I don't like mainstream movie theaters. I find the idea of paying close to $10 to sit in a dark room and watch a movie with total strangers abhorrent. The ideal time to watch a mainstream movie at a theater like AMC is Saturday at 10AM, when the type of person who would loudly express their displeasure at seeing Maria Bello's fully nude body in A History of Violence is at home in bed.
Give me independent theaters any day of the week. The Royale is a theater run by people passionate about great cinema for people passionate about great cinema. My wife and I have been following the Midnite Movie Mamacita since the "Grindhouse Redux" era at Chandler. She's since expanded beyond the niche of films that are so bad that they're good, which is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because by expanding the scope of the movies she shows, her audience has grown. But it's a curse because I would probably drive down to Mesa once or twice a week to see exploitation films.
It's a smart move, though. Showing gore-fests like Human Centipede 2, which I have no desire to see, keeps the doors open for events like the 12-Hour Movie Feast, which I did attend. It's this delicate balancing act - providing variety while keeping the theater's feet entrenched in the independent movie scene - that will ensure the theater's longevity.
There's also something nice about the intimate setting. Yeah, the seats sometimes rock a little too far back for comfort, but it's more charming than annoying. And the small size creates an atmosphere of kicking back with your friends. The same faces I saw four years ago at Chandler Cinema are still around, which is cool.
I'll sum it up like this: The Royale is the only reason my wife and I drive to Mesa. It's an asset to the historic downtown area and should be playing sold-out shows every night. Please, please check out an event there. You'll be pleasantly surprised.