AMC Montgomery 16
7101 Democracy Boulevard,
Bethesda,
MD
20817
7101 Democracy Boulevard,
Bethesda,
MD
20817
4 people
favorited this theater
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AMC is investing nearly $3 million in this theater and moving ahead to add their signature recliners. Total seating capacity will decrease in each auditorium with the new recliners.
Source: http://robertdyer.blogspot.com/2023/11/amc-montgomery-16-theater-to-add.html
Briefly talked to the manger, he wasn’t sure which l auditoriums if any are 4K or 2K. I found this article in 2016 that indicates at least theater 6 would be 4K. I wounded if theater 7 would also be 4k?
https://meyersound.com/news/arclight/
Do we know if all the projectors 4K?
Saw black panther in theater 7 and it sounded like Atmos was working. However the picture quality was awful almost looked like color banding. Maybe it’s due to the old 2k projector? Theater 6 looked great though I feel like AMC Tyson’s 16 regular theater’s projectors have better contrast, possibly owning
to them being the Sony vs Arclight’s Christie.
Wait, they seriously downgraded all of the auditoriums to 5.1 sound? Originally I was going to give AMC a chance and check the place out since they took over, but if that’s the case, forget it, I won’t be going back…
In the long term my guess is they’ll convert 6 to a digital or laser IMAX and 7, the other Atmos-equipped auditorium, to a Dolby Cinema. The latter is in the middle of the pack in terms of screen size and capacity…the screen can’t be more than 35-40 feet wide, and with recliners it wouldn’t seat more than 80. But that would be cheaper than installing a new Atmos system in one of the larger auditoriums, so of course that’s what AMC will do. And I guess if people are willing to pay $25/ticket for something they think is a “premium experience” just because the salesman tells them so, that’s the fault of their own stupidity.
I would guess AMC considers Atmos a “premium” format, meaning something they only offer if they can charge extra. Since they only offer Atmos in Dolby Cinema and haven’t yet reconfigured any auditorium as such, that’s why they refused to play it.
uploaded new photograph of ‘Poster’ wall
I was there yesterday seeing ‘Studio 666’ and it was interesting to see that little changed, the seating from the Arclight is still in place AND surprise, surprise, the vertical masking, whether that was retained for the ultra-large screen (auditorium 6) remains to be seen.
As I was in the neighborhood, actually today, March 2, was it’s reopening. I was curious to see what it looked like, that huge wall of posters was still there. I inquired about the Dolby Atmos systems, and I got the most convoluted, bonkers explanation of why ‘The Batman’ is not being presented as such - the manager explained it like twice and neither time it made any sense. He also explained that (the previous fourteen) auditorium sound systems have also been downgraded from 7.1 to now 5.1 surround.
Thursday March 3, 2022 reopening.
https://deadline.com/2022/02/amc-entertainment-arclight-theaters-san-diego-1234928467/
Deadline reports that AMC is taking over the lease at the former Arclight Bethesda with an opening expected in March 2022 as AMC Montgomery 16. No other details; I assume they’ll wait a bit to see if it’s worth investing in to remodel in the AMC style. At a minimum I expect they’d put a digital IMAX or Dolby Cinema in the Widescreen auditorium, which of course means ripping out the masking.
I thought I had heard a murmuring that another chain ([cough] ‘Cinemark’) was doing a hush-hush acquisition / interest of the space - ?? Honestly I wish Showplace ICON might take the bait, their Boro (Tyson’s Corner) location is the best in the DMV area, in terms of 2K/4K Barco laser projection and state of the art sound.
I simply had to see Peter Jackson’s documentary WW1 movie “They Shall Never Grow Old” here and it was a fantastic experience on their widescreen screen here! Warner’s must have mandated 3D screenings of this because almost all of it’s screening in auditorium #6 are just that, and it’s exemplary – the Dolby Atmos mix was equally impressive – this is one of the movies where every element: the restoration of the footage, the 3D imagery, the soundmix, the subject matter all came together to such tremendous visual/auditory effect
^ even though the Uptown doesn’t have an Atmos setup, ‘Ready Player One’ on the big large screen was epic and a highlight of last year.
Just this last past week though Arclight has really stepped up it’s game with trying to put as many movies on the ‘widescreen’ screen and it’s second Dolby Atmos auditorium. While ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at the Uptown was sensational, Arclight’s return engagement of it on the widescreen screen, and specifically the movie’s Dolby Atmos mix was an auditory experience in it’s own respect and trounced the 5.1 mix with its music and key audio moments traversing over one’s head.
