Oh wow. This venue’s page is up again. :) This multiplex is what could be described as the worst kind of theatrical exhibition due to the shoebox design of each auditorium. All pretty much the same size, longitudinal, but sloping floors, no curtains, somewhat greasy seats and sticky floors. Exit door by the screen in case of a fire. I’m certain most if not all had stereo sound.
As posted on the Academy 8 page, my first visit here was some time in the summer of ‘77. Oldest brother, who liked to think of himself as the family boss after Dad, decided we’d see the best picture around at that time, which was 'Rocky.’ While waiting to get into see ‘Rocky’, I could hear the audience cheers, clapping and sound coming from ‘Star Wars’ and wanted so badly to see it instead.
Over the years, they had $1 movie Wednesdays and midnight Fri and Sat shows, of which was the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and movies on their second runs. Being the sci-fi genre fan I am, I did see ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture in its second run and well into the summer of '80 and beyond ('81?) for $1 Wednesdays. I remember one summer Wed they over sold the showing to where people were just sitting on the floor close to the screen.
Most likely Jan ‘80, my cousin (who lived nearby off of Rhode Island Ave), brother and I saw 'The Black Hole’ here. My cousin kept telling me how bad it was calling it ‘the butt hole’ but he liked the visual effects so much so he said he wouldn’t mind seeing it again. My recollection of that ‘experience’ was the backwards 50’s wooo wooo woo score that was more distracting then a proper companion to the movie, especially coming after ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ and Jerry Goldsmith’s memorable score. And then there was that gruesome, even if off camera, death of Anthony Perkin’s character by the robot Max’s whirling blades. No gratuitous blood flow as this was Disney’s first PG rated movie at the time.
On a midnight Sat (1980) I got my older brother, because he could legally drive, to see a movie here. However, I split and snuck in to see ‘Alien’ probably the second R rated movie I had ever seen at that time (first was ‘Altered States at the Avalon). I have no recollection of the actual experience other than the cool strobe light effect with Ripley running to the shuttle and I definitely was in shock, along with the audience, during the chest burster scene and final alien encounter in the shuttle.
Also, in the summer of ‘80, I saw 'Empire Strikes Back’ (after seeing it in 70mm at the Cinema) and I can vividly recall sitting behind this huge lady (to a young boy, I suppose most women would be BIG..but she was FAT BIG) in a uniform as if she came here from work. When Darth Vader is dueling with Luke, who slightly injured him with his light saber and reacts, she let out this loud whoop and clapped so loud it broke that connection I had with the rest of that scene. :P
In ‘82 summer I saw my first theatrically released 3D movie.. 'Friday the 13th Part something’ only..and I stress only because it was in 3D. My only recollection of that experience was seeing (insert murder weapon type here) in 3D projecting out via the 3D glasses. :)
Also, I took cousins, who had just come to the US to see Grease 2 in the same time frame. I had just taken them to see Star Trek II in 70mm at DC’s MacArthur just ending its first run and closing for remodeling. They begged me to take them to see this movie the same day and I did and on purpose, at this venue, knowing how inferior the projection and experience would be here. I had no interest in seeing this movie as it is a chick flick. Max Caufield was the new/it guy at that time and, yes, the cousins made girlie sounds when either he or Adrian Zmed’s character would be on screen. :P.
My memory is coming back. I saw more movies here in the summer as I recall sneaking in to see movies, following the crowds and or hiding in the restroom, almost ALL day starting with the $1 movie, usually Star Trek at 10 am. :) One time, I had a friend come with me and we saw ‘An Officer and a Gentleman.’ Probably my 3rd R rated movie. I remember being chewed out by his Dad after he was informed and that my parents would be called for, in his words, ‘corrupting’ his son. ‘Little Whorehouse in Texas’ stands out because of Dolly Parton and either the fantasy or expectation of seeing her topless showing her amble bosom but it didn’t happen. I can remember Rober Ebert, in his movie review show, lamenting about something similar or at least more sex being that the movie takes place in a ‘whore house.’ Charles Durning’s shoe step dance stands out also as I write this. :)
‘83 I’m recalling seeing The Keep. All I remember is how visually good it looked. Just checking IMDB, I see Michael Mann directed and now understand why. :) Towards the end of summer, I took Mom and another cousin to see 'Flashdance’. Mom and I loved Jennifer Beals and how she lit up the screen but she hated the F bombs. Also, Paramount had just released the movie on video tape at what was, at that time, a ‘sell through’ campaign pricing this movie at $39.95. This was sold at the video store at the entrance to the mall. One could see the movie in the theater and own it on tape after.
This venue was remodeled and received digital sound sometime in the 90s. My educated guess has to have been around or after ‘93/'94 as my recollection is our market’s National Amusements had installed digital sound for the Bruce Lee bio pic and 'Whats Got Love to Do It’ in Northern VA. I could be wrong though. :) I may have seen ‘Demolition Man’ starring Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock maybe at the time of this venue’s remodel opening.
When this first opened up as a Landmark, my friend and I saw Juno here about the time it opened. And the only way I remembered is from another post on this site that references this fact tonight. I thought I would have posted as I have for venues first visited, or like some other of my posts, they got erased!!! :P. As I write this, I have no memory of the plex features except walking some for parking. However, I can image Eliot Page’s pregnant character in my mind.
Reposting my deleted post, my memory of this place being Loews Cineplex branded and that I saw ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Meance’ in ‘99 and the last Next Generation movie 'Star Trek: Nemesis’ in ‘02 in the largest THX auditorium. I don’t remember the number but I recall entering in on the farthest end to the right, screen was h-u-g-e with decent stadium seating. My memory also was one of disappointment with the sound being on the low side and foreboding due to the small attendance opening weekend. Also, there was the fact that the Jennifer Lopez movie 'Maid in Manhattan’ happened to open also with larger and more sustained box office! This venue appeared to be the best place to see it as it was the largest and THX certified from what I saw advertised in the Baltimore Sun. :) I also saw either the first or second of the Tobey Maguire starring Spider Man movies in the same large auditorium a few years later. Another distinction that I recall is the varied food menu (hot chicken wings) offered here that was at a time where movie menu fare expanded beyond your usual popcorn, candy and sodas.
