Tonight I visited AMC Desert Ridge theater for the first time. I've never thought to visit this location since it's outside my neighborhood and quite a ways north, but I decided to make the trek since they were having a special screening of a documentary at this location.
I convinced some friends to venture up north to see what Desert Ridge had to offer and we were all pleased with what we found. The theater was clean, the bathrooms were well-attended, and the seats in the theater were quite comfortable. We arrived just before the show started so we grabbed seats in the top back row. Just like sitting in front of the Emergency Exit row on an airplane, there's a price for siting in the back row of the theater: non-reclining seats!
The reclining issues in the back row and the standard movie theater thermostat setting of "cold to freezing" aside, this is a great theater and I will definitely be back! There are numerous places nearby to dine before or after a movie and the theater itself has much to offer.
In case you're curious, the documentary was called "Free the Mind" and is about the health benefits and science behind mindfulness. In all honesty, the documentary was "light" on the science and research piece, but I found the stories touching and encouraging in terms of the innovative and non-pharmacological strategies depicted in the film to help veterans and children cope with challenging situations and learn to regulate their emotions. I highly recommend seeing the documentary if you have the opportunity!