Popcorn, soda come free at new Landmark theater
To lure patrons, $12 ticket includes unlimited amount
By Joyzelle Davis, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Ken Papaleo / The Rocky
The six-screen Landmark Theatre Greenwood Village opens Friday with perks such as a full bar and lounge. General manager Brandy Davis, theater manager Chad Kingery and lead assistant manager Tim Cloran, left to right, try out the VIP seats Tuesday afternoon.
Landmark Theatres is betting that unlimited soda and popcorn included in the $12 price of admission will help lure moviegoers back to the multiplex.
Landmark, which owns 58 art house theaters nationwide, including the Mayan, Esquire and Chez Artiste in Denver, is scheduled to open its latest cineplex Friday at the new Village at Landmark shopping center in Greenwood Village.
In addition to the self-serve soda and popcorn, the six-screen Landmark Theatre Greenwood Village will offer the latest digital projection technology, and a full bar and lounge where customers can linger after the credits roll. For another $2, patrons will get perks such as moving to the front of the line, extra legroom and in-seat food delivery.
"There are people who have been turned off by going to the movies, and that's our challenge," said Ted Mundorff, Landmark's CEO. "We want to reintroduce them to the idea that it can be a pleasant experience."
While the nation's biggest movie chains, such as AMC and Phil Anschutz's Regal Entertainment, have been upgrading technology and expanding their snack assortment for several years, the trend is fairly new on the independent theater circuit. But with the boom in affordable high-definition televisions and Internet-delivery services such as Netflix, art houses face the challenge that even the most obscure independent films can be seen at home.
The new Landmark theater opens at a time of sliding movie attendance nationwide. The number of movie tickets sold this year is expected to hit 1.4 billion, down 2.3 percent from 2006 and well below the 2002 record of 1.6 billion, according to Media by Numbers.
But theaters draw far more profit from selling snacks and beverages than box office receipts, which are split with the movie studios. Moviegoers at the Landmark Theatre Greenwood Village will have a choice of gourmet snack and meal options such as Luna Roasters coffee, empanadas and Boulder sausage served on an organic bun.
The Landmark theater also is bigger than the typical two- or three-screen art house, providing more of a cushion in case one of the movies is a dud. When the theater opens Friday, major Hollywood studio releases such as Sweeney Todd and Charlie Wilson's War will show alongside film festival favorite Juno.
"We predominantly try to show independent products, but we have also found that the audience wants to see all types of films," Mundorff said.
Landmark is co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban, who perhaps is best-known as the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team.
The theater chain recently opened two other upscale multiplexes in Los Angeles and Baltimore, and also has "aggressive" plans to renovate its existing theaters, Mundorff said. But the company isn't planning to roll out full bars or free popcorn with admission across its chain anytime soon, he said. The perk will not be offered at the company's other Denver theaters.
"Each individual theater presents its own set of problems," he said.
Now showing
* Admission: $12 (adult) and $9 (seniors and children) includes unlimited fountain soda and popcorn at self-serve stations.
* Extras: For another $2, guests will receive VIP badges that allow them to move to the front of the line, guaranteed reserved seating with extra legroom, in-seat concession delivery and a 10 percent discount on merchandise, such as CDs, books and DVDs.
* Menu: Food options include Ken's Outrageous Cookies, Wasabi Snacks, Abo's Pizza, The Quiche Factory Quiche, Chocolove chocolate bars.
* The bar: Wine, beer and premium liquor
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December 20, 2007
3:44 a.m.
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SteveM writes:
Bravo! So, cool, I cannot wait to try out the new Landmark Cinema Greenwood Village and this new popcorn / soft drink concept. The chain is famous for using real butter on their p.c. too! So, awesome. Congrats, too, for helping to keep independent films alive in Denver! Also try Flix on Fax, an awesome new indie theatre with a similar concept.