There is currently no mainstream cineplex in Bethesda, a rare phenomenon for a town of this size. The failure of the Montgomery County Council to mandate a replacement cineplex in the Apex Building Minor Master Plan Amendment - a power it held, but chose not to use - was compounded by the recent demise of both the ArcLight Cinemas at Montgomery Mall, and the closure of the AMC Mazza Gallerie. Now moviegoers in search of the latest blockbusters must travel afar - and those other towns and jurisdictions gain the dinner and shopping dollars Bethesda businesses lose in the process.
One occasional exception is the rare comic book film screening at the Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, a new experiment since the closure of the Regal Cinemas Bethesda 10 at the Apex up the street. This has brought Wonder Woman, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to screens there so far. The experiment continues this weekend, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage. One reason may be that all three films feature actors who have appeared in films targeted to the sophisticated cinephile demographic.
The rest of the screens continue to show arthouse movies, the original focus of the two Landmark theaters in the D.C. area. One original element that hasn't been maintained is the lighted clock sign for the Bethesda Row Cinema; it remains dark over Mon Ami Gabi on Woodmont Avenue.
It will be interesting to see if the D.C. City Council presses for a replacement cineplex for the AMC when Mazza Gallerie and other adjacent buildings there are redeveloped in the coming years. A study early last decade showed that a mainstream cineplex showing blockbuster movies draws an additional 20,000 people to a neighborhood each weekend, who would otherwise go elsewhere.
Given Covid, how useful or relevant is it to quote statistics from over a decade ago? Are you advocating for a government entity to push for a specific type of business that currently poses health risks and ultimately might not be profitable?
ReplyDeleteThis is a good move by Bethesda Row Cinema to go mainstream and show some popular films which draw a crowd. A neighborhood movie theater like this could make sense if it encourages people to go out, hang out and spend money at local businesses before or after the show. A megaplex theater is a really bad idea though. Every time I've been to the Regal Cinema in Silver Spring, it feels like a ghost town... Like a vacant convention hall. I wouldn't want that over here.
ReplyDeleteThe unlit sign is such an eyesore. I assume management is aware of this and doesn't want to pay or bother to fix it?
ReplyDeleteIn recent years, nearly all the Oscar nominated films have screened at the Landmark Bethesda, even before they were nominated. It’s true that some of the superhero and comic book inspired films have not been shown, but if I had to choose between the two, I personally would pick the more critically acclaimed films.
ReplyDeleteThis summer, they repaired the white neon portion of the marquee sign, so it is apparently a conscious effort to save the cost of energizing it. Seems like a bad move by Federal Realty to keep this iconic sign at the epicenter of Bethesda Row dark, and the clock turned off. It seems to me that is is much more that a theater sign, and more of a place-making and way-finding feature in downtown Bethesda Row.
ReplyDeleteThe theater marque at the entrance is still showing movies that were screened pre-Covid. It seems that Landmark can’t seem to program the marquee for the current movies.
"Comic book movie experiment"
ReplyDeleteWhat you would call a "blockbuster" at any other cineplex besides this one.
Seriously, what is the reason for your years-long double-standard regarding this cineplex?
The government decreeing that a property owner must build a movie theater is a really, really weird and shockingly anti-capitalist idea.
ReplyDelete5:14: The reason is the facts - these few comic book films have been the exception to the rule. They didn't show movies like Free Guy or Malignant this year. The two comic book movies are the only non-arthouse demographic movies showing there right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm not complaining - Landmark isn't really supposed to be showing mainstream blockbusters. It provides a much quieter and civilized movie-going experience for a sophisticated crowd.
My complaint has been that our feckless leaders have left us without a mainstream cineplex.
So there's no "double standard" at all.
5:55: Were the other stipulations the Council mandated in the Apex minor master plan for the future developer also "really, really weird and shockingly anti-capitalist?"