[Local News] AMC BOWS REDONE MAPLE RIDGE 8

A little less than two years after Dipson unveiled the "new" Flix with DBox motion seats and (p)leather stadium rockers, it's AMC Theaters' turn to spice up the WNY movie-going scene. The company's last outpost in WNY, the Maple Ridge 8 in Amherst was long overdo for a makeover and the new place impresses with game changing luxury amenities. AMC has come along away - virtually retreating from the market, selling off all of what they bought from General Cinema 2000 and closing their vintage 70's Como Park theaters. Recently the firm was acquired by Chinese conglomerate the Wanda Group, and since AMC has redone about 25 complexes with plush recliners  - its only Rochester outpost (Webster) converted earlier this year.

At first glance - the exterior is pretty much the same with a fresh paint job and an updated logo (note "AMC Theaters" is now simply "AMC"). Spiffy - the lobby contains the usual amenities including ticketing kiosks and a new box office with LCD screens promising "AMC Amazing".

AMC's CEO and president, Gerry Lopez was hired away from Starbucks and that seems to be reflected in the company's new strategy (hey - as long as they don't charge me twice what Timmy Hortons does for the same thing - am I right, WNY?). Like Starbucks this is a more upscale version of....Tim Hortons (or shall we say Regal and Dipson) and its full of choices beyond just popcorn including premium chocolates (Godiva bars!), healthier snack packs, touchscreen self serve coke freestyle machines that allegedly contain 100+ flavor combos including our favorite Pibb, and hot foods including chicken fingers, curly fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken sliders, mini-pizzas, and hot dogs.

For research purposes we tried the chicken tender combo (with a large soda and curly fries). It was good but more expensive than Regal's food options (at Orchard Park and Transit Center). Regal offers a chicken sandwich, fries and large drink combo for about $12.75 - as you'll see AMC's combo is $18.75 (and the theater doesn't have forks)! Well, to be fair the price was $18.25, with a 50 cent discount for using my AMC Stubs card. The AMC Stubs card is the only movie loyalty card in town that you have to pay for (Regal's Crown Club is free to join, while Dipson's gift cards are their rewards cards - so at Dipson you have shell out something but you get 100% of it back - - to be fair AMC is currently running a deal where they're giving you $10 in bonus bucks for your $12 annual membership fee). The programs are a little different with Dipson and Regal offering rewards at every $50 (including free tickets, popcorn and soda), and AMC offering free popcorn and soda size-upgrades and $10 bonus bucks for every $100 you spend). Regal also offers discounts like $2 popcorn and $2 candy on certain nights.

But back to AMC Maple Ridge: the hallways are all newly done too and look spiffy - again the Starbuck-ing of our good ol' 80s -plex (Market Arcade desperately needs to be the next in WNY!). Unseen here because it'd be creepy to take a photo - but still worth noting, are that the bathrooms were also spruced up. But now into the auditorium and the seats - woah...........

Plush leather reclines in an arrangement that's not quite stadiums seating (it's tiered seating) - they allow you to fully kick back and recline - and they are super comfortable. Plush leather-like material with silent push button motion (or keep moving the seat back and forth to simulate the D-Box experience over at Dipson Flix!). And for those that are germaphobic I'm happy to report the theaters were spotless. I also witnessed a bottle of alcohol-based cleaner holstered to one of the wheeled in garbage cans they use to clean between shows. Good to know they get a spray-down!

The projection (like all theaters except for Market Arcade and Movieland) is digital with great sound to keep you awake and engaged even if the movie blows. This is top tier luxury for low first run ticket prices - the theater has a price structure that's a little confusing - ranging from $4.50 (in the mornings) to $6.75 (on weekday evenings) with a top 2D ticket price of $9.00 on weekends. This is all well below Regal's weekend evening adult 2D price is $10.50, and Dipson's $9.50 (with a $2.50 discount on Tuesdays). 

