We paid $1.50 each on a Sunday night).
AMENITIES: Full-service restaurant downstairs; bar on the mezzanine with a limited menu; upstairs bar that connects to the balcony of one of the theaters, the only one of the seven in which you're allowed to drink alcohol; reserved seating.
COMMENT: Overall, it felt a bit nicer than a regular theater for about the same price. The real butter on the popcorn was good, the cheese plate was mediocre, and the wait for it was long.
