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| - I was eager to try this place out when I read that it was serving beer and wine. I know it's always been kind of a dream of many adults to have alcohol as an option when choosing a beverage at the concession stand. I was even more excited when I read that they were serving Four Peaks brew, along with Guinness, Heineken, and many others. So this wasn't going to be a gimmick with the small payoff of either Bud or Coors as an option...this had the possibility of being great.
I ordered my ticket online because I wanted to see what that whole reserved seating/choose your seat deal was all about. Sadly, since not enough people had bought tickets yet, I wasn't able to choose my seat, but was urged to arrive early as to get a great spot. So I ended up paying $13.00 instead of the $11.75, which is pretty ridiculous. Regular tickets (when they're not in the Star Class auditorium) are $9.75 which are pretty comparable to Harkins/AMC, but if you want to be in an auditorium that is 21+ and serves food and drinks, then you pay the extra $2.00.
When you walk through the theater, you can't help but feel slightly impressed because it's pretty swanky compared to your regular Harkins/AMC. That good impression quickly left when I noticed that none of the employees seemed happy to be there, and the lady who looked at my ticket didn't say a word other than "ok" and didn't direct me where to go. So I had to ask somebody else where my auditorium was. I approached a second ticket counter where another, but friendlier, employee took my ticket and told me to head down and would find #10 on my right.
To my surprise, the auditorium looked identical to any other I had been in. I don't know why, but I was expecting wide aisles and possibly fold out tables (for the food) attached to the seats. The one big difference was that the chairs were wrapped in leather, which seems attractive, but then you sit down. It's noisy. You can hear people moving around, getting up, crossing their legs, whathaveyou. It makes you question whether or not you REALLY need to go to the bathroom, because the noise from you getting up might be too distracting.
It was nearly 5:00 and only a few people had drinks or food, so a few of us audience members were left wondering (aloud) how this was all going to work. Nicole, our server, introduced herself and asked who needed menus or orders taken. At this point, the lights dimmed and the previews started. I was feeling anxious that she was going to be taking orders while the movie was starting, though I took solace in the fact that typical movies have 20 minutes or so worth of previews, so we should be safe. Nope. After one ridiculous preview of the terrible looking 'Red Riding Hood,' the movie began. This is when I really started regretting my choice to see a long anticipated film (Harry Potter) in a gimmicky theater. Nicole was taking orders (loudly, I might at) while the opening shot was taking place, which includes a monologue spoken by Bill Nighy. Never do I want to miss a monologue by the great Mr. Nighy. Instead of hearing what the Ministry of Magic was up to, I instead heard "do you want the supreme nachos, or just the regular?" Yeesh.
As the film went on, things were less annoying (despite the server spilling a couple drinks in the top row, and loudly, and quite profusely apologizing). About an hour into the movie (HP is 2 and half hours long) I was really getting a hankering for a beer. Since the concept was in my head, I really had the urge to act on it. When Nicole had initially introduced herself, she said she was going to focus on this auditorium alone and would be around to take additional orders. I tried flagging her down when she was going up the stairs, but she didn't see me, as I was deep in my row, thus leaving me beerless. I've gotten over that, since I don't really want to give them my $7 despite the quality of brew.
What I can't get my head around, is how this works when the theater is crowded. How does the server step over people when they need to serve something/take an order/receive payment? My auditorium had maybe 10-20 people in it, and it was pretty distracting as it was. Maybe I just didn't think about what I as getting into when I got my ticket, but I was just hopeful that I could drink a beer while watching a new film on the big screen without a problem. I think I'll just stick with my Harkins $1 refill cup and the Cine Capri. My money and time will be much happier.
The Pros:
They renovated the old theater very nicely, and the outdoor area is very pleasant and inviting.
Though noisy, the leather seats recline and are very comfortable for long periods of sitting.
The screen quality is crisp, and the sound is just as good.
My suggestion is that you just continue to go to your favorite theater, and only patronize this one if your date is only impressed by seeing gobs of your money quickly disappear.
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