Queensgate Cinema

I've been to this theater several times, so I have a pretty good idea of what it's like. Below are my impressions. The oldest kids and I watched Spider-Man 3 here and just started patronizing it again. Since then, we mainly attended the more glamerous Regal Cinema. More below...

1. They are not on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). I search for movie venues almost exclusively via the IMDb. If a theater doesn't show up via its "Showtimes & Tickets" feature, I don't know it exists. However, Queensgate does have a pretty nice website that lists all their shows & showtimes. Their only saving grace is that there's a link to their website via Google Maps.


2. Ample parking. Really, really ample. I have never had trouble getting a parking space near the theater's entrance. The parking lot never seems crowded.


3. Crowds: there aren't any. I've never seen a crowd at this theater, or ever had to wait to buy my ticket. This is a big plus if you are often pressed for time. You can show up less than five minutes before a show starts and normally still be able to find a good seat. Often, you can still find several together right before the lights dim.


4. They do not take anything but cash, but have an ATM right inside. A bit of a hassle, but it could be a lot worse. They make it as easy as possible to get cash if you need it.


5. The ticket buying process varies, depending on what time you go. Twice I've paid at the concession stand. Once I've paid at their conventional ticket-buying booth. As above, both only take cash. I don't know why they switch where you buy your ticket based on the time you go, but I assume it has to do with staffing. If you go at a slow time, the ticket selling staff does double duty selling snacks as well. At other times, they have a dedicated person selling tickets. The tickets are cheaper than the larger theaters.


6. Queensgate has a small selection of video games and pinballs. They do not have an extensive assortment, but, to their credit, all their machines are in good condition and working order. I was impressed by their condition, if underwhelmed by the selection. But who goes to the movies to play video games anyway?


7. The snacks are reasonably priced. Really, I was amazed by their 1990s pricing. And their portions are reasonably sized. I got a small popcorn and was elated to see that it was a little more than enough for one person. As a side note, they have two concession stands: one directly after the ticket booth, and a second right inside the entrance to the separate theaters. But I have never seen the second concession stand open & operating. I don't know if they ever used it, but they don't now. So if you leave the movie to buy snacks, bring your stub.


8. No pre-show ads. I've become accustomed to pre-show ads and vignettes and sorely miss them when attending this theater. They don't even have 1980s-era slides—just a blank, dark screen. So you'll have to bring a book or have a lot to talk about with your fellow attendees, or you'll be bored to tears waiting for the film to start.


9. Spotty A/C. Sometimes I've been and the A/C has been great. Other times it has been lackluster. I've never been unbearably hot and sticky, but enough to notice (especially while waiting for the film to start). But, to be fair, I'm usually hot. My wife thought the temperature was fine.


10. Small theater rooms. Every separate theater at Queensgate is strangely small. Each only has a few dozen seats and the floors are nearly level. So shorter patrons may have trouble seeing over other patrons, but this is tempered by the fact that there is normally ample open seating. There is carpeting down the aisles between seating sections, but the seating section flooring is just poured concrete. Maybe all modern theaters are like this, I don't know. It would sure make cleanup easier. But I've never noticed it at larger theaters, but I sure notice it here. It gives the theater almost an industrial feel. In addition, the ceiling is very low. Made of sound-absorbent tile—like you'd see in a modern office building—it touches the top of the screen, which can be disconcerting.


11. Trailers. Before the film, there are the standard run of trailers just like the larger theaters. However, there didn't see to be as many of them that the larger theaters show, which was nice (they run about 3 to 4 trailers, if I recall correctly).


12. Good picture. I've never been disappointed by the picture quality at this theater. It's always clear and focussed and in good shape (no bad or old prints). The only negatives are that:
    1. the very bottom 6 inches or so of the picture gets cut off. This has happened to every film I've watched here. But its never bothered me—nothing happened down there that I needed to see (it's really not very noticeable). But I can see how this would be a problem with movies that contained subtitles. And...
    2. Sometimes sprinklers protruding from the ceiling tiles with interfere with the picture. One film I watched had a sprinkler directly in front of the screen, and it cast a shadow over the picture during the entire movie. It didn't interfere with my enjoyment (it was easily ignored, it was tiny), but there it was, through the whole movie.


13. Solid sound system. I was little concerned about what the sound quality would be like at this theater, given the small rooms and other awkward qualities. But the sound is always clear and powerful. I saw another review that said the sound isn't delivered in stereo, which I find hard to believe. They must have revamped their sound system since that review. During one film, during the trailers, there was no sound at all. After telling management, it was fixed (eventually), well before the movie began.


14. The seating is as comfortable as any theater I've been to. The seats seem modern and pretty standard for theaters these days. They're in good condition and reasonable clean (at least I never noticed any dirty seats). Now, one thing I noticed in most Colorado theaters were "flip-up" arm rests. You could flip-up the arm rest separating two seats (or more), if you wanted to snuggle up to your honey, for example. This theater doesn't have these types of seats, but I haven't seen any that have them here out east. So not a big drawback compared to other theaters out here.


15. Movie selection. I'm impressed that this small theater has so many current films, apparently it gets them the same time the bigger theaters do. And they have 10 theaters, so they have a pretty good selection.


16. Bathrooms. Some reviews I've read said this theater's bathrooms are dirty. This has never been my experience. They've always been clean and well stocked with towels, soap, etc.

The bottom line: If you're looking for the whole "theater experience" with stadium seating, ads before the movie, etc., you won't find it here. This theater certainly skimps on the "extras", but their prices reflect this. But they certainly spend their money where it counts: in the film presentation. I've never left disappointed in the quality of the film's delivery. Since it's nearby, I prefer going here. But if I'm really in the mood for the whole "theater experience," I'll go elsewhere, to one of the bigger theaters.

External links

• Queensgate Cinema website

Update: As of September 4th or so, it appears Queensgate Cinema has gone out of business. Just FYI. Last I looked, their website was still up, but hasn't been updated since late August or early September.