I had the privilege of catching the area’s 70mm booking of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” in #1. For a Sunday matinee, the place wasn’t filled compared to “Megalopolis”, however, I think that was a one time showing at the AFI. Pre-show trailer sound varied from what was mono and stereo during one preview to mono again. No 70mm trailer. Maybe they don’t exist in usable form to splice it into the start of the movie. However, how much does it cost to make a modern day 70mm and sound format trailer and show off the THX certification to new audiences not familiar with the film/sound formats? And this is AFI for pete’s sake. I thought I noticed some picture flicker in the beginning scenes. Some small picture cropping at the bottom. No film spots or other noticeable film artifacts at all up to the end credits. For the X number of shows prior, the print was either handled extremely well, or maybe this was digital. Ambient sounds throughout were subtle. I’m just thinking to myself, why 70mm, other than just to show and appreciate the format in this day of digital. I’ll have to see it again in digital to compare. :)
Cast was great. Sean Penn did get noticeable laughs and audience appreciation. I couldn’t get over the intentional or unintentional resemblance to Gen. Petreus. After the movie, I thought I recognized the actress Teyana Taylor and sure enough she was the crazy teen Mom in the Madea family movie with the ‘tude screaming BYRONNNNENNENEN! :)
Paid $18 or so for a $12 roast beef cold sandwich that the young lady said was served warm. The large soda was ok at $6. Thankfully, no stomach issues. :)
I happened to read that there’s a new 70mm print of Close Encounters supervised by none other than Steven Spielberg, himself. I’m going to suggest to AFI to try to book that here maybe in a sci-fi festival of sorts. Its not fair NYC and LA get it only. :P
I finally made the time to visit here after many years (pre-pandemic? 2018/19 no!) to try to catch the 70mm bookings of ‘High Noon’ and ‘2001.’ Honestly, I was hoping to see the former as it was supposedly a ‘new’ print. For whatever reason or no reason, I missed them both and ended up seeing ‘Roses’ in #3. I’m thinking this is the first time I’ve seen a movie in the smallest of the 3 auditoriums. I know I’ve commented on its size before and was grateful to have avoided it since this place reopened 2x years ago. Projection and sound was as it should be and that’s very good. I did hear a whirring motorized sound at show time, thinking to myself.. ‘CURTAIN’ but didn’t see anything noticeably move. I’m guessing the masking mechanism kicked in but could see noticeable gaps at the bottom. Seats were comfy and not torn but I sat in front so I couldn’t see the ones in the back.
A few days ago, I caught ‘Megalopolis’, Francis Ford Coppola’s big $120M self financed movie from a year ago. AFI was showcasing a Coppola film retrospective for his AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. I had heard about the movie last year and its preferred showcasing at IMAX theaters but don’t recall if it ever made it to our market at all as it was another flop. Online booking is great and I wasn’t charged a service fee!
Gratefully and fittingly, it was in #1, the big auditorium and it was a visual and aural treat. The surrounds were great as well as one shocking violent scene when Caeser was shot. I believe the ones in my row collectively reacted with shock. It wasn’t as visceral as the gunshot scene in 2004’s Paris Hilton movie ‘House of Wax’ but moving enough. Not being a history buff, the Roman/modern day setting mostly went over my head although a lot of the audience just loved it in parts clapping at the end. I was thinking to myself this ‘One From the Heart Deux’ (another of his self financed visually looking but financially unsuccessful films from ‘82).
Since I arrived as the movie was starting, I couldn’t survey the auditorium for the bad seats. The one I sat in the back did lack support from wear and my lower back paid for it although the movie did lose some degree of interest ½ way through.
The box office still sports a THX certified sticker but neither 1 or 3 played the trailer. Being 2025, I’ve seen and heard the newer sound trailers and as I’ve said before, the venue should show off the venue sound capabilities to remind patrons why they should come and experience movies instead of watching them at home.
Memo to self and other future patrons. Don’t park on the streets or risk getting a $40 parking ticket as validation is only one hour. :)
My friend and I saw Margaret Cho in concert here around 2005..20 years ago. I’m reasonably sure I posted this memory once or twice and it’s gone. I remember the interior being old and the seats probably original and in need of updating at that time. I may be confusing this venue with DC’s Warner Theater, but I’m thinking restrooms were downstairs and there was an attendant. What sticks out is that I couldn’t find parking and parked in what I thought was ‘free’ parking at a business across the street and a block away as there were other cars there. I got a ticket that I never paid to this day. :)
On a recent visit to the area, I decided to check out Screen X #9 and the showing of ‘Fantastic 4: First Step.’ Screen X could be termed the 21st century digital version of multi projection Cinerama from the 50s. Having seen a rendering of the ‘experience’ I thought I would be experiencing something refreshing and new but was disappointed or maybe I just set my expectations too high. The auditorium was decently sized but kept reminding me of the old Hoyt/Regal venues that opened in the mid-late 90s. I sat way in the back to take everything in and saw the projectors on the side that projected the picture on the opposing walls. The opposing walls didn’t match the brightness/clarity on the main screen and the screen was not seamlessly joined together so the omission throws off the believability you’re watching a movie. The immersion experience is broken.
I’m still holding out the hope that the late Doug Trumbull’s HFR digital projection semi spherical auditoriums come to some fruition. Or, someone with the clout of a James Cameron or similar tries to advance the movie going experience with subsequent Avatar movies. :)
The seats are awful. Being spoiled by Bow Tie/AMCs/Xscape’s plush recliners, having to sit on older style seats and mine seemed out of alignment made it uncomfortable to watch and enjoy the movie. On a positive note, the sightline to the screen from the last row of seats is perfect as it lines up quite nicely. The $21 admission price is hard to accept for old seats. :(
Atmos sound was very good, not AMC over boosted. My thinking is that if you’re going to expand the visual, the audio must also be expanded to match that much more visual real estate even if its not traveling dialog and are more ambient sounds.