There's no word on if AMC will shoot ticket prices up to a luxury price point - although it's been alluded to by corporate spokesman and captain of the vague answer, Ryan Noonan who said "based on supply and demand, we may make a change to ticket pricing" in an article about a Denver location. Denver's Flatiron location has a bar and reserved seating (Maple Ridge appears to be set-up for reserved seating but as of this week it's open seating). The Screening Room is the only theater in town with a small bar - while only Flix's D-Box seats are reserved.

All and all - the theater offers something no one in Western New York is doing for a price that's presently lower than anyone else in town. (Except for that tasty, overpriced chicken tender combo). With AMC renovating theaters nation-wide I imagine the folks at Regal, the number one chain in the country (and in Western New York) must be ready to follow suite. I'm proud to say I've seen the future of movie-going and its at a complex I barely attended before - I'll be back. AMC has also recently expanded showtimes including morning shows during the week and late shows (as I imagine this theater is going to frequently sell out - bigger seats means capacity was greatly reduced) which means more showtime choice even if they're showing less titles, as they still only have 8 screens to program.

Tickets, Showtimes and Prices at AMC's website.

Have you been to the "new" AMC Maple Ridge yet? If so, what did you think?

[Review: IN THEATRES] Paranoia (6/10)

TV is often more entertaining than going to the movies – we love movies, but TV is designed to be consumable, often not on a big 28 foot screen. Paranoia is essentially a TV-movie, it’s a slick professional looking product telling an efficient story –it’s engaging in the moment even if early on our lead looks like an idiot (“how did you find me” the young mobile tech genus asks while holding his GPS-enabled smart phone).

Directed by Robert Luketic, Paranoia is essentially as like a pre-paid cell phone: chap, disposable, likely not full of personal impressions – yet it does the job. It’s not a bad or incompitent film: it’s just not an ambitious one. Liam Hemsworth stars as Adam Cassidy, working for five years at a tech company run by Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman) he’s still a step above intern. His presentation to Wyatt early on is a bust and they’re unceremoniously fired (security doesn’t even escort them out of the door). Luckily for Cassidy’s team their company purchasing card still works and Adam treats his pals to a night out, Kayne West style.

After bedding the lovely Emma Jennings (Amber Heard), who is just down for an NSA relationship in both senses (No Strings Attached sex AND she will tap your phone – Edward Snowden style), he’s called into Wyatt’s office and blackmailed into going undercover for his rival Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford). Hooked up with a PhD in psychology and a tailor, he’s hired at Goddard’s mobile tech firm in a section the film just seems to skip over (if it wasn’t digital I would have thought the projectionist missed a reel).

Emma Jennings just happens to be the head of marketing for the new firm which is full of pretty innovative ideas that Apple is probably about to crack – Hemsworth is certainly not a young Steve Jobs and Jennings is way hotter than Phil Schiller. The film is interestingly saying something – not quite an anthem for Occupy Wall Street, it lacks the firepower to go where it ought to. I will not spoil the ending but a few things become painfully obvious (many of which are in the trailer) and it could make for an interesting commentary about how the deck is stacked against smart kids who do the right thing and work hard. Either that or the film is commenting on how we’re not all rock stars and we should know our place – ambition and hardwork aren’t enough, you also need talent, smarts and innovation. Scary to think in the context of President Obama’s upcoming visit to UB about the importance of making college affordable (or not).

Back to Paranoia: the film is a little uneven – much has been made of Hemsworth who is okay but certainly barely holding his own against a stellar cast of heavy weights including Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss – but then again maybe that’s the point. Young Adam Cassidy works hard but hasn’t had the luck or the break he needs until he breaks several rules. Sometime, as Homer Simpson reminds us, that the poster to How Stella Got Her Groove Back suggestions that sometimes “you have to break the rules to free your heart”.

Note: We had seen this at the recently redone AMC Maple Ridge – and what a comfortable experience! More on that here...

Screening: AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Flix, Dipson Market Arcade, Regal Transit, Regal Quaker Crossing, Regal Elmwood, Regal Hollywood 12.