B&B Mainstreet Theater

[kboish]

I really can't believe that they haven't build some kind of apartments or at least the luxury hotel. It just seems like they would want people on the doorstep of their investment

[FangKC]

I understand why they have't built the new apartment towers, since they are expensive to build. I have more difficulty understanding why the Midland Tower hasn't been converted to apartments, seeing that it would have qualified for federal and state historic tax credits, and could probably get some type of property tax abatement as well.

[FangKC]

AMC head says changes to be announced--probably in the next two weeks--regarding the AMC Mainstreet downtown.

AMC doesn't own the theater, but operates it.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/kansas-city/AM ... index.html

[aknowledgeableperson]

Given the relationship between Cordish and AMC maybe AMC is backing out.

[FangKC]

This is my guess.

[pstokely]

So what chain is replacing AMC? Doesn't AMC lease most or all of their plexes?

[FangKC]

It is hard to guess who will operate the Midland if AMC bows out. My guess is the City and Cordish might approach the Dickinson Theater chain, since they operate local theaters, and have a headquarters in the Metro. My other guess would be Cinemark.

I don't think Screenland will be involved because they already operate one theater in the Crossroads, one at Crown Center, and the Armour Theater in North Kansas City.

Other operators in the Metro are:

Regal (largest theater operator in the US other than AMC)
Fine Arts (independent operator)
Globe (independent operator)

I would say Regal is the only other operator large enough to subsidize a small-screen urban theater like the Mainstreet, and have access to a lot of programming. If Screenland ran it, I fear they would become oversaturated with too many theater spaces in a small area.

[smh]

If K Col says it, it must be true:

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/24/36 ... ts-on.html

Hate to see that theater not be an AMC--as intrigued as I am by the Alamo Drafthouse idea.

EDIT: Cordish must truly be an awful company to work with.

[KCMax]

So what chain is replacing AMC? Doesn't AMC lease most or all of their plexes?

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema?
http://forum.kcrag.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=18266

[macnw]

Is AMC and/or Cordish the problem. AMC is the one who pulled out of KC after how many years? And then was sold to a Chinese company? Stan must be tired of spinning in his grave. What else can AMC do to screw KC. Oh, the company will likely leave KC area soon, even though they say they won't. I'm sure Cordish is part of the problem also.

[smh]

Is AMC and/or Cordish the problem. AMC is the one who pulled out of KC after how many years? And then was sold to a Chinese company? Stan must be tired of spinning in his grave. What else can AMC do to screw KC. Oh, the company will likely leave KC area soon, even though they say they won't. I'm sure Cordish is part of the problem also.

Reasonable point. Shitting on Cordish just always comes so naturally.

[aknowledgeableperson]

For AMC the operation was bleeding money. So why continue with the operation?

[smh]

For AMC the operation was bleeding money. So why continue with the operation?

Civic pride, eye towards the future, etc.

Except AMC has no civic pride.

[longviewmo]

AMC Mainstreet has showtimes listed through the 31st, so if anything happens it will be after that date.

[mean]

What will be new is that there will be an emphasis on serving a full dinner at every seat in the house.

Oh great, way to ensure that I will never see a movie there again. Great move, asshats.

[chrizow]

i seriously cannot comprehend this "dining and movie" trend. who enjoys paying $15 for a mediocre dinner while watching their $10+ per ticket movie and being distracted by the servers? i can get behind adding a bar to the concession options, and maybe limited use of servers to deliver drinks, but i think this trend is going to prove short-lived.

[brewcrew1000]

^ I agree, who even eats a meal while watching a movie at home? If i am eating a meal at home I am usually watching something that just serves as background noise like a Seinfeld or Simpson rerun.

[bobbyhawks]

What I don't get is how this new emphasis on dinner is different from what is currently happening. The Alamo lists the exact type of delivery service as the current AMC with only a slighly expanded menu from a booze perspective. I don't have a problem with the during-movie food/bev service, but I am afraid that the new "emphasis" can be implemented in the complete wrong way. The biggest problem I have with the current setup is that you get your bill prior to the credits. I don't see what is preventing them from creating a bar tab prior to the movie start so that you can hold onto your card during the movie. When the credits start to roll, they can pass out the receipts, and everyone can fill out what they want to pay/tip. This can't be that difficult to do, and it prevents people from dine and dashing.

The possibility of the Alamo in the area is also pretty exciting. Something I have always longed for in the downtown are is a weeknight place for curated film series. Screenland is only open on weekends from what I can tell, but it would be great to have some film series, unique shorts, historical foreign films, etc. in larger doses than once or twice a year. If there was an expectation that you could go to the Alamo on any night and see something interesting other than a blockbuster, I think I'd go a lot more often (not that they would need to shun blockbusters alltogether). I'll even schedule a night for them! Night #1 = Death Wish 1 and 2 double feature...

[kcmetro]

i seriously cannot comprehend this "dining and movie" trend. who enjoys paying $15 for a mediocre dinner while watching their $10+ per ticket movie and being distracted by the servers? i can get behind adding a bar to the concession options, and maybe limited use of servers to deliver drinks, but i think this trend is going to prove short-lived.

I completely agree. The wife and I sometimes do this Fork and Screen bs because she enjoys it, but it totally ruins the movie-going experience for me. I'm not there to eat. I'm there to watch a movie. That's difficult to do when you've got servers going back and forth, disrupting you either directly or indirectly by speaking to patrons nearby. It's also hard to eat in the dark like that...you're likely to spill shit all over your shirt. Then they bring the bill toward the end of the movie, so you're expected to mess with that before the movie even ends. So it's easy to miss important parts of the film.

[KCMax]

Theaters are hurting because of video on demand, internet streaming, Netflix, etc. They have to provide some sort of extra incentive to get your to plunk down $15 on opening weekend.

I like having more food options. Some theaters are better than others in that department. But full service meals is probably a fad.