I can’t believe this is the 2nd remake of the Fantastic 4 films. I was perfectly fine with the original cast who look a lot better on screen than the prior remake and this one. The 60s setting brings back memories of the cartoon series but even the cartoon renderings of the characters look better than this latest cast. This current cast are flat and dull. I miss the interplay between Chris Evan’s Johnny and Michael Chiklis' Thing. Matt Shankman should’ve stuck with the Star Trek movie remake if only Paramount hadn’t stopped the movie from going forward. Just my 2c :)
Rivest, you are right. I looked at the Post archives and the movie directory and ads show The Shadow playing in this market, in DTS exclusively, no mention of 70mm. However, it was/is a special format so I wasn’t that far off the mark. :P :)
I forgot to mention they CLOSED the bathrooms at the end of the movie. Really, Smithsonian? Maintaining movie interest and bladder control for the duration of a 2.5 hour movie is one thing and then no place to relieve yourself at the end?? I’m glad I did not buy or otherwise consume any beverages before or during the film. Fortunately, bladder control I still have great control of and was able to make it to the Wawa down the street. :)
I know I have visited this venue and have blogged about it but like other comments, they’ve disappeared. Honestly, I don’t remember the first movie I saw here but I’m guessing it may have been the last Matrix movie maybe. My friend and I were waiting to go into the auditorium snaking around some hallway entering in from the bottom.
I caught the latest (maybe last) Mission Impossible movie on a Wednesday on a fluke being that I was working nearby. The $18 ticket price was far more agreeable than the $25 or so the AMCs and Regals are charging for their so-called IMAX presentations. Driving almost an hour and saving $7 in the admission price would sound crazy, but I’d rather support the Smithsonian than AMC in this case. :).
Since I bought my ticket online I didn’t have or couldn’t get a paper one and my electronic proof of purchase didn’t produce the barcode they scan to get in. Fortunately, the nice usher just let me in having verified my confirmation time. :) Talk about nice customer service.
I sat at the bottom of the top tier of seats. I’ve forgotten what they’re called. Mezzanine level? Didn’t want the ones closer to the screen or the nosebleed seats. LOL. Maybe more like the motion sickness ones. LOL.
For all the hype about the stunt work, I have to admit the format was disappointing and its because of the lack of ‘first person’ shots during the aerial scenes. Sound to me was not engaging either because of where I was sitting or it just wasn’t working for me. With the wide screen aspect of IMAX, the format would have shown off to better effect but for the way they DID shoot it, I’m thinking why bother? They could’ve done the usual digital backdrops and no one would know the difference. And the flashback scenes from the prior movies had some grain and text was not crisp and pixellated to me. I know the earlier films blown up would have some artifacts. I get it. Against its $400M production cost, I’m thinking okay, where did the $ go?? And its end of time apocalyptic storyline was too Terminator/Final Impact-ish with its doomsday rattling.
One last annoying thing was the people behind me kicking my seat a few times and not apologizing assuming it was a mistake and this woman a few seats down exposing her stocking feet to stretch out. I mean really? Are you people at home? You’re in a public place.
Would I make the travel out here again? Hell, yeah. I only wished the Jurassic Park movie was in IMAX. Not a real race car fan to see F1 here.
If this is the same National Amusement Centreville, I could’ve sworn I posted seeing The Shadow here in 70mm or some special format. It was the only booking in 70mm and I remember my friends and I, who worked at Hechts, snuck out of work and high tailed it here to make it for a Sunday afternoon show. The movie sucked. And I remember one of my friends mimicking the shadow’s signature laugh all the way home for choosing to see this movie being so bad. LOL.
From reading my last post, 12 years ago, it seems this is when the venue was last remodeled. I sort of remember the movie :) Maybe larger wall to wall screens for that immersive experience would be nice. My memory of the place is more of the shoebox deluxe meaning a long and slightly wide auditorium hence the term shoebox deluxe. :) And upgraded concessions, please not just popcorn and soda :P Or else, I’ll be inclined to sneak in food from one of the many eateries adjacent to the theater.
I’m reminiscing at this late/early hour and in looking at my comments, I forgot to mention I saw the Madonna documentary “Truth or Dare” here in ‘91. I think I chose this venue over the others as the print boasted Dolby Spectrum or something that stood out from the other places. My first impression watching the movie was that Madonna was acting and 'on’ as the camera was rolling. The movie experience was there when it would go from the black and white plainness of the documentary to vibrant color concert footage with full stereo surrounds like you are there!
This was 34 years ago. Sheesh. Am I that old now? :P
The local news station has been broadcasting the closure of this venue. Looking at the posts, its been 13 years since I visited this venue. They used to have a film club where exclusives could be previewed prior to general release, or a filmmaker would be on hand to introduce his latest and have a Q&A with audience members but that stopped years ago before the pandemic.
Aside from that, customer service is severely lacking these days. Don’t get me started on AMC, which seems to dominate this market. There’s no showmanship at all. At least BowTie used to have personal intros, which was a nice touch. All that is gone now. You have to do something to differentiate yourself from the competition for sure.
Sorry to see this place shut down but, honestly, its too bad.
After 25 years, I returned to this theater for a free screening of the movie Bonhoeffer: Paster. Spy. Assassin #5. The movie I’d sum up as Schindler’s List lite. As stated in Mike’s comment from 10 years ago, capacity is very diminished with the large recliner seats spread out. Projection and sound were very good. Not used to ticketless entry even though its been around for years. I just don’t go out to the movies as much as I used to. I’m thinking its for lack or decent product and production.
