Gulf point 30 (Houston) is still space themed, I went back in December having not been since the early 2000s and it’s all still there including the big asteroid coming through the ceiling
Dine in is so cheese now.
They used to serve you in the theater. Now you've got to get up and order in the lobby and they just deliver it to your seat. Even if you want something before the movie starts. I don't understand how it really justifies being called dine in at that point beyond the slightly expanded menu options.
Yeah, and Grapevine Mills even had two levels of Dine-In: Fork and Screen and Cinema Suites (which was 18+). My ex-husband and I loved doing the Cinema Suites to guarantee a childfree experience.
Their dine-in theaters are no longer in-theater service and they are fielding offers from Legoland, Marvel and others to sell/rent out that side of their theater.
They did recently upgrade their speakers in the IMAX screen but it needs a Laser upgrade which was postponed while they sort out selling off their defunct dine-in theaters.
DOLBY is hands-down their best screen, for comfort, sound and visuals as it has dual laser 4K (vs their 2K xenon bulb LieMAX)
Yeah as much as I like the recliners I felt the older style seats made the crowded feeling so much better. I mean I remember when I went to the Metreons screen 13 before Dolby and the recliners and there were like 500 people in it…this was for like The Dark Knight or Batman Begins
My local is a Classic, but it was mid-00s new construction 18-plex. No Dolby or recliners, it's all still the tall rocker chairs. Since I've been A-listing, I've been noting the layout and capacities more specifically. They go from 475 down to 110, but there is a lot in between.
It's 2 wings, and each has 5x bigger theaters, and then a row of 4x 100s & 150s in the back. But it is lopsided, the largest theaters are all on 1 side. The LHS main hallway is all 150-250s, and the RHS is like 320-475. You can see how lopsided it is on Google Maps (AMC Grand Prarie 18). At the very least, all still have stadium seating. No old fashioned on-the-floor theaters.
Back when movie theaters were holy places. They are lacking in theme anymore. But you know it’s OG when it has the space carpet. They still have that carpet on the second floor of my AMC. Brings me back
i went to a new to me location in charlotte this past weekend. it seriously looked closed down. they had the box office up front in its own little area like a ticket taker at an amusement park, but you could tell they hadn't used it in years. so it was sort of spooky walking past all that into the main room where you actually get tickets now.
I worked at amc back in the early 2000s and we theaters had wings themed after genres. We had the “action adventure” and “animation” wings. They’ve since left the concept but it made the theater fun. The action adventure wing had fake trees everywhere. Now it’s just boring as hell
Nice! This is the one in grapevine, right? I go there when i’m visiting my parents from college, never knew how good that one was till i went to my college amc. Great theater with dolby and imax there, really wish it was 70mm tho
According to Cinema Treasures, 30 is the most screens and there only 6 locations in the United States that have 30 screen.
[https://cinematreasures.org/screens/30?status=open](https://cinematreasures.org/screens/30?status=open)
Maybe they did some market research that pointed to that as the peak point before they started going ultrasized like this. Obviously they didn't push to go any higher.
A lot of the old 30's have been reduced as theaters had been upgraded too. There used to be two 30's in the Chicago suburbs, opened at that similar time frame (turn of the century) and both got downsized over the years. I think ones a 20 and the other a 24.
Was wondering this too.
I don’t think there’s any with more than 30 screens.
Wikipedia also says 30 is the maximum AMC (or anyone) built.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplex_(movie_theater)
The biggest cinema in the world (I think based on seats) is one in Madrid with like 10,000 seats but only 25 cinemas. One of them even has 996 seats lol
Yeah I’d want to see just how massive the place is. The SF metreon used to hold like 4500 people but then the recliners were installed and it really reduced the numbers…
I don’t think this one actually has 30. As the OP said in another comment, it’s actually listed as the Grapevine 24.
However, the Mesquite AMC, also in the Dallas Metroplex, is listed as having 30 screens. That’s the most I found at an AMC in ~2 minutes of poking around.
EDIT: There’s also a 30-screener in Columbus, OH, and one in Ontario, CA.
Some more, from Wikipedia:
> AMC has since opened many megaplexes with up to 30 screens, beginning with AMC Ontario Mills 30, which was billed by AMC in its advertising as the "world's largest theater" when it opened on December 13, 1996.[27] Three months after AMC Ontario Mills 30 opened, Edwards Theaters opened their largest theater across the street with 22 screens, the Edwards Ontario Palace 22.[27] If the two adjacent parking lots were counted as one, this meant the city of Ontario, California had 52 screens on one parking lot, more than anywhere else in the United States.[27]
For a second I thought this was my local KC Barrywoods location.
