Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, September 11, 2013, 11:18 AM
Town Square
Two new movie theater complexes for MV?
Original post made on Sep 11, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, September 11, 2013, 11:18 AM
Comments (21)
a resident of another community
on Sep 11, 2013 at 11:56 am
I still think the one in the San Antonio Center is not going to be Cinemark but another company that has its eyes on the bay area.
a resident of another community
on Sep 11, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Spending megabucks on replacing theaters with new theaters does nothing to get more people to go to the movies because Hollywood seems to be incapable of delivering any original content. I'd rather wait for the DVD than pay overpriced admission and concession prices.
a resident of Castro City
on Sep 11, 2013 at 1:44 pm
I hope this doesn't affect Laser Quest.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Sep 11, 2013 at 2:21 pm
I was wondering about this comment " thrilled to have Mountain View as the second location in our planned network of Bay Area clubs"... It seems the first planned location is Redwood City: Web Link
a resident of Martens-Carmelita
on Sep 11, 2013 at 2:24 pm
Maher is a registered user.
Oh no! What impact will these plans have on the facility housing Cheryl Burke's dance studio which is in a bldg nearby the current movie complex on Shoreline?
AND somehow I doubt MV needs/can support two new movie complexes i.e. at San Antonio and at Shoreline.
The whole thing sounds like over-kill to me; like psa188 I wait for the DVD version rather than spending $$'s for any of the current films on the market.
a resident of North Whisman
on Sep 11, 2013 at 2:32 pm
I suspect this is their attempt to rationalize a $20 admission price. I stopped going to movies when the cost hit $10, and I suspect I'm part of a growing group of people who feel the same. Apparently SyWest hasn't heard that we can show DVDs on a 50" screen at home. Why go to the trouble of going to a high-priced theater with rude people all around? And my popcorn is fresher!
a resident of Whisman Station
on Sep 11, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Don't do it! Current theatre is perfect "as is." People really enjoy sitting by the fountain, the property has a great layout and nice tree-lined parking area. Last thing we need is another hi-tech/fitness club, more concrete, no place to park, and higher priced theatre tickets to pay for construction of new facility where people will NO longer want to go.
a resident of Cuesta Park
on Sep 11, 2013 at 2:47 pm
Don't care to pay for movies at a theater and get charged $500.00 for a box of Junior Mints...not to mention all the distractions, but...they're pretty smart to do it because Google will probably buy them out in their ever expanding force of their evil empire...spreading like a cancer in the area so they can keep their techie automotons close...
a resident of Castro City
on Sep 11, 2013 at 3:28 pm
when I read that the existing Cinema 16 was built in 1984, I nearly went insane. Because, that was TOTALLY when I had guessed it was built. And also Laser Quest.
a resident of Castro City
on Sep 11, 2013 at 4:30 pm
I'd prefer it if they built a new Moffet Drive-in. Fantastic times in the early 80's! Slasher pics and high school girlfriends on a hot summer night. Teenage perfection.
a resident of Monta Loma
on Sep 11, 2013 at 6:05 pm
The reason movie theaters are not doing very well in general is because they don't offer any great service. I had the best movie experience in Denver at a Landmark Theater. I had what they call a VIP seat which was $15 and Senior $12, this included really nice seats and a person waiting on me through out the movie serving me beer or cocktails and snacks. All the seats in the theater offer all you can eat free popcorn and soft drinks. General admission was $12 and $9. I wish they would do the same thing here, it would definitely bring me back to the going out for a movie.
a resident of another community
on Sep 11, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Much prefer Palo Alto Square to all the other movie theaters, but they don't always show the movies I want.
I like to see a movie in a comfortable seat, without seeing heads in the bottom of my view (in other words the seats need to be terraced well). I do not like to hear other people's conversations, hear them chew or munch and the smell of coffee, popcorn or pizza is pretty disgusting. I would like to see food banned from theaters. I suppose I am in the minority in that though. But banning food and coffee would keep the seats cleaner and less trash rolling around. Sometimes I feel I am watching a movie in a kindergarten classroom. For the amount of money we are expected to pay, I would like a more upmarket experience in a cleaner environment.
