Bloomington 13 at Mall of America

raubre on May 20, 2006 at 5:32 am

You would think they would need a bigger marquee to advertise what movies are playing.

zooklaw on April 25, 2006 at 9:24 am

At one time, the Mall of America 14 was among the most profitable theatres in the nation. It was the first wildly big complex in the Minneapolis area. During the special screening of D2: The Mighty Ducks, the MOA14 became Minnesota’s first theatre to utilize Dolby Digital sound. Opening on the cusp of the digital sound age, it received a modest opening treatment, with (as my memory serves) half dolby stereo, half kintek… to half digital, four dolby and three kintek as of their buyout by AMC, and supposedly all digital under AMC. I believe one house remains THX certified. Otherwise, a basic GCC setup with Cinemeccanica projectors & AW3 platters.

MOA14’s seating is barely sloped, making it somewhat of a dinosaur among stadium mall theatres like Southdale & Eden Prarie down the road. The last time I was there in 2004, #7 had several blown speakers. It still receives attendance appropriate to its location. But there is talk that AMC may sign on to build a larger complex in MOA’s planned expansion north towards Ikea.

Much of the fanfare from its first decade has died down. Fewer special events & celebrity appearances take place than before. But, with the dubious distinction of being on-site, the MOA14 remains popular with some shoppers.