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Scott McAllister · 07-24-2007, 12:50 AM

Oh man, where's the Southeast love? Let me take care of that.

As an aside, I have to concur with all the praise being lavished upon the Arclight cinema. During my four month stint in L.A (living on the corner of Sunset & Vermont), I managed to visit the Arclight several times. I can honestly say I've never been more satisfied with my overall movie-watching experience. I managed to take in several opening weekend blockbusters, as well as "Die Another Day" in the Cinerama Dome along with "Lethal Weapon", "Back to the Future", and "Lawrence of Arabia" during the theater's movie revival promotion. Absolutely A+, and worth detouring your vacation if you happen to be in the general vicinity.

Now, onto the Tampa area theaters.

AMC Woodlands Square 20.
This is my tried and true movie house and it usually does not fail to disappoint. I say usually because there are times when the surround sound can fade out, and the picture can be a little out of focus. That having been said, it's still an easy 8 out of 10 given its close proximity, affordable tickets, and above average presentation. For big blockbuster movies I highly recommend finding out which showings are playing in either theater #10 or #11. These screens (and seating areas) are easily forty percent bigger than the other eighteen screens in the place, and I go out of my way to make sure my butt is in one of those chairs come showtime.

The building is surrounded by the requisite pizza joints and ice cream parlors to satisfy the rumbling stomach. There's also a Ruby Tuesday's, Burger King, and Taco Bell if you prefer name-brand delectables. Parking is free and there's a huge lot available. I recommend driving behind the theater and parking in the backlot as it is usually more empty and less of a walk to box office.

Channelside Cinemas 9 & IMAX.
This is the best game in town when it comes to IMAX presentation. I've made the thirty minute drive to Channelside just to catch a few movies in IMAX (Spiderman 2). This is a clean theater with excellent video, sound, and seating. Sound is usually very high fidelity and there have been times where I felt somewhat like the "Maxell Logo Guy"; holding onto my seat with both hands while my hair blows back toward the wall. What makes this theater so attractive is that it's right smack in the middle of Channelside, which gives you access to some great restaurants (sushi by the port authority is not to be missed), bars, and clubspots. If you go for the evening, make sure you swing by Splitsville, a very trendy, upscale bowling alley.

I hope this helps some of our Southeastern Florida members. See you there!

-S-

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07-24-2007, 12:50 AM	#38 of 50
Scott McAllister HTF DVD Reviewer Location: Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Local Time: 03:38 PM Local Date: 07-06-2008 Posts: 91	Re: Review your favorite Movie Theater Oh man, where's the Southeast love? Let me take care of that. As an aside, I have to concur with all the praise being lavished upon the Arclight cinema. During my four month stint in L.A (living on the corner of Sunset & Vermont), I managed to visit the Arclight several times. I can honestly say I've never been more satisfied with my overall movie-watching experience. I managed to take in several opening weekend blockbusters, as well as "Die Another Day" in the Cinerama Dome along with "Lethal Weapon", "Back to the Future", and "Lawrence of Arabia" during the theater's movie revival promotion. Absolutely A+, and worth detouring your vacation if you happen to be in the general vicinity. Now, onto the Tampa area theaters. AMC Woodlands Square 20. This is my tried and true movie house and it usually does not fail to disappoint. I say usually because there are times when the surround sound can fade out, and the picture can be a little out of focus. That having been said, it's still an easy 8 out of 10 given its close proximity, affordable tickets, and above average presentation. For big blockbuster movies I highly recommend finding out which showings are playing in either theater #10 or #11. These screens (and seating areas) are easily forty percent bigger than the other eighteen screens in the place, and I go out of my way to make sure my butt is in one of those chairs come showtime. The building is surrounded by the requisite pizza joints and ice cream parlors to satisfy the rumbling stomach. There's also a Ruby Tuesday's, Burger King, and Taco Bell if you prefer name-brand delectables. Parking is free and there's a huge lot available. I recommend driving behind the theater and parking in the backlot as it is usually more empty and less of a walk to box office. Channelside Cinemas 9 & IMAX. This is the best game in town when it comes to IMAX presentation. I've made the thirty minute drive to Channelside just to catch a few movies in IMAX (Spiderman 2). This is a clean theater with excellent video, sound, and seating. Sound is usually very high fidelity and there have been times where I felt somewhat like the "Maxell Logo Guy"; holding onto my seat with both hands while my hair blows back toward the wall. What makes this theater so attractive is that it's right smack in the middle of Channelside, which gives you access to some great restaurants (sushi by the port authority is not to be missed), bars, and clubspots. If you go for the evening, make sure you swing by Splitsville, a very trendy, upscale bowling alley. I hope this helps some of our Southeastern Florida members. See you there! -S- "Being God must be tough, huh?" "When you do it right, nobody thinks you did anything at all."