I heard the last minute or so of a news story about this on the radio the other day. In reading the story on the Post, the idea sounds interesting. However, I hope they restore some 70mm film projection, too. The question I have is parking space for people who drive in. I don’t like Metro. I don’t think we can part in the neighborhood streets like we used to with the parking stickers they have for that area now these days and there’s only so many parking space around there, too.
Before Doug Trumbull passed, I know he was working on a HFR system sort of like a modern day Showscan. Wonder whatever happened to that. Or, could this be a variation on that?
My original post is gone from 2K5. I never saw a movie here but did see the comics Stephen Lynch and the late Mitch Hedberg in 2005. I don’t recall a whole lot being this was 19 years+ years ago. I recall the interior was decent and the seats cramped and relatively clean. No movie screen but a decent stage. Lynch was great although, from my memory had to drink some beers to become animated enough to do his off the wall comedic songs. Hedberg seemed high or drunk and kept the show going on what seemed like hours or way past the booked time. Not that this was bad, its just that one can only maintain comfort in those seats with no break and I had superior bladder control at the time, too. Sadly, Hedberg passed away mere weeks after this show and that sticks in my mind as I write this.
After reading the article, it seems the venue will get remodeled at a much higher cost. To wait any longer would mean even higher construction costs in the future. The sooner things get done, the sooner they can reopen and entertain audiences again and make some $ and boost the local economy.
For whatever reason or no reason, or maybe it was the ‘force’ that prompted me to look at this venue last week and saw a limited engagement of Return of the Jedi in the BTX auditorium. Other venues have it in regular Digital projection. The thing is I’ve forever had a problem getting my Stubbs account reinstated even after using another email addy. I tried and it finally worked again after resetting, paid the $18 or so for the privilege and got my evening ticket. Didn’t realize I paid $15 for Stubbs that lasts until the end of this year. This means I’ll be going to AMC a few more times. It also seems double points are awarded on Wed.
Food fare hasn’t changed and I couldn’t believe that a small pizza and drink is as much as the admission..$40 for a ticket and food? No.
The preshow ads play in mono as if everything is spoken in whisper. The AMC ads are surround and they didn’t play the BTX or Atmos trailer. Even though I’ve seen this film a few times, this digital presentation does not compare to the 70mm or the presentation at AFI even. The transfer had no film artifacts such as the spotting but just looked dull. Soundtrack was barely there then I realized why they didn’t play the Atmos trailer is because the movie didn’t have an Atmos soundtrack. Maybe I’m wrong but I suppose they haven’t updated the film and remixed the soundtrack for Atmos.
The seats are comfy cushy and made me temporarily snooze during the Endor scenes. LOL.
I finally stopped by for a movie under Landmark’s new ownership of the place just shortly after the Oscars. This is the first year I have not seen any of the nominated pictures due to work and not Covid issues. The movies booked are almost carbon copy of that booked at the mall. One would think counter programming would be best to maximize patronage.
The place seems less inviting with the elimination of a live manned box office. You buy your ticket electronically at the kiosk or go upstairs and deal with the person at the concession stand. The 2 people at the stand were friendly enough but offerings weren’t that many. I’m thinking whatever happened to the upgrades BowTie made to expanding the food menu? The equipment must’ve been left behind to make fries, wings and
air fried/convection oven pizza. The upstairs has little tables resembling a cafe area. There is alcohol available. Need a good espresso bar and similar offerings.
The auditorium exteriors have some nice cosmetic upgrades. However, the signage confused me to the point where I went into the wrong auditorium for my movie. I ended up seeing Creed III with a bunch of high school kids. It seems further seating reductions were made to space out this particular auditorium and the comfy cushy BowTie recliners are still there. Screen size and placement look the same and the sound was decent although I didn’t inquire as to format.
The mens restroom was finally modernized to have flushless urinals and decent sinks with hand dryers.
This venue is definitely closed. I was driving by this past Sat night and saw no cars in the lot. Can’t believe its been open 25 years or so. I remember when it opened rereading my post above. Dallas' post above is correct.
To be honest, the 2 BIG theaters would’ve made for a better IMAX conversion then the Waugh Chapel down 301 when it was built new back in 2012 or so.
I scanned through the article and blanked out when I read the part of a 375 seat main theater. LOL! I assume the large screen is untouched. If they make it smaller, forget it. It seems the event films like your Avatars and Top Gun 2s get the people out to the big screens as it should. I’d never pay $20+ to stream a movie at home, unless I’m rich and have a dedicated THX-certified or better cinema auditorium.
The other sources of revenue from food and other entertainment makes economic sense. However, its not going to get me to drive there and pay $$ for pretty looking spoonfuls of food served on bone China and crystal glassware.
I was in the area one weekday and drove by the place in the afternoon. They had only 2 showings at the time. 5 pm ish and 7 pm ish. Didn’t bother going in but there were cars in the lot. With all the money Bow Tie put in over the years including the hot food equipment, I doubt Landmark did much except dust off the place and unlock the doors :) Now, if they put in a good espresso and/or smoothie machine, I’ll mosey on up to the place.
Looking at the online movie listings, they are in competition with the mall theater booking similar films. Am I to assume film clearance is now in the past? Or, are exhibitors playing nice in the movie showing business now?
The Customer Service is horrible. After trying to get someone from corporate to reinstate my Stubbs account exchanging numerous emails, the management here did nothing to help even after promising to email me after assured fixes. I’ll give them kudos for smiling widely like actors in a toothpaste commercial at me with a promise of a fix.
I have seen several movies after they opened a little after the pandemic. Just about all were in the BTX. Their recliners are far better then the AMC Tysons ones (at least the IMAX auditorium..and not busted up..so far). Unfortunately, they are TOO comfortable, I’ve found myself snoozing at the last Jurassic Park Dominion film.
The hot food fare is not as good or varied as Bow Tie was but at least they deliver to the seat.
