Coming up on our anniversary my wife and I decided to do something we rarely have a chance to do… go to a movie together. We had two criteria: alone (minus the little one) and not rated G. We picked a movie that we both wanted to see, but having waited so long the choice of venues was rather limited. Out of time constraints we opted for the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood, though I must confess I balked at the $11.00/weekday, $14.00/weekend ticket price.

It's one of those rare situations where you truly get what you pay for. I've been forced to pay high-ticket prices only to be thoroughly disappointed. Bad picture, bad sound, higher than normal concession prices. Not at the ArcLight Cinemas. Though high priced, I left feeling fulfilled and not ripped off.

The ArcLight Cinemas are comprised of 14 theaters built around the original Cinerama dome. The dome is still there; considered a historical monument, it is untouchable. Fully restored with all new seating, screen and sound systems this theater is a gem. But that was not our destination. We were off to one of those 14 satellite theaters.

The usual multiplex theater consists of a shoebox room with crackly speakers and your neighbor’s elbow in your side. Not here… spacious stadium style seating (someone with a beehive hairdo won’t obstruct your view) with extra wide seats and armrests. All ArcLight Cinemas' theaters were designed with THX consultants for optimum sound quality and equipped with German made Kinotron projectors, one of only a handful of theaters to do so. The result is a flawless print, free of blurriness and scratches and an awesome sound system that will rock you to your bones…the way these movies are meant to be seen.

Now to the amenities. Upon arrival, go directly to the membership desk in the lobby and sign up for free. You will receive $1 off all showings that are deemed “member showings”. You also collect a type of frequent flyer miles that are redeemable at the gift shop and the ticket booth.

Having paid for your ticket, you're assigned a seat (you have also just received 4 hours of free parking). Since your seat is assigned there is no need to wait in line… why not go explore? Why not wander over to the bar and grab a martini or order some appetizers. A full bar in a theater? You bet! Gaze at their film museum or peruse their gift shop for Hollywood mementos to send home to Auntie Em in Kansas.

It’s now movie time. Ascend the escalators and arrive at the condiment stand. Prices here are fair. They have not jacked the prices to reflect the increased ticket price. Order buttered popcorn and discover something you haven’t seen since you were a kid. Actual Buttered Popcorn! This is the real thing. In fact on my serving the butter went all the way to the bottom of my container. They did not scrimp. It took me back to the 50-cent double feature matinees, Milk Duds in hand, that I attended in my youth. I was in heaven.

A man greeted us at the stand and asked to see our tickets. I was taken aback, until I realized he represented something I had only heard about. Something ancient, a practice long lost… an actual theater usher. He verified our seat locations and with flashlight in hand, escorted us to our seats, wished us a happy theater experience and asked us to turn our cell phones off.

The lights dimmed and I immediately noticed an absence. No commercials. The usual 20 minutes of commercials are gone here. How refreshing. Just lights down and picture. Luv it!

I am a DVD guy based on time and cost. I usually wait for the DVD release of a movie to see it. However there are some movies that scream for a big screen. In the past I was disappointed at several venues charging big bucks. That is not the case with the ArcLight Cinemas. It is an incredible experience. As my wife said: in this case “you get what you pay for.” This has become my first choice for the theater experience.

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ArcLight Cinemas