AMC Columbia 14
10300 Little Patuxent Parkway,
Columbia,
MD
21044
10300 Little Patuxent Parkway,
Columbia,
MD
21044
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 52 comments
Are the Dolby Cinema projectors working properly here? Both Spider-Man Homecoming and Black Panther did not look like they were true HDR. The colors didn’t look as bright and vivid as Power Rangers and Wonder Woman. The contrast looked better than standard projection, notably in dark scenes but the colors aren’t as saturated as they were when the Dolby Cinema first opened. Projection was slightly soft as well, with the edges of objects looking a bit blurry. The Dolby Cinema demo trailer directly before the films didn’t have true black either, unlike when it first opened.
Apparently, they also started using the old house lights during the preshow and trailers. Originally, only a few dimmed red ceiling lights were used. I guess people complained that it was too dark. But now there is glare on the screen during the trailers and the Dolby Vision projectors aren’t bright enough to offset the glare.
When I saw Black Panther, I didn’t feel the seat transducers — it was like Wonder Woman again, which I didn’t mind. But they also turned the volume down to the point where it just sounded like a standard auditorium with better sound quality. Looks like the Dolby Cinema went downhill like the IMAX. If you go to an earlier show with cheaper pricing, it may be worth it for some but not for me.
I watched the last Spider-Man Homecoming show in Dolby Cinema and I don’t know what’s going on here. The Dolby Cinema presentations here are inconsistent like the IMAX auditorium.
It was completely fine when it first opened, then it was too quiet and the power of the seat transducers were turned down. For Spider-Man, the seat transducers and sound were turned up too much and didn’t activate until after the trailers, which was very awkward when the sound was twice as loud and the seat transducers felt like D-BOX and 4D (4DX and MX4D) motion seats. And the projection was dim at first, like one of the projectors was not turned on. Don’t get me started on the small screen size [for a large format auditorium].
I feel like they only installed Dolby Cinema in this specific mid-sized auditorium (#3) because the entrance doesn’t cast a glare on the side of the screen when the door is opened like in the IMAX. I don’t remember if that’s the case in the largest auditoriums but Dolby Cinema would have been better in those rooms due to their much larger size. I guess they didn’t want to lose that many seats with the recliner installation. To be fair, theater 3 feels much smaller than it did with the original seats. Looks like they lost over half of the original seating capacity with the recliners.
Saw Wonder Woman in Dolby Cinema and the power of the seat transducers felt like they were turned down. Not nearly as powerful as they originally were, which was disappointing. In many scenes where you’d expect to feel the transducers, they weren’t even on. I only remember 3 or 4 scenes where they were actually activated. I normally expect to feel them during the Dolby Cinema at AMC trailers but there was nothing at all. The sound also seemed to be turned down a bit. Dolby Vision looked great as usual.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in auditorium 2 also had sound issues. The front screen speakers were too quiet, while the surrounds were louder than the front speakers. So some dialogue was not completely understandable in a film where this is an important aspect.
Dolby Vision and Atmos in Dolby Cinema look and sound great here. Patrons at other Dolby Cinema at AMC locations complain that the seat transducers are distracting, while I found them to be more subtle at this theater. It’s definitely not like D-BOX, which I found to be like a theme park ride, even with the motion setting on low.
The red aisle lights do not cast a glare on the screen. Most likely because there are no aisle lights on the front of the steps facing the screen like other Dolby Cinema at AMC locations.
The Dolby Cinema screen is similar to the IMAX screen but less “in your face”. It does span practically the entire wall and is flat aspect ratio but is not tilted like the IMAX screen to make it appear larger. The Dolby Cinema screen is slightly wider and taller than the original screen and but does not have masking. It is smaller than the IMAX screen but larger than standard screens.
Auditorium 3 was originally one of the mid-sized auditoriums but feels much smaller now due to the recliners and new stadium risers. The first row behind the main aisle has a physical stairway with railings due to the higher platform of the new stadium risers. I also noticed a large difference in auditorium acoustics compared to before — sounds like the auditorium was isolated acoustically like a THX certified auditorium.
Dolby Cinema opened today in auditorium 3 and is showing Power Rangers, which was mastered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos formats.
This opened on December 19th, 2003. I uploaded the grand opening ad in the photo section.
Auditorium 14 was apparently considered for conversion to Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime during the late summer. The auditorium was closed and had a Dolby Cinema at AMC coming soon poster in a poster case outside of the auditorium.
After around 2 months, auditorium 14 reopened and a regular film poster had returned to the poster case. They made me excited and it never went through.
Unusual auditorium choice for the conversion since 14 is not one of the largest in the theatre. 2 and 7 are the largest auditoriums. Hopefully one of those will eventually be converted.
this theater is being used as a shelter for victims of the shooting as a precaution since it’s a separate building.
