I live across town in Little Italy and there are plenty of other movie theaters much closer to me. Yet, I have no problem making the 20-30 minute drive out to Crocker Park to catch a movie at Regal Cinemas, even in the era of $4.00 per gallon gas.
Why?
Because I can watch a movie here without the patrons talking incessantly throughout the entire film! I don't expect the theater to be silent, but I do expect to hear more of the actors\actresses talking on the screen than I do of my fellow patrons! At places like Severance and Richmond, that's not always the case. I've never had a problem here though--I've seen a variety of movies here ranging from King Kong to Sex and the City, and I've never had an unpleasant experience.
Sure, the prices are a bit high--if you were dropped off blindfolded and the first thing you saw were the admission prices, you might think you're in New York. But it's well worth it when I want to enjoy a movie in peace!
The theaters are clean and the quality of the projection always tends to be strong as well. I do wish the seats were a bit more comfortable, but they are always well-maintained--nothing sucks more than a missing\broken armrest!
If Tower City's cinemas were like this, I'm certain the old tradition of heading downtown to catch a movie would return!