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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: AMC purchases Starplex chain
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Michael Riley
Film Handler
Posts: 52
From: New Jersey
Registered: Apr 2010
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posted 07-18-2015 09:38 PM
http://www.salina.com/news/starplex-cinemas-purchased-by-amc/article_63600a95-d221-5dc4-975c-e0b483a8a305.html
Another independent chain gone. Not sure if anyone here has a Starplex theater near them, but their deal was always buying decaying multiplexes and renovating them. They are also known for their discount prices, which always made me wonder how they ever made any money, since their prices are bottom of the barrel low, I think I pay $5.25 or so for their discount tickets through AAA, and their concession prices are on the low to average side too. They didn't spare any expense in renovations either, the theaters they took over here were turned all digital, and they recently installed the luxury recliners in one.
It's too bad, because I was rather enjoying my $5 first run movies, I'm sure AMC will make the conversion gradual so people don't notice as much, but within a year all these places will be branded AMC and feature the same highway robbery prices you see at all AMC theaters.
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
![](/ubbmembers/840f.jpg)
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 09-05-2015 10:32 PM
Best case scenario for here in Lawton: AMC closes the Central Mall 12 theater. They build something entirely new nearby in the 2nd Street shopping center.
The 12-plex in Lawton's Central Mall just sucks. Even converted to all-digital and 5.1 surround in every house it still sucks. The auditoriums are just stupid tiny. Some rooms have a max seat count well under 100. I swear some of the screens don't seem any larger than a good sized TV you see in the local Sam's Club store. The root of the problem is Central Mall is a 1970's era, single story shopping mall with very low ceilings. A movie theater can't do shit within the confines of those suffocating spaces. Other kinds of businesses could thrive within that kind of a retro mall format, but not any modern movie theater. Their idea of stadium seating is a joke. Most of the seating area is pancake flat with a riser in the back 1/3 of the room. It's just pretty sad. But that's all you can do with low ceilings.
If AMC is looking to make a move up in Lawton here is the blueprint for them to follow: close the 12-plex in Central Mall ASAP. Build a new multiplex in the same part of town. 2nd Street, just off I-44 is home to a new shopping center featuring some pretty good tenants, including Kohl's, Dick's Sporting Goods and Bed Bath and Beyond. The problem is the shopping center doesn't have squat for fun activities or dining. They need a new movie theater there as an "anchor." And there are parcels in that development area (which is a TIF district) large enough to hold a new multiplex theater. A movie theater in that zone would seed new night life business: the very thing people in Lawton have been dying to see in the downtown for over 40 years. Build a new movie theater there and other restaurants, bars, etc. will follow.
Carmike will soon open their new 13-plex + IMAX theater (the Patriot 13) out on Lawton's West side. That new theater is going to kill the Central Mall movie theater's business. Everyone is going to insist on going to the new Carmike, particularly since so many people get creamy over that IMAX brand.
The Starplex/AMC Central Mall 12 is far enough away from both Carmike's old and new locations it won't be stuck in an outdated allocation setup. Both first run locations can show the same movies. A new theater on 2nd Street would have no restrictions on content.
AMC could choose whatever theater configuration they want for a new Lawton location. Dine-in theaters are getting more popular (as long as the food is good). That could go over well here. I don't know how far Carmike and IMAX will go with their premium big screen here, whether it will be a standard 2K Lie-MAX or a new laser-based 4K setup (I'm guessing 2K Lie-MAX). I can't see Lawton-Fort Sill supporting more than one Lie-MAX screen. So if AMC wanted to do a premium thing they could do one of their ETX, Prime or Dolby Cinema things, although Dolby Cinema costs a huge fortune to install.
At the very least, AMC needs to get that theater location out of the mall.
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