I’ll admit, now being an AMC A-List member, and trying to beholden to not spend money I really don’t have ~ I miss Arclight tremendously. ‘The Favourite’ I saw here in early December was head’s and above far superior to AMC Shirlington’s presentation. 7.1 surround sound, the black box / low lit auditoriums, the three trailers before the feature (and not the standard barrage of twenty minutes of trailers at AMC [and Regal]) all exemplify how and why seeing a movie at the Arclight is my preferred way and environment in experiencing a movie.
I’ve been to this theater twice. One time for “Thor: Ragnarok”(in 3D ATMOS) and one time for “Ready Player One”(in 2D WIDESCREEN ATMOS). And even though Thor’s ATMOS mix didn’t QUITE blow me away(though that might have been due to the volume of the theater itself), Ready Player One’s ATMOS mix definitely did(and it helps that it was sixth time I saw the film(I previously saw the film in LIMAX(Fake IMAX)3D(at AMC Tysons Corner), Laser IMAX 3D(with 12.1 sound!)(at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater in Washington D.C.), regular 3D(in 5.1 sound)(at Regal Fairfax Towne Center), regular 2D(in 5.1 sound)(at Cinemark Centreville), and regular 2D(again, but this time with 7.1 sound!).). A good theater with decent prices, and some of the best sound you will ever hear.
Tristan, do you recall what Auditorium you saw Thor in? I’ve been there once and didn’t enjoy the place or the service, so I haven’t been there again. Although, I visit that place every 2-3 months to visit my Stylist. Maybe the place has improved. I’m willing to give it another chance. :)
I ended up going to Reston to see it on the BTX screen, which I was very impressed with, the screen is huge and the sound was impressive as well (although I’m not much of an audiophile, so my standards are kind of low haha). I’m glad to hear the Secret Life of Pets looks great on the Arclight screen, I might have to go check it out!
yup that’s me… Dubstar. So where’d did you eventually see “ID: Resurgence” ? sorry for the late answer but Fairfax’s two Xtreme screens are fixed 1.78 screens – but on the positive side they are massive tall screens (too bad they are Auro 11.1 [so few movies are mixed and released as such])
back on topic though, just saw ‘Secret Life of Pets’ here at Arclight’s widescreen screen and I have to say the 3D (and brightness) was much better than ‘Finding Dory’s presentation.
Hey Giles, I am actually! Is your username Dubstar? I’m glad to hear that the screen masks for scope movies, I wish more theaters did this. I’m still deciding between going here or going to Reston to try the BTX screen for Independence Day, because I’ve read other comments below here that said that the BTX screen is a true scope screen, but I’m sure the experience will be good at either. Might have to consider the Fairfax Xtreme theater too, although I don’t know if that’s a scope or flat screen.
hey there FAShaffi – are you a member over at bluray.com ? I know I answered a similar question just recently – and I’ll answer it like it did there. For scope films on the widescreen screen – it’s vertically masking where the screen actually lowers to 2.39 from the top downwards, thus eliminating the black bars that fixed ‘flat’ 1.79 screens present when presenting ‘scope’ movies.
Hope that answers your question. It’s a great screen and features a properly calibrated Atmos sound system, which in my opinion trounces the sound over on Tyson’s Dolby Cinema setup. (Unfortunately this morning’s presentation of ‘Finding Dory’ really showed off to lackluster effect how 3D glasses and non-laser projection can diminish color) Dolby Cinema and IMAX-laser (at Udvar Hazy and at the Lockheed Martin screens) show off how laser boosts brightness and colors to beautiful eye-popping superior effect. Wish Arclight would invest the time and money to switch over to a Christie 4K laser system for this screen.
Hello all,
I want to check out this theater when the new Independence Day movie comes out next week, and I want to try the “widescreen” theater (which I believe is Auditorium 6. For anyone who has been, are scope or anamorphic movies shot in 2.39 letterboxed on this screen? or is it true widescreen with no bars above and below the image?
while this is my favourite newer theater in the DC metro area – I do have to say they are the worst when it comes to the number of 3D movies shown as such during the day.
updated – added pics of the illuminated lobby ‘poster/photo’ wall in photo’s section
I have around a half dozen of the lobby’s ultra-cool poster wall