I also appreciate the fountain outside Shoreline.
a resident of Cuesta Park
on Sep 11, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Please stop using the phrase "so-called", if something is called something, it is not so-called it is called what it is called. Stop this abuse of the English language.
a resident of another community
on Sep 11, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Any chance this new fitness center would have a new state of the art hockey rink for my son to play hockey in? That would be cool!
a resident of Rex Manor
on Sep 11, 2013 at 10:48 pm
This is great news. Now this newly updated Century 16 movie complex may have stadium seating instead of what they have now, rows of seats with no leg room at all. 1984 is when this theater complex openned up---but with only 10 screens. But when the place gets updated, I will be there alot.
a resident of Blossom Valley
on Sep 11, 2013 at 11:34 pm
Something stinks here. There's a smokescreen.
Looks to me that under the guise of new and better theaters it's actually an attempt to make money via the true moneymaker in Mountain View these days: housing for Googlers.
Don't be fooled about what's really going on.
a resident of another community
on Sep 12, 2013 at 9:01 am
Yes movie theaters have high priced admission tickets, food and drink out of this world and being 6 foot 2 inches. I find theater seating like those on a plane, cramped with lack of leg room and sometimes a armrest hog. But I love going, sometimes you met others with the love of film, wish someone would play more classic films. Only time I eat popcorn is at the movies, no butter but salted. Yes the prices are high so I go in the afternoon show or evening weekday show. Less crowds, I have a rewards card so I get free stuff.
Before or after the movie I shop, because I feel good or I eat and drink. I tend to head to places where I get served. I leave a good tip, I provide the means for others to work.
a resident of Castro City
on Sep 12, 2013 at 10:38 am
I'm really looking for that to Howard the Duck movie. Looks good!
a resident of Sylvan Park
on Sep 13, 2013 at 7:21 pm
I think Jes has it right, Google wants a better place to exercise and watch movies. Or they can just sell them the land and make the reg towns folks watch at San Antonio.
a resident of Cuernavaca
on Sep 15, 2013 at 11:54 am
Please do not disturb Laser Quest!!! If anything, make improvements to the parking and access to it. It is a fun place for families, teens, and a mecca for kids birthday parties.
a resident of another community
on Jan 30, 2014 at 6:16 am
I worked at that theater over 20 years ago. I suppose I should make time to see some last movies there before they demolish it. It's a shame because that theater represents some very nice architecture. Besides, tearing down that 16-screen theater to replace it with another 16-screen theater seems wasteful to me, even if they are going to outfit it with an XD auditorium. But all of the old dome-style Century Theatres are disappearing; Century 24 and 25 in San Jose were demolished a couple of weeks ago. So this news is disappointing, but not a surprise.
I don't believe the Syufy property includes that development between the theater and the freeway where Laser Quest and others are located. So those establishments should be safe. Although I trust the city will require adequate parking for whatever they build there, otherwise parking in that development could be a problem. I know when I was working there, we had an agreement with them for our patrons to park in that development during certain times.
I also don't believe Google is exerting any influence here. The Syufys have stared down greater opponents than Google (namely the government itself), and won. The Syufys are not the types who would bend to influence like that. Besides, what they are planning for this property seems in-line with what they are doing with other properties that they own; tearing down (in most cases, perfectly good) old movie theaters and placing other things there, like sporting good stores, health clubs, etc. They have done, or are doing, similar things to other properties such as the former locations for Cinedome East in Fremont, CineArts Pleasant Hill, and are trying to do the same for the Century Park 12 Redwood City location.
BTW, Century Cinema opened on November 1, 1985.
Web Link
Don't miss out
on the discussion!
Sign up to be notified of new comments on this topic.
Post a comment
Stay informed.
Get the day's top headlines from Mountain View Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.