Bucking the trend, new Naples cinema targets older audience

posted by CSWalczak on September 16, 2009 at 7:46 am

NAPLES, FL — Perhaps it’s not surprising given its location, but the new Silverspot Cinema 11 is going after the mature audience, both in terms of its amenities and its programming. The first U.S. installation operated by the Venezuela-based Cines Unidos, the multiplex features deluxe seating, a beer and wine bar, and a restaurant. There is no box office; tickets are sold on-line or at kiosks.

“It’s really the plushest theater I’ve ever sat in,” says Eric Raddatz, executive director for Naples International Film Festival, which will be held there Nov. 5-8. “Every chair in there is like a leather La-Z-Boy sofa. It’s amazing.”

Read more in the Fort Myers News-Press.

Theaters in this post

Comments (8)

rivest266
rivest266 on September 16, 2009 at 2:31 pm

This should give Village Roadshow a run for their money in the USA. Is Regal and AMC listening?

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on September 16, 2009 at 5:19 pm

Pictures – and the menu – here:
View link

MPol
MPol on September 17, 2009 at 12:48 am

Sounds cool….and a bit too good to be true!!

Will this theatre also show Classic films? It should, imho.

KingBiscuits
KingBiscuits on September 17, 2009 at 11:34 am

I looked at the now showing list at the theatres. I wouldn’t really call The Final Destination, Whiteout or Jennifer’s Body (all teen-oriented horror films) “mature programming”.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on September 17, 2009 at 2:40 pm

I would agree, but we are at the end of the summer season when Hollywood unloads the crud before the far pre-Oscar season, and the indy films from a number of recent film festivals have not really had wide circulation yet. Let’s see what they have to offer over the next few months.

danpetitpas
danpetitpas on September 18, 2009 at 5:18 pm

The article in the Naples News says only two or three screens will have films catering to an older clientèle. The rest are apparently the same old, same old, although I have to agree with KingBiscuits that I didn’t see any “mature” films in its opening week schedule, unless you count Inglorious Basterds, Extract and 500 Days of Summer, which are mainstream releases.

The picture on the Naples News site shows a 113-seat auditorium, although with standard seating, it probably would have been closer to 200 seats. The screen looks to be about 24 feet wide. Tickets are $15, although matinées are $10.

I guess the high prices will keep the riff-raff out. Basically, each auditorium is a “Director’s Hall,” to borrow the old General Cinemas term.

I think you’re going to be seeing more experiments like this to see if theaters can get more money out of theater-goers. Showcase is doing its Lux Level where it uses the excuse of serving alcohol to keep people under 21 out of its balcony seats. We’ll see where it leads.

I might be able to afford matinees, since Showcase matinees are now up to $8.25-$8.50. I don’t know about the $15 for evening shows.

mpcapital
mpcapital on September 20, 2009 at 9:33 pm

I cannot believe how expensive movie tickets are getting here in Utah.
Forex
Investment Manager

MPol
MPol on October 1, 2009 at 5:36 am

Movie tickets are expensive here in our neck of the woods too (Boston and the Bay State), unless one holds a membership to one or both of the only two indy/revival/arthouse movie theatres left here in our area.

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