| rev:text
| - Why am I giving Harkins Camelview only 1-star? I will explain why, and these are all very legitimate reasons:
1. The people in this town - you know who you are, the ones who complain about how there's no "culture" in this town - who will only go to an "independent" film if it's playing at Harkins Camelview. As if Harkins Camelview is the magical, arbitrary measure against which an "independent" film is judged. Or, even sillier, that "Harkins Camelview" is a genre. Here's a quarter, buy this clue: When someone asks you what kind of movies you like, the correct answer would be: "Drama or Comedy or Documentary or Foreign." You don't say, "Whatever's playing at Camelview." You look like an idiot when you tell people that. And furthermore, you should want to see the movie because you want to see the movie, not because oh, gee, it's playing at Camelview, so, gee, it must be good.
And setting aside for a moment that most of Harkins Camelview-worthy "independent" movies they show are in actuality big studio-budgeted niche releases, there's maybe one or two movies at a time that really are "exclusive." (Not to mention "independent.") With a few exceptions, you can see most of the same movies at other Harkins theaters or/and "AMC Select" theaters. You can get the same exact "Harkins Camelview" experience at other theaters. Is it really that big of a deal to see a movie a week ahead of time before it expands into more theaters? Honestly?
And I really can't stand the idiots - absolute imbeciles - who need to be told the film's in subtitles. If you're so dense you can't figure out that a French film is in subtitles, you know what? You probably don't have the I.Q. to be going to movies at the Camelview. Go across the street to the Scottsdale Fashion Square and watch "Paul Blart Mall Cop" over there or something. Please.
2. The theater is tiny, right down to the tiny two-window ticket counter that has people standing outside wrapped around the theater like a pretzel. It's ridiculous. It sucks during the winter, when it's cold. It sucks during the summer, when it's hot. (During the summer, the misters are a joke.) When will Harkins get a bigger ticket window at the box office?
3. The theater lobby itself, once you get inside? Even worse. Packed in like sardines. Barely any room to move around it. By comparison, there is plenty of room to socialize and congregate and roam around at Chandler Cinemas and *other* Harkins theaters. But not at Harkins Camelview. You're herded in and out like cattle. If you like being herded in and out of the theater like you're cattle, you'll love Harkins Camelview.
4. The theaters themselves....get smaller and smaller as you walk down the hallway. It's surreal, when you think about it. There's one big theater, one medium-size theater, and if the movie you want to see isn't in either of those...well, you're screwed. An iPod has a bigger screen than that tiny theater at the end of the hall.
5. The "Harkins Camelview" mentality in this town has resulted in less and less diversity - and more and more gentrification - at a time when independent film really shouldn't be centered at a CROWDED SHOPPING MALL WHERE YOU CAN'T EVEN FIND A PARKING SPACE MOST DAYS. The next time you want to see an "independent film," stop and ask yourself: "Did I ever go to the old Madstone Theater before it closed? When was the last time I went to a movie at Chandler Cinemas? And, have I been to any film screenings in downtown Phoenix lately?" If your answers to those questions are no, no, and 'there's independent film in downtown Phoenix?,' congratulations, you're part of the reason people think there's no 'culture' here.
My conclusion: Harkins Camelview is *NOT* essential for fans of independent and foreign film. (Was it ever?) Those of you in the East Valley or/and West Valley who think you're missing out...you're not missing a thing. You can have the exact same "Harkins Camelview" experience at other Harkins Theaters or/and at "AMC Select" theaters. Save yourself the stress and aggravation and only go to Harkins Camelview if it absolutely, positively isn't showing anywhere else.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)