Last night we were invited to a blogger event at the brand new AMC Mainstreet Theater.  While the theater doesn’t officially open until May 1st, this was an invitation-only tour that covered the history, the features, and a special screening of Valkyrie The Brothers Bloom (they switched it at the last minute as a surprise sneak preview, great flick!).

AMC Mainstreet initially opened in 1921 and went through various renovations until finally closing in 1984.  It sat closed, abandoned, and crumbling as it awaited it’s eventual demolished fate as a parking lot until AMC came to the rescue in 2005 and began renovations.  If you’ve been to any events at the Midland Theater (another AMC renovation project), you’ll already be familiar with the impressive blend of modern contemporary design while also staying true to the buildings history.  Also, our tour guide emphasized AMC’s focus on “green” architecture from the beginning.  Everything from the carpet, walls, and seats are mostly made out of material that is recycle friendly and the paint is air-quality friendly.

So of my favorite features

• Rumble seats – Every seat in all 6 theaters are “rumble seats”, meaning they actually vibrate with the sound in the movie.  A great scene in Brothers Bloom last night was when Bloom & Penelope are riding in a train during a thunderstorm, and you can actually feel the “clickity clack” of the train rumbling on the tracks as well as every burst of thunder going on outside.  It’s really a remarkable experience.
• Seat reservation – Gone are the days of showing up 45 minutes before an opening just to ensure you don’t have to sit in the front row.  You can now either call or reserve online any seat in any of the theaters that you like.
• Concessions & service – You of course have the standard concession stands, but the neat thing about AMC Mainstreet is the “Flavorwall” which consists of ~30 different types of soft drinks, flavors, and seasonings for your popcorn.  I’ve never seen anything like it outside of a Quicktrip.
• Cinema Suites – These are the 4 theaters upstairs that seat anywhere from 25-65 people.  Every seat is a recliner and a tray on a pivot to place your food & drinks on.  These seats also come with full service from their waiting staff.  Need a refill on your Sam Adams?  push the little red button next to your seat and they’ll be out to take your order within a few moments.  The menu consists of about 40 different items ranging from beer & wine, to appetizers, entrees, desserts (cookies & milk!), and snacks.  Prices were standard for a mid-range restauant ($10 entree, $7 appetizers, etc…)
• Parking – While any downtown area will have issues when it comes to parking, AMC Mainstreet helps us out a little bit by providing 3 hour validation parking in the parking garage 1.5 blocks away in the Constantino’s garage.  Watch out though, it’s $1 for every 20 minutes afterwards.
• Marquee Bar & Grill – At the entrance to the theater you’ll also see the Marquee Bar & Grill, a full service restarant that serves entrees and (adult) beverages and on the weekends will stay open as late as 5am serving food.

I’m certain you’ll find many sources of media out there if you search on flickr, youtube, twitter, etc… under the tag “amcmain”.  Here’s a great video from Ramsey Mohsen.

Many thanks to AMC for hosting an event for us and we’re looking forward to frequenting the new AMC Mainstreet as much as possible!