Oh wow. This venue’s page is up again. :) This multiplex is what could be described as the worst kind of theatrical exhibition due to the shoebox design of each auditorium. All pretty much the same size, longitudinal, but sloping floors, no curtains, somewhat greasy seats and sticky floors. Exit door by the screen in case of a fire. I’m certain most if not all had stereo sound.
As posted on the Academy 8 page, my first visit here was some time in the summer of ‘77. Oldest brother, who liked to think of himself as the family boss after Dad, decided we’d see the best picture around at that time, which was 'Rocky.’ While waiting to get into see ‘Rocky’, I could hear the audience cheers, clapping and sound coming from ‘Star Wars’ and wanted so badly to see it instead.
Over the years, they had $1 movie Wednesdays and midnight Fri and Sat shows, of which was the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and movies on their second runs. Being the sci-fi genre fan I am, I did see ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture in its second run and well into the summer of '80 and beyond ('81?) for $1 Wednesdays. I remember one summer Wed they over sold the showing to where people were just sitting on the floor close to the screen.
Most likely Jan ‘80, my cousin (who lived nearby off of Rhode Island Ave), brother and I saw 'The Black Hole’ here. My cousin kept telling me how bad it was calling it ‘the butt hole’ but he liked the visual effects so much so he said he wouldn’t mind seeing it again. My recollection of that ‘experience’ was the backwards 50’s wooo wooo woo score that was more distracting then a proper companion to the movie, especially coming after ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ and Jerry Goldsmith’s memorable score. And then there was that gruesome, even if off camera, death of Anthony Perkin’s character by the robot Max’s whirling blades. No gratuitous blood flow as this was Disney’s first PG rated movie at the time.
On a midnight Sat (1980) I got my older brother, because he could legally drive, to see a movie here. However, I split and snuck in to see ‘Alien’ probably the second R rated movie I had ever seen at that time (first was ‘Altered States at the Avalon). I have no recollection of the actual experience other than the cool strobe light effect with Ripley running to the shuttle and I definitely was in shock, along with the audience, during the chest burster scene and final alien encounter in the shuttle.
Also, in the summer of ‘80, I saw 'Empire Strikes Back’ (after seeing it in 70mm at the Cinema) and I can vividly recall sitting behind this huge lady (to a young boy, I suppose most women would be BIG..but she was FAT BIG) in a uniform as if she came here from work. When Darth Vader is dueling with Luke, who slightly injured him with his light saber and reacts, she let out this loud whoop and clapped so loud it broke that connection I had with the rest of that scene. :P
In ‘82 summer I saw my first theatrically released 3D movie.. 'Friday the 13th Part something’ only..and I stress only because it was in 3D. My only recollection of that experience was seeing (insert murder weapon type here) in 3D projecting out via the 3D glasses. :)
Also, I took cousins, who had just come to the US to see Grease 2 in the same time frame. I had just taken them to see Star Trek II in 70mm at DC’s MacArthur just ending its first run and closing for remodeling. They begged me to take them to see this movie the same day and I did and on purpose, at this venue, knowing how inferior the projection and experience would be here. I had no interest in seeing this movie as it is a chick flick. Max Caufield was the new/it guy at that time and, yes, the cousins made girlie sounds when either he or Adrian Zmed’s character would be on screen. :P.
My memory is coming back. I saw more movies here in the summer as I recall sneaking in to see movies, following the crowds and or hiding in the restroom, almost ALL day starting with the $1 movie, usually Star Trek at 10 am. :) One time, I had a friend come with me and we saw ‘An Officer and a Gentleman.’ Probably my 3rd R rated movie. I remember being chewed out by his Dad after he was informed and that my parents would be called for, in his words, ‘corrupting’ his son. ‘Little Whorehouse in Texas’ stands out because of Dolly Parton and either the fantasy or expectation of seeing her topless showing her amble bosom but it didn’t happen. I can remember Rober Ebert, in his movie review show, lamenting about something similar or at least more sex being that the movie takes place in a ‘whore house.’ Charles Durning’s shoe step dance stands out also as I write this. :)
‘83 I’m recalling seeing The Keep. All I remember is how visually good it looked. Just checking IMDB, I see Michael Mann directed and now understand why. :) Towards the end of summer, I took Mom and another cousin to see 'Flashdance’. Mom and I loved Jennifer Beals and how she lit up the screen but she hated the F bombs. Also, Paramount had just released the movie on video tape at what was, at that time, a ‘sell through’ campaign pricing this movie at $39.95. This was sold at the video store at the entrance to the mall. One could see the movie in the theater and own it on tape after.
This venue was remodeled and received digital sound sometime in the 90s. My educated guess has to have been around or after ‘93/'94 as my recollection is our market’s National Amusements had installed digital sound for the Bruce Lee bio pic and 'Whats Got Love to Do It’ in Northern VA. I could be wrong though. :) I may have seen ‘Demolition Man’ starring Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock maybe at the time of this venue’s remodel opening.
When this first opened up as a Landmark, my friend and I saw Juno here about the time it opened. And the only way I remembered is from another post on this site that references this fact tonight. I thought I would have posted as I have for venues first visited, or like some other of my posts, they got erased!!! :P. As I write this, I have no memory of the plex features except walking some for parking. However, I can image Eliot Page’s pregnant character in my mind.
Reposting my deleted post, my memory of this place being Loews Cineplex branded and that I saw ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Meance’ in ‘99 and the last Next Generation movie 'Star Trek: Nemesis’ in ‘02 in the largest THX auditorium. I don’t remember the number but I recall entering in on the farthest end to the right, screen was h-u-g-e with decent stadium seating. My memory also was one of disappointment with the sound being on the low side and foreboding due to the small attendance opening weekend. Also, there was the fact that the Jennifer Lopez movie 'Maid in Manhattan’ happened to open also with larger and more sustained box office! This venue appeared to be the best place to see it as it was the largest and THX certified from what I saw advertised in the Baltimore Sun. :) I also saw either the first or second of the Tobey Maguire starring Spider Man movies in the same large auditorium a few years later. Another distinction that I recall is the varied food menu (hot chicken wings) offered here that was at a time where movie menu fare expanded beyond your usual popcorn, candy and sodas.