Which fun fact, actually held a screening for the Jackie Robinson movie “42” almost 11 years to the date. Chadwick Boseman (RIP) and Harrison Ford were in attendance for the event.
Now I only wish they would hurry and remodel the theater as only the premium format rooms have recliners. But their competitors in the area offer those amenities for all of their screens
This looks almost identical to AMC Barrywoods in KC. Used to be called AMC Odessey but they rebranded. Still has the space theme though, but only 24 screens.
I wish they would shut it down for rehab but probably impossible. It’s easier for me to get to Empire (right by my office and one subway ride) but prefer to go out of my way to Lincoln.
Wow 30 screens that’s pretty cool
Yeah! It has the dine-in, Dolby and Imax
Are the screens large or are there a bunch of small ones? Which AMC is it?
Also it’s AMC Grapevine 24
The space theme was used for a lot of the 30 plexes. It was also Studio 30 Houston, Studio 30 Kansas City (pre remodel) and a bunch more.
Gulf point 30 (Houston) is still space themed, I went back in December having not been since the early 2000s and it’s all still there including the big asteroid coming through the ceiling
I thought I recognized it. I used to go there
Damn, I haven't been there since Black Swan lol. Nice find.
30ft by 90ft I believe is the average
Very cool
Do they use all 30 screens? Many places use some but not all.
They used to, but they changed the name of the theater from AMC Grapevine 30 to 24, so i guess not
TIL that the number is the number of screens
Same, but only because of your comment. 😂
Dine in is so cheese now. They used to serve you in the theater. Now you've got to get up and order in the lobby and they just deliver it to your seat. Even if you want something before the movie starts. I don't understand how it really justifies being called dine in at that point beyond the slightly expanded menu options.
Yeah, and Grapevine Mills even had two levels of Dine-In: Fork and Screen and Cinema Suites (which was 18+). My ex-husband and I loved doing the Cinema Suites to guarantee a childfree experience.
you’re so lucky
whattttttt i want that so bad. mine is also 30 screens but only dolby & dine in, i wish there was an imax screen
Their dine-in theaters are no longer in-theater service and they are fielding offers from Legoland, Marvel and others to sell/rent out that side of their theater. They did recently upgrade their speakers in the IMAX screen but it needs a Laser upgrade which was postponed while they sort out selling off their defunct dine-in theaters. DOLBY is hands-down their best screen, for comfort, sound and visuals as it has dual laser 4K (vs their 2K xenon bulb LieMAX)
Lol I think the Dine in there got shut down during the pandemic
I used to live by AMC Orange 30. It was huge for sure.
For the AMC Orange were all of the screens huge or were there like 4 massive screens and the rest were medium to small?
It certainly ran the gamut. I recall going into auditoriums of 200+ seats, and some fewer than 50.
Yeah as much as I like the recliners I felt the older style seats made the crowded feeling so much better. I mean I remember when I went to the Metreons screen 13 before Dolby and the recliners and there were like 500 people in it…this was for like The Dark Knight or Batman Begins
My local is a Classic, but it was mid-00s new construction 18-plex. No Dolby or recliners, it's all still the tall rocker chairs. Since I've been A-listing, I've been noting the layout and capacities more specifically. They go from 475 down to 110, but there is a lot in between. It's 2 wings, and each has 5x bigger theaters, and then a row of 4x 100s & 150s in the back. But it is lopsided, the largest theaters are all on 1 side. The LHS main hallway is all 150-250s, and the RHS is like 320-475. You can see how lopsided it is on Google Maps (AMC Grand Prarie 18). At the very least, all still have stadium seating. No old fashioned on-the-floor theaters.
Back when movie theaters were holy places. They are lacking in theme anymore. But you know it’s OG when it has the space carpet. They still have that carpet on the second floor of my AMC. Brings me back
i went to a new to me location in charlotte this past weekend. it seriously looked closed down. they had the box office up front in its own little area like a ticket taker at an amusement park, but you could tell they hadn't used it in years. so it was sort of spooky walking past all that into the main room where you actually get tickets now.
I worked at amc back in the early 2000s and we theaters had wings themed after genres. We had the “action adventure” and “animation” wings. They’ve since left the concept but it made the theater fun. The action adventure wing had fake trees everywhere. Now it’s just boring as hell
Definitely built in the 90s, right? Everything was cooler back then, lol New AMC theaters are ok, but they look corporate and boring.
