VicMan Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 I did some research on movie theaters in Houston and the surrounding areas.It turns out that there are only two "traditional" theaters inside the loop; the Edwards Grand Palace and the Angelika in Downtown.I wonder if more theaters will be built inside the loop.Also, there appears to be only one theater in Sugar Land! (with one in Missouri City, one in Stafford, and two in Katy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Observer Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 What do you mean by "traditional"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 An AMC at a rail stop on the future N. Main line could work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted June 26, 2005 Author Share Posted June 26, 2005 What do you mean by "traditional"?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>By traditional theater I mean a theater that plays "mainstream" movies, e.g. those at the top of the box office and those that one normally expects to find at a theater.By "traditional" I am excluding theaters such as Landmark and dollar cinemas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokieone Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Yeah the Edwards is very nice, and the Angelika has held up decently over the years too. Still, I think eventually there could be room for at least one more closer to downtown theatre. I wouldn't mind seeing a bar/grill type place open up that shows first run movies. Would be perfect for the more adult crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Is meyerland innner loop, or outer loop? There is an AMC near it, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted June 26, 2005 Author Share Posted June 26, 2005 Meyerland is outside the loop, and yes, the AMC Meyer Park is there. There used to be a General Cinema in Meyerland Plaza there but it closed.Perhaps AMC can build a theater near River Oaks to replace the "Cineplex Odeon" that got torn down.Also, isn't Loews getting bought out by AMC? If so, AMC will not have to build in other areas and will instead simply enjoy the business at the Loews theatres (Magic Johnson Northline Mall (Houston), Loews Easton Commons (Unincorporated Harris County), Loews Spring 10 (Unincorporated Harris County), and Loews Fountains (Stafford)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Observer Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 I have to commend and criticize my favorite movie theatre all at the same time:The Alamo Drafthouse @ West Oaks Mall.Now, while I love that the Drafthouse serves food with the movie, I hate how out of my 10+ visits, they've yet to prepare a meal to my liking - much less to the description found in the menu.Also, I love how no children under 16 are allowed in the theatre, and most nights you'll only find couples on dates there - but I hate how the wait staff still finds a way to make more noise than 20 children could.Finally, I love how they play wacky old tv commercials, b-flicks, and other cult favorites before the movie, I however hate that last call for food comes just 30-40 minutes into the show.So its a wierd situation for myself to recommend to all, a movie theatre that I hate to like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted June 26, 2005 Author Share Posted June 26, 2005 Do they play the same kinds of movies at the Alamo that Landmark plays?Also, what kinds of food are served at the Alamo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Observer Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Alamo plays current movies during the week - 6 to 7 different ones nightly. They usually run a classic or a cult-classic in there too. On the weekends they have marathons for cult-classics, and they get b-list or one time a-list celebs to come in and promote their film that's being shown (almost always an older cult film). They also do sci-fi stuff too.They're renovating an old theatre on I-45 north, just south of FM1960 on the west side of the feeder. Here's the website for all the info about the Drafthouse:Alamo Drafthouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted June 26, 2005 Author Share Posted June 26, 2005 Also, since Loews is being taken over by AMC, I wonder what is going to happen to the Magic Johnson brand (there is a Magic Johnson Theater at the Northline Mall). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Inside the loop is both under-movied and under-retailed. Don't expect any more theaters to be built, however. There is a glut of screens already, and movie attendance is its worst in years. It is likely that the Loews-AMC merger will result in some closings in the Houston area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 I go to the Edwards Grand Palace to see movies. The Cinemark in Westchase is a dump - they simply do not manage it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Observer Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 The Cinemark in Westchase is a dump - they simply do not manage it well.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>We've started avoiding Tinseltown in Westchase for the same reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Ins't that where the boa or whatever got lose(allegedly)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted June 27, 2005 Author Share Posted June 27, 2005 (edited) Inside the loop is both under-movied and under-retailed. Don't expect any more theaters to be built, however. There is a glut of screens already, and movie attendance is its worst in years. It is likely that the Loews-AMC merger will result in some closings in the Houston area.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>So, which theaters do you think will shutter?AMC's Houston area theaters:FORT BENDKaty77494 AMC Katy Mills Circle 31Sugar Land77479 AMC First Colony 24HARRISHouston77035 AMC Meyer Park 16 (EDIT: CLOSED)77063 AMC Studio 3077064 AMC Willowbrook 2477089 AMC Gulf Pointe 30Humble77338 AMC Deerbrook Mall 24Loews' Houston area theaters:HARRISUnincorporated Harris County77095 Loews Easton Commons 8 (Houston) (EDIT: CLOSED)77388 Loews Spring 10 (Spring)Houston77022 Magic Johnson Northline (EDIT: CLOSED)FORT BENDStafford77477 Loews Fountains---------I doubt many, if any at all, will shutter since the two chains have theaters in very different locations!The only possible overlap is with AMC's Willowbrook theater and Loews' unincorporated Harris theaters.EDIT: I forgot one!EDIT on June 13, 2007 - AMC Meyer Park at 77035 CLOSED!EDIT on June 25, 2007 - Magic Johnson Northline at 77022 CLOSED!EDIT on January 29, 2008 - Cinemark's Tinseltown in Alief/Westchase CLOSED! - Of course the Landmark Greenway also CLOSED! Edited January 29, 2008 by VicMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Observer Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Ins't that where the boa or whatever got lose(allegedly)?