A shooting near the movie theater in the mall has the mall on lockdown today.
I saw Oz the Great and Powerful during its run in IMAX 3D and the IMAX sound was very weak. Bass output was practically non-existent and the sound overall was not loud at all for IMAX. Projection was good, though not as bright as the projectors at Cinemark Egyptian.
Star Trek: Into Darkness in IMAX 3D was the complete opposite with brighter projection and much louder sound, though the mid and high frequency audio seemed to be louder than the bass at times.
I thought the Man of Steel (standard 2D) presentation in auditorium 7 over the weekend was better than both of those projection wise. The IMAX projectors seem to have higher contrast with more saturated color compared to the DLP projector in #7. Like the Into Darkness presentation in IMAX 3D, sound in Man of Steel was loud but emphasized the mid and high frequencies with even less low-frequency/bass output.
Like most AMC locations that were built before digital cinema became standard, this theater still uses their old, low-resolution video projectors for pre-shows (AMC locations in Owings Mills and White Marsh do the same as well). Local Cinemark and Regal megaplexes that were built with film projectors (Arundel Mills and Snowden Square, respectively) are using their digital cinema projectors for all presentations, including pre-shows.
For those who enjoy watching trailers: this specific theater frequently shows old trailers (not the most recent trailers) and sometimes does not show new teaser trailers that are included with new film releases.
I saw Star Trek: Into Darkness in the IMAX-lite theater during a matinee showing in its final week in many local venues in IMAX-lite. I had hoped to catch the movie in the best format available before it gets relegated to the smaller and not so grand shoebox theaters at the local multiplexes. Not surprisingly, there was barely a handful in attendance. The preshow was shown in a small square and with low audio. Its as if no one cared to at make at least the ads top notch given the $18 premium paid for the format. Again, they showed last year’s teaser for the Superman: Man of Steel movie. Ridiculous. They should be playing the final trailer for a movie opening in less than two weeks!
With my Stubs membership about to expire, I decided to go to a few more AMC shows to get my reward credit to pay for the renewal. I would have sprang for one of the outrageously priced concession stand items but as I approached the counter, the attendant went the other way. With the movie about to start, I decided not to waste time or $10 for something I didn’t really want. Since I was on the fence, had there been better customer service, I probably would’ve bought something even if I had missed the first few minutes of ads anyway.
Presentation was good. What is interesting about this viewing and this is probably the 5th or so I’ve seen in this format, is noticing sound effects that you either didn’t hear or notice from previous viewings. The picture didn’t seem as bright as Regal’s or the new Xcape Brandyine Xtreme auditorium. Maybe the DP is older? or the projection lamp needs adjustment or changing?
I saw ‘Iron Lady’ in 6 a few weeks ago in DP. The picture and sound were quite good, but not as good as at the BowTie Annapolis Harbour. It may be that I sat in the back at the Harbour as opposed to smack in the front here. Great movie. I hope Meryl Streep wins another Oscar, but since Glenn Close has yet to win one and she is also nominated, it may not happen.
I also saw ‘Red Tails’ in #13. Very good surround and picture. There was some disruption in the beginning of the movie but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the movie and the presentation. The audience, mostly African American, was a bit boisterous in the beginning. There was an older lady sitting to the left of me, who would occasionally SHHH. If we were in DC, say at the Regal Gallery Place, I’d fear there would have been some confrontation with the lady since she was white SHHH-shing. Fortunately, it did not escalate. As with other theaters, no one came in at all during the show to check on the exit doors.
The movie did bring out some cat calls and applause when a character surprisingly returns from a prison camp. As such, the audience participation was a welcome surprise.
I can’t believe I spent almost $40 here; $25 on tickets and another $12 for a popcorn/soda combo. With my AMC Stubbs card, I was able to get it upsized for free. On my way out, I did get refills for both for later consumption. They need to have popcorn seasonings here other then the hydrogenated imitated butter glop.
Watched Beauty and the Beast 3D in auditorium 7 this past week. The depth of the 3D seemed to be better than The Lion King 3D, which I also saw at this theatre in auditorium 2. I looked up into the booth window for both screenings and it appears that both auditoriums have DLP projectors due to their larger screens. They only had a single lens with a RealD filter in front, unlike Sony projectors that have a dual lens adapter for 3D features. The 3D DLP presentations also appear to be brighter than the Sony 3D presentations I have seen in the smaller auditoriums.
Caught the Adventures of TinTin, in IMAX-lite, the other Monday. Thinking I was going to pay matinee pricing for IMAX, I was wrong. They charged full price! The motion capture aspect of the production made for a very exciting chase scene at the end..the very end. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough to sustain interest getting there. At least the technique has more detail from when Polar Express was released, but I still think the characters have limited expression beyond that of zombies.