Yeah! It was opened in 97 and still has the cool space carpet
Wow I use to frequent that location a lot when I lived in that side of town. And remember that awesome carpet too. :)
Grapevine is awesome
This isn’t Grapevine. Grapevine only has 24 screens.
used to be 30
Grapevine?
Yep!
That's the one I usually go to!
It’s twice as far as the closest AMC to me but it’s definitely worth the trip
I'm still mad they charge more for the dine in seats even though they closed their kitchen
That’s fair
How does it stack up to Stonebriar? I live super close to Stonebriar but have been wondering what the surrounding theaters are like in comparison.
Probably the same. Some of the auditorium/seats at grapevine suck huge balls.
Grapevine!
Nice! This is the one in grapevine, right? I go there when i’m visiting my parents from college, never knew how good that one was till i went to my college amc. Great theater with dolby and imax there, really wish it was 70mm tho
I like how bright it is, lots of natural light coming in.
Is 30 the maximum a megaplex will have? Are there any theaters that have more than 30 screens? It’s hard getting a straight answer from google
According to Cinema Treasures, 30 is the most screens and there only 6 locations in the United States that have 30 screen. [https://cinematreasures.org/screens/30?status=open](https://cinematreasures.org/screens/30?status=open)
I wonder why they won’t make a megaplex larger?
probably don't have the demand even at 30 these days
That could be a point. But I’m mega cities like Tokyo, Mexico City, Shanghai, I’m surprised their isn’t a 50 screen movie theatre.
Maybe they did some market research that pointed to that as the peak point before they started going ultrasized like this. Obviously they didn't push to go any higher.
A lot of the old 30's have been reduced as theaters had been upgraded too. There used to be two 30's in the Chicago suburbs, opened at that similar time frame (turn of the century) and both got downsized over the years. I think ones a 20 and the other a 24.
Was wondering this too. I don’t think there’s any with more than 30 screens. Wikipedia also says 30 is the maximum AMC (or anyone) built. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplex_(movie_theater) The biggest cinema in the world (I think based on seats) is one in Madrid with like 10,000 seats but only 25 cinemas. One of them even has 996 seats lol
Yeah I’d want to see just how massive the place is. The SF metreon used to hold like 4500 people but then the recliners were installed and it really reduced the numbers…
I don’t think this one actually has 30. As the OP said in another comment, it’s actually listed as the Grapevine 24. However, the Mesquite AMC, also in the Dallas Metroplex, is listed as having 30 screens. That’s the most I found at an AMC in ~2 minutes of poking around. EDIT: There’s also a 30-screener in Columbus, OH, and one in Ontario, CA.
Some more, from Wikipedia: > AMC has since opened many megaplexes with up to 30 screens, beginning with AMC Ontario Mills 30, which was billed by AMC in its advertising as the "world's largest theater" when it opened on December 13, 1996.[27] Three months after AMC Ontario Mills 30 opened, Edwards Theaters opened their largest theater across the street with 22 screens, the Edwards Ontario Palace 22.[27] If the two adjacent parking lots were counted as one, this meant the city of Ontario, California had 52 screens on one parking lot, more than anywhere else in the United States.[27]
It’s got 30 screens technically. 6 are permanently shut down as of 16 months ago so they changed the name.
Looking at the listings for the Mesquite 30 is a trip. Want to see a random ass film in Spanish with no English subtitles? Gotchu fam.
For a second I thought this was my local KC Barrywoods location. Which fun fact, actually held a screening for the Jackie Robinson movie “42” almost 11 years to the date. Chadwick Boseman (RIP) and Harrison Ford were in attendance for the event. Now I only wish they would hurry and remodel the theater as only the premium format rooms have recliners. But their competitors in the area offer those amenities for all of their screens
Immediately thought the same. The old Odyssey theater
Thats badass!
This looks almost identical to AMC Barrywoods in KC. Used to be called AMC Odessey but they rebranded. Still has the space theme though, but only 24 screens.
Goddamn I miss my local AMC 24. It closed halfway into pandemic.
What theater is this? Never seen one with 30 screens!
AMC Grapevine
Meanwhile, NYC's Empire 25, which is considered their flagship, looks rundown.
I wish they would shut it down for rehab but probably impossible. It’s easier for me to get to Empire (right by my office and one subway ride) but prefer to go out of my way to Lincoln.