I had the privilege of catching the area’s 70mm booking of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” in #1. For a Sunday matinee, the place wasn’t filled compared to “Megalopolis”, however, I think that was a one time showing at the AFI. Pre-show trailer sound varied from what was mono and stereo during one preview to mono again. No 70mm trailer. Maybe they don’t exist in usable form to splice it into the start of the movie. However, how much does it cost to make a modern day 70mm and sound format trailer and show off the THX certification to new audiences not familiar with the film/sound formats? And this is AFI for pete’s sake. I thought I noticed some picture flicker in the beginning scenes. Some small picture cropping at the bottom. No film spots or other noticeable film artifacts at all up to the end credits. For the X number of shows prior, the print was either handled extremely well, or maybe this was digital. Ambient sounds throughout were subtle. I’m just thinking to myself, why 70mm, other than just to show and appreciate the format in this day of digital. I’ll have to see it again in digital to compare. :)
Cast was great. Sean Penn did get noticeable laughs and audience appreciation. I couldn’t get over the intentional or unintentional resemblance to Gen. Petreus. After the movie, I thought I recognized the actress Teyana Taylor and sure enough she was the crazy teen Mom in the Madea family movie with the ‘tude screaming BYRONNNNENNENEN! :)
Paid $18 or so for a $12 roast beef cold sandwich that the young lady said was served warm. The large soda was ok at $6. Thankfully, no stomach issues. :)
I happened to read that there’s a new 70mm print of Close Encounters supervised by none other than Steven Spielberg, himself. I’m going to suggest to AFI to try to book that here maybe in a sci-fi festival of sorts. Its not fair NYC and LA get it only. :P
I finally made the time to visit here after many years (pre-pandemic? 2018/19 no!) to try to catch the 70mm bookings of ‘High Noon’ and ‘2001.’ Honestly, I was hoping to see the former as it was supposedly a ‘new’ print. For whatever reason or no reason, I missed them both and ended up seeing ‘Roses’ in #3. I’m thinking this is the first time I’ve seen a movie in the smallest of the 3 auditoriums. I know I’ve commented on its size before and was grateful to have avoided it since this place reopened 2x years ago. Projection and sound was as it should be and that’s very good. I did hear a whirring motorized sound at show time, thinking to myself.. ‘CURTAIN’ but didn’t see anything noticeably move. I’m guessing the masking mechanism kicked in but could see noticeable gaps at the bottom. Seats were comfy and not torn but I sat in front so I couldn’t see the ones in the back.
A few days ago, I caught ‘Megalopolis’, Francis Ford Coppola’s big $120M self financed movie from a year ago. AFI was showcasing a Coppola film retrospective for his AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. I had heard about the movie last year and its preferred showcasing at IMAX theaters but don’t recall if it ever made it to our market at all as it was another flop. Online booking is great and I wasn’t charged a service fee!
Gratefully and fittingly, it was in #1, the big auditorium and it was a visual and aural treat. The surrounds were great as well as one shocking violent scene when Caeser was shot. I believe the ones in my row collectively reacted with shock. It wasn’t as visceral as the gunshot scene in 2004’s Paris Hilton movie ‘House of Wax’ but moving enough. Not being a history buff, the Roman/modern day setting mostly went over my head although a lot of the audience just loved it in parts clapping at the end. I was thinking to myself this ‘One From the Heart Deux’ (another of his self financed visually looking but financially unsuccessful films from ‘82).
Since I arrived as the movie was starting, I couldn’t survey the auditorium for the bad seats. The one I sat in the back did lack support from wear and my lower back paid for it although the movie did lose some degree of interest ½ way through.
The box office still sports a THX certified sticker but neither 1 or 3 played the trailer. Being 2025, I’ve seen and heard the newer sound trailers and as I’ve said before, the venue should show off the venue sound capabilities to remind patrons why they should come and experience movies instead of watching them at home.
Memo to self and other future patrons. Don’t park on the streets or risk getting a $40 parking ticket as validation is only one hour. :)
My friend and I saw Margaret Cho in concert here around 2005..20 years ago. I’m reasonably sure I posted this memory once or twice and it’s gone. I remember the interior being old and the seats probably original and in need of updating at that time. I may be confusing this venue with DC’s Warner Theater, but I’m thinking restrooms were downstairs and there was an attendant. What sticks out is that I couldn’t find parking and parked in what I thought was ‘free’ parking at a business across the street and a block away as there were other cars there. I got a ticket that I never paid to this day. :)
On a recent visit to the area, I decided to check out Screen X #9 and the showing of ‘Fantastic 4: First Step.’ Screen X could be termed the 21st century digital version of multi projection Cinerama from the 50s. Having seen a rendering of the ‘experience’ I thought I would be experiencing something refreshing and new but was disappointed or maybe I just set my expectations too high. The auditorium was decently sized but kept reminding me of the old Hoyt/Regal venues that opened in the mid-late 90s. I sat way in the back to take everything in and saw the projectors on the side that projected the picture on the opposing walls. The opposing walls didn’t match the brightness/clarity on the main screen and the screen was not seamlessly joined together so the omission throws off the believability you’re watching a movie. The immersion experience is broken.
I’m still holding out the hope that the late Doug Trumbull’s HFR digital projection semi spherical auditoriums come to some fruition. Or, someone with the clout of a James Cameron or similar tries to advance the movie going experience with subsequent Avatar movies. :)
The seats are awful. Being spoiled by Bow Tie/AMCs/Xscape’s plush recliners, having to sit on older style seats and mine seemed out of alignment made it uncomfortable to watch and enjoy the movie. On a positive note, the sightline to the screen from the last row of seats is perfect as it lines up quite nicely. The $21 admission price is hard to accept for old seats. :(
Atmos sound was very good, not AMC over boosted. My thinking is that if you’re going to expand the visual, the audio must also be expanded to match that much more visual real estate even if its not traveling dialog and are more ambient sounds.