According to the AMC website & MovieTickets.com, most of the auditoriums now have digital projection.
I also saw Inception in the IMAX-lite theater. Unfortunately, I was up late the night before, so the AM showing I saw caused me to sleep during the middle of the movie. Its funny though that I thought I was actually “in” the movie going in and out of consciousness and felt I was in certain scenes and that I was actually talking to Leonardo diCaprio. :D I hope to see it again before it goes.
I recently saw Inception in digital IMAX and enjoyed the film and digital presentation for the most part.
Although the sound system seemed to be more powerful than previous IMAX screenings (especially the bass output), there were times when the sound seemed like it was not equalized. At some points, the bass would drown out the mid and higher end audio, such as spoken dialogue, which is important in this particular film.
Otherwise, the presentation was fine. The digital projection was brighter than most standard digital presentations, which helped bring out some details in the picture.
Digital Projection Update:
Auditorium 1 – Multiplex IMAX digital (DLP x 2)
Auditorium 4 – Sony 4K digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditorium 6 – Sony 4K digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditorium 14 – DLP digital (RealD 3D capable)
Auditoriums 1 & 6 appear to be the largest digital auditoriums, with auditorium 4 being the smallest digital screen and 14 somewhere in between in terms of size.
I also saw Avatar in IMAX Digital 3D this past weekend and agree with Jodar. The film works quite well with this format, especially the 3D aspect that feels more immersive due to the screen size and sound system.
Not sure why non-IMAX previews were shown, especially since there were already several IMAX 3D previews. They could have shown the IMAX countdown trailer in 3D as they did in the past. Then again, that trailer may have been replaced with the new AMC IMAX intro.
My cousins and I saw Avatar in IMAX-lite 3D here Sat night. The theater was sold out and for the first time since the IMAX-lite install, I do have to say that the film and this format are a perfect match. The movie was enthralling despite its rather long running time. The ‘3D’ aspect does really draw you into this alien world and after a few moments it all feels ‘natural.’ I want to see it again, at the nearby Cinemark Muvico and their XD format to compare.
I wanted to go this weekend but with the snow, couldn’t get out of the house. The roads are just too jammed to go to the mall even today, Monday. If work is slow, I may just hit a matinee before Christmas.
IMAX 3D screenings of Avatar were sold out on opening day. Several RealD screenings were also sold out during the evening. According to MovieTickets.com, Avatar is being shown in RealD 3D in 2 auditoriums. Previously only auditorium 14 had RealD.
I have not seen the movie yet but I did see the Avatar Day preview footage here in IMAX 3D, which I thought was impressive.
My friend and I saw A Christmas Carol in IMAX 3D. It seems strange to me that its also playing in Digital 3D. If you’re going to go for the 3D experience, why not go to the more immersive experience of the large format showing? When we got tickets at the kiosk, it was interesting to note that they advertise the IMAX lite theater as THX. Unfortunately, the THX website does not list this venue as THX certified, yet. The movie was masked in what seemed to be 2:35, yet IMDB has the IMAX version at 1:44. Hmmm. The IMAX Digital trailer is all new and does show off the format’s immersive and colorful display. The previews for Avatar and Alice in Wonderland were truly amazing and, yes, even in the IMAX lite theater was quite good. Then again, we sat in the seats up front reserved for the elderly and handicapped.
The movie itself began much like we all know about the classic Dickens tale. The motion capture technique used on Jim Carrey doesn’t show his features in the beginning. His voice isn’t recognizable either at first. Unfortunately, given the fact that this is a familiar tale and I woke up very early, I found myself snoozing during the middle part of the movie. Overall, I did enjoy the movie and the format better this time around. I may want to watch it again during a matinee before Avatar comes out.
I don’t know if it was just me but the sound system seemed to have more ooomph and deeper bass than before and the surrounds good accompanying the 3D effects. Its still not up to par with the best THX venues yet, even though they are touting it as THX at the kiosk.
Jodar, that’s precisely the reason why I didn’t see it in IMAX DLP. I had originally planned to but my relatives didn’t want to pay the extra evening surcharge for IMAX and didn’t want to see a film that late. Most theatres are showing the IMAX DLP version once in the early afternoon between Where The Wild Things Are IMAX screenings and also during the evening – this theater is not.
I may see this again in DP at another area theatre if this one does not add earlier showtimes for IMAX DLP. As you said, Bow Tie Annapolis Mall 11 is showing it in DLP; Cinemark Egyptian 24 also has DLP screenings and Landmark Harbor East is showing the film in 4K.
MovieTix, how could you resist NOT seeing it in the IMAX digital version?? I am curious as to why they limit the IMAX screenings to just one show a day. They are showing it in DLP in Annapolis in THX but I think I may splurge and go the IMAX-lite route at this venue.