The CEO and President of Landmark Theatres is excited about the renovations at the Bethesda Row Cinema - and wants you to know you should be, too.
Ted Mundorff says you'll notice the difference before you even reach the front doors. “From the minute you approach the theatre and see our stunning new marquee," Mundorff said Tuesday, "our hope is that our guests notice the attention to detail in every facet of the theatre, and share our excitement as we begin a new chapter at the Bethesda Row."
Mundorff assures Bethesda cinephiles, "we have spared no expense to give our patrons the best movie-going experience in town."
The box office is now fully-automated, but there are no additional charges to order your tickets online, and print them out at home.
All seating is now reserved. New, luxury theaters at Westfield Montgomery Mall and Pike and Rose have promised reserved seating, but Bethesda Row Cinema will be the first area theater to actually offer it. It will be interesting to see how it works out. Reserved seating will require extra attention to cleaning, as patrons will be locked in to a specific seat. Should that seat have food and drinks, etc. spilled on it, for example, you will not be able to just move over one seat.
On the technical side, the new Bethesda Row Cinema will have Real 3D projection, new wall-to-wall screens, and all-new sound systems.
The centerpiece of the redesign, is the new bar/concession area with relaxing seating, modern design, and new menu offerings. Adult beverages will include local craft beers and movie-themed cocktails.
When the theater reopens next Friday, May 3, new films will include Academy Award nominee Kon-Tiki and arthouse movies with stars like Pierce Brosnan and Kate Hudson.
Given that The Great Gatsby is #3 on my personal Top 5 Novels of All Time list, I'm looking forward to the new movie adaptation, opening May 10 at Bethesda Row Cinema.
It is great that you remodeled the theater. It is the only theater that I go to. It is disappointing to know that I will have to reserve a ticket in advance, because a lot of times I am in Bethesda and when trying to decide what to do I just right at that moment decide, why don't I see a movie. With the reserved seating I will not be able to do that and have my favorite back seat.
ReplyDeleteYou can still get your favorite back seat. Just choose that seat at the ticket counter when you go to the theater. You don't have to buy a ticket in advance.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I made our first post-renovation visit this evening and we are not happy campers. The seats are wider, but you can't raise you seat to let people get by you. It takes longer to buy the tickets because you now have to pick your seat and each theater is different. You get escorted to your seats, I guess so you don't try to take someone else's reserved seat. I picked the wrong seats because I didn't understand the seating chart at the theater kiosk. When we got shown to our seats, I realized my goof and was taken to customer service where they exchanged my seats. Now, 5 min before that exchange when I bought the tix, the kiosk said that 74% of the seats were still remaining, when I made the exchange through guest services, it showed relatively few seats remaining. 2 hours later when the movie ended, the folks who allegedly were supposed to be in all those seats still hadn't shown up. U can buy wine etc at this theater like you can at its E St sister theater in DC. But frankly, this is one renovation that was ill-advised.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I liked it a lot better before. I know there's nothing to be done about the complete loss of character, but this reserved seating has to go! It's a terrible idea. It's a movie theater, I don't need an escort. If you don't want a bad seat way in the front, don't be late.
ReplyDeleteThose seats are to high for my legs !!! Airplane experience.
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