I can’t believe this is the 2nd remake of the Fantastic 4 films. I was perfectly fine with the original cast who look a lot better on screen than the prior remake and this one. The 60s setting brings back memories of the cartoon series but even the cartoon renderings of the characters look better than this latest cast. This current cast are flat and dull. I miss the interplay between Chris Evan’s Johnny and Michael Chiklis' Thing. Matt Shankman should’ve stuck with the Star Trek movie remake if only Paramount hadn’t stopped the movie from going forward. Just my 2c :)
Rivest, you are right. I looked at the Post archives and the movie directory and ads show The Shadow playing in this market, in DTS exclusively, no mention of 70mm. However, it was/is a special format so I wasn’t that far off the mark. :P :)
I forgot to mention they CLOSED the bathrooms at the end of the movie. Really, Smithsonian? Maintaining movie interest and bladder control for the duration of a 2.5 hour movie is one thing and then no place to relieve yourself at the end?? I’m glad I did not buy or otherwise consume any beverages before or during the film. Fortunately, bladder control I still have great control of and was able to make it to the Wawa down the street. :)
I know I have visited this venue and have blogged about it but like other comments, they’ve disappeared. Honestly, I don’t remember the first movie I saw here but I’m guessing it may have been the last Matrix movie maybe. My friend and I were waiting to go into the auditorium snaking around some hallway entering in from the bottom.
I caught the latest (maybe last) Mission Impossible movie on a Wednesday on a fluke being that I was working nearby. The $18 ticket price was far more agreeable than the $25 or so the AMCs and Regals are charging for their so-called IMAX presentations. Driving almost an hour and saving $7 in the admission price would sound crazy, but I’d rather support the Smithsonian than AMC in this case. :).
Since I bought my ticket online I didn’t have or couldn’t get a paper one and my electronic proof of purchase didn’t produce the barcode they scan to get in. Fortunately, the nice usher just let me in having verified my confirmation time. :) Talk about nice customer service.
I sat at the bottom of the top tier of seats. I’ve forgotten what they’re called. Mezzanine level? Didn’t want the ones closer to the screen or the nosebleed seats. LOL. Maybe more like the motion sickness ones. LOL.
For all the hype about the stunt work, I have to admit the format was disappointing and its because of the lack of ‘first person’ shots during the aerial scenes. Sound to me was not engaging either because of where I was sitting or it just wasn’t working for me. With the wide screen aspect of IMAX, the format would have shown off to better effect but for the way they DID shoot it, I’m thinking why bother? They could’ve done the usual digital backdrops and no one would know the difference. And the flashback scenes from the prior movies had some grain and text was not crisp and pixellated to me. I know the earlier films blown up would have some artifacts. I get it. Against its $400M production cost, I’m thinking okay, where did the $ go?? And its end of time apocalyptic storyline was too Terminator/Final Impact-ish with its doomsday rattling.
One last annoying thing was the people behind me kicking my seat a few times and not apologizing assuming it was a mistake and this woman a few seats down exposing her stocking feet to stretch out. I mean really? Are you people at home? You’re in a public place.
Would I make the travel out here again? Hell, yeah. I only wished the Jurassic Park movie was in IMAX. Not a real race car fan to see F1 here.
If this is the same National Amusement Centreville, I could’ve sworn I posted seeing The Shadow here in 70mm or some special format. It was the only booking in 70mm and I remember my friends and I, who worked at Hechts, snuck out of work and high tailed it here to make it for a Sunday afternoon show. The movie sucked. And I remember one of my friends mimicking the shadow’s signature laugh all the way home for choosing to see this movie being so bad. LOL.
From reading my last post, 12 years ago, it seems this is when the venue was last remodeled. I sort of remember the movie :) Maybe larger wall to wall screens for that immersive experience would be nice. My memory of the place is more of the shoebox deluxe meaning a long and slightly wide auditorium hence the term shoebox deluxe. :) And upgraded concessions, please not just popcorn and soda :P Or else, I’ll be inclined to sneak in food from one of the many eateries adjacent to the theater.
I’m reminiscing at this late/early hour and in looking at my comments, I forgot to mention I saw the Madonna documentary “Truth or Dare” here in ‘91. I think I chose this venue over the others as the print boasted Dolby Spectrum or something that stood out from the other places. My first impression watching the movie was that Madonna was acting and 'on’ as the camera was rolling. The movie experience was there when it would go from the black and white plainness of the documentary to vibrant color concert footage with full stereo surrounds like you are there!
This was 34 years ago. Sheesh. Am I that old now? :P
The local news station has been broadcasting the closure of this venue. Looking at the posts, its been 13 years since I visited this venue. They used to have a film club where exclusives could be previewed prior to general release, or a filmmaker would be on hand to introduce his latest and have a Q&A with audience members but that stopped years ago before the pandemic.
Aside from that, customer service is severely lacking these days. Don’t get me started on AMC, which seems to dominate this market. There’s no showmanship at all. At least BowTie used to have personal intros, which was a nice touch. All that is gone now. You have to do something to differentiate yourself from the competition for sure.
Sorry to see this place shut down but, honestly, its too bad.
After 25 years, I returned to this theater for a free screening of the movie Bonhoeffer: Paster. Spy. Assassin #5. The movie I’d sum up as Schindler’s List lite. As stated in Mike’s comment from 10 years ago, capacity is very diminished with the large recliner seats spread out. Projection and sound were very good. Not used to ticketless entry even though its been around for years. I just don’t go out to the movies as much as I used to. I’m thinking its for lack or decent product and production.