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I beleive that was the Cypress-Fairbanks location off US290. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxDave Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Did the Cineplex Odeon get torn down?If so, I am not really suprised. I heard it was closed, but did not hear that it was demolished. I saw many movies there. In the early '90's it was kind of the anchor for inner loop entertainment. Was it really torn down? I would love an update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestGrayGuy Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 The Cineplex Odeon on West Gray has been gutted and is now home to a Mervyn's superstore and the hip new gym called "Fit". This is the place to work out inside the loop currently.The movie theater suffered a slow death after Edward's Grand Palace opened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxDave Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Thanks for the upate. I am glad to hear there is a constructive use for the site, rather than sitting vacant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 So, which theaters do you think will shutter?I doubt many, if any at all, will shutter since the two chains have theaters in very different locations!The only possible overlap is with AMC's Willowbrook theater and Loews' unincorporated Harris theaters.Hard to say, you may be right. I thought there might be closings because a WSJ article on the merger specifically mentioned Houston as a market with a lot of overlap. That Cineplex Odeon on West Gray was one of the last theaters built without stadium seating, and the interior was cheap and drab. It was a sitting duck for competition like Edwards Grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Hey, it's Marshall's and not Mervyn's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted July 1, 2005 Author Share Posted July 1, 2005 Hard to say, you may be right. I thought there might be closings because a WSJ article on the merger specifically mentioned Houston as a market with a lot of overlap. That Cineplex Odeon on West Gray was one of the last theaters built without stadium seating, and the interior was cheap and drab. It was a sitting duck for competition like Edwards Grand.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I forgot to mention the Loews theater in Stafford.Will that one close down in favor of AMC's Sugar Land theater? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 We've started avoiding Tinseltown in Westchase for the same reasons.You're talking about the same theater. Cinemark operates the Tinseltown brand as its more "upscale" format. And yes the place is a dump. I only went to two or three movies there in the four and a half years I lived in Westchase because I preferred to drive farther to a nice theater that wasn't so overrun with gangs of teenagers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted July 3, 2005 Author Share Posted July 3, 2005 You're talking about the same theater. Cinemark operates the Tinseltown brand as its more "upscale" format. And yes the place is a dump. I only went to two or three movies there in the four and a half years I lived in Westchase because I preferred to drive farther to a nice theater that wasn't so overrun with gangs of teenagers.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>What theater did you go to during that time period?I've been to the Tinseltown Westchase... it didn't seem like a dump to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 There are always kids selling drugs outside the Westchase Tinseltown, just out in the open. It's not someplace you want to go to see a movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted July 3, 2005 Author Share Posted July 3, 2005 Also, doesn't the Edwards Greenway Plaza have a mural that has two cheerleaders in it? (One of them is a Lamar cheerleader). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 What theater did you go to during that time period?I've been to the Tinseltown Westchase... it didn't seem like a dump to me...Usually the Edwards Greenway or the Angelika. Also used to go to the Edwards Marq-E some but haven't been there now in about two or three years. Most of my friends live inside the loop so even when I was in Westchase it was easier to come into town to meet up with them than for them to come out to me.As one of the others mentioned, there is a lot of drug activity going on in the parking lot at the Westchase Tinseltown. I've also sat on a seat in that theater once that was damp. When I stood up to move over I realized that it was not damp from a spilled drink like I had originally thought, but damp from urine. When I realized the seat felt damp I touched it with my hand and then the smell hit me. I got up and immediately headed to the bathroom to scrub my hands, totally disgusted. And even if I had not had that experience, every time I ever went there the place was overrun with wild kids.The Edwards at Greenway has its fair share of teenagers as well but it's never seemed as bad, and I've certainly never seen people dealing in the parking garage there. I think the location, the paid parking in the garage, and the slightly higher ticket prices keep out some of that element. I'd much rather pay a little more to not have to deal with that stuff. And now it's just about the closest theater to where I live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Observer Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 As one of the others mentioned, there is a lot of drug activity going on in the parking lot at the Westchase Tinseltown. I've also sat on a seat in that theater once that was damp. When I stood up to move over I realized that it was not damp from a spilled drink like I had originally thought, but damp from urine. When I realized the seat felt damp I touched it with my hand and then the smell hit me. I got up and immediately headed to the bathroom to scrub my hands, totally disgusted. And even if I had not had that experience, every time I ever went there the place was overrun with wild kids.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I can attest (sp?) to your post. I've told my wife the few times we went that the place smelled like piss & burnt popcorn. As for the drug dealing, I've never noticed it, but there are nothing but kids out front all the time. Suprisingly, there are nothing but families & couples at the AMC 30 on Dunvale, where we go most of the time now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted July 4, 2005 Author Share Posted July 4, 2005 Does the state of the Tinseltown in Westchase have anything to do with the state of Alief? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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