I heard the last minute or so of a news story about this on the radio the other day. In reading the story on the Post, the idea sounds interesting. However, I hope they restore some 70mm film projection, too. The question I have is parking space for people who drive in. I don’t like Metro. I don’t think we can part in the neighborhood streets like we used to with the parking stickers they have for that area now these days and there’s only so many parking space around there, too.
Before Doug Trumbull passed, I know he was working on a HFR system sort of like a modern day Showscan. Wonder whatever happened to that. Or, could this be a variation on that?
My original post is gone from 2K5. I never saw a movie here but did see the comics Stephen Lynch and the late Mitch Hedberg in 2005. I don’t recall a whole lot being this was 19 years+ years ago. I recall the interior was decent and the seats cramped and relatively clean. No movie screen but a decent stage. Lynch was great although, from my memory had to drink some beers to become animated enough to do his off the wall comedic songs. Hedberg seemed high or drunk and kept the show going on what seemed like hours or way past the booked time. Not that this was bad, its just that one can only maintain comfort in those seats with no break and I had superior bladder control at the time, too. Sadly, Hedberg passed away mere weeks after this show and that sticks in my mind as I write this.
Interior looks beautiful with lots of entertainment choices, but sadly, no more movies.
After reading the article, it seems the venue will get remodeled at a much higher cost. To wait any longer would mean even higher construction costs in the future. The sooner things get done, the sooner they can reopen and entertain audiences again and make some $ and boost the local economy.
For whatever reason or no reason, or maybe it was the ‘force’ that prompted me to look at this venue last week and saw a limited engagement of Return of the Jedi in the BTX auditorium. Other venues have it in regular Digital projection. The thing is I’ve forever had a problem getting my Stubbs account reinstated even after using another email addy. I tried and it finally worked again after resetting, paid the $18 or so for the privilege and got my evening ticket. Didn’t realize I paid $15 for Stubbs that lasts until the end of this year. This means I’ll be going to AMC a few more times. It also seems double points are awarded on Wed.
Food fare hasn’t changed and I couldn’t believe that a small pizza and drink is as much as the admission..$40 for a ticket and food? No.
The preshow ads play in mono as if everything is spoken in whisper. The AMC ads are surround and they didn’t play the BTX or Atmos trailer. Even though I’ve seen this film a few times, this digital presentation does not compare to the 70mm or the presentation at AFI even. The transfer had no film artifacts such as the spotting but just looked dull. Soundtrack was barely there then I realized why they didn’t play the Atmos trailer is because the movie didn’t have an Atmos soundtrack. Maybe I’m wrong but I suppose they haven’t updated the film and remixed the soundtrack for Atmos.
The seats are comfy cushy and made me temporarily snooze during the Endor scenes. LOL.
I finally stopped by for a movie under Landmark’s new ownership of the place just shortly after the Oscars. This is the first year I have not seen any of the nominated pictures due to work and not Covid issues. The movies booked are almost carbon copy of that booked at the mall. One would think counter programming would be best to maximize patronage.
The place seems less inviting with the elimination of a live manned box office. You buy your ticket electronically at the kiosk or go upstairs and deal with the person at the concession stand. The 2 people at the stand were friendly enough but offerings weren’t that many. I’m thinking whatever happened to the upgrades BowTie made to expanding the food menu? The equipment must’ve been left behind to make fries, wings and
air fried/convection oven pizza. The upstairs has little tables resembling a cafe area. There is alcohol available. Need a good espresso bar and similar offerings.
The auditorium exteriors have some nice cosmetic upgrades. However, the signage confused me to the point where I went into the wrong auditorium for my movie. I ended up seeing Creed III with a bunch of high school kids. It seems further seating reductions were made to space out this particular auditorium and the comfy cushy BowTie recliners are still there. Screen size and placement look the same and the sound was decent although I didn’t inquire as to format.
The mens restroom was finally modernized to have flushless urinals and decent sinks with hand dryers.
This venue is definitely closed. I was driving by this past Sat night and saw no cars in the lot. Can’t believe its been open 25 years or so. I remember when it opened rereading my post above. Dallas' post above is correct.
To be honest, the 2 BIG theaters would’ve made for a better IMAX conversion then the Waugh Chapel down 301 when it was built new back in 2012 or so.
I scanned through the article and blanked out when I read the part of a 375 seat main theater. LOL! I assume the large screen is untouched. If they make it smaller, forget it. It seems the event films like your Avatars and Top Gun 2s get the people out to the big screens as it should. I’d never pay $20+ to stream a movie at home, unless I’m rich and have a dedicated THX-certified or better cinema auditorium.
The other sources of revenue from food and other entertainment makes economic sense. However, its not going to get me to drive there and pay $$ for pretty looking spoonfuls of food served on bone China and crystal glassware.
I was in the area one weekday and drove by the place in the afternoon. They had only 2 showings at the time. 5 pm ish and 7 pm ish. Didn’t bother going in but there were cars in the lot. With all the money Bow Tie put in over the years including the hot food equipment, I doubt Landmark did much except dust off the place and unlock the doors :) Now, if they put in a good espresso and/or smoothie machine, I’ll mosey on up to the place.
Looking at the online movie listings, they are in competition with the mall theater booking similar films. Am I to assume film clearance is now in the past? Or, are exhibitors playing nice in the movie showing business now?
The Customer Service is horrible. After trying to get someone from corporate to reinstate my Stubbs account exchanging numerous emails, the management here did nothing to help even after promising to email me after assured fixes. I’ll give them kudos for smiling widely like actors in a toothpaste commercial at me with a promise of a fix.
I have seen several movies after they opened a little after the pandemic. Just about all were in the BTX. Their recliners are far better then the AMC Tysons ones (at least the IMAX auditorium..and not busted up..so far). Unfortunately, they are TOO comfortable, I’ve found myself snoozing at the last Jurassic Park Dominion film.
The hot food fare is not as good or varied as Bow Tie was but at least they deliver to the seat.