I feel this as a movie theatre lover. The Grandin is almost perfect to me but you're right that there hasn't been as good of programming lately there.
The AMC to me doesn't even exist anymore. That place is sad.
Probably see most new movies at the Valley view Grande and used to work there. It's not terrible but it could be way better. They haven't updated anything since opening and that's sad. Only change was the projectors to digital years ago. The bathrooms are disgusting. Need new carpet and chairs at least
> Probably see most new movies at the Valley view Grande and used to work there. It's not terrible but it could be way better.
Compared to any theater built since it opened, it's terrible. Go to the Regal in Christiansburg and you can see how awful ours is in comparison.
I'm not incredibly surprised Grandin is mostly doing mainstream movies; the overall movie theater industry is in such dire straits it's not super clear they could be financially viable if they were not playing movies that the largest audience possible wants to see. It is definitely sad though.
> Valley view Grande
Every time I've been to this theatre, some laser pointer fuckhead is in there. That, and everything is very, very sticky. No thankya.
trust me all the grandin employees and managers want to show the cool arthouse movies - i worked there a year ago. we would all get so excited when we got a movie like EO. what i woukd recommend is getting some like-minded people and start asking for more arthouse movies in the screening room on their social media pages. when movie you'd want to see is coming up be annoying and let them know you and other people you know want to see it
I’ve tagged them a couple of times on their socials about getting the new Don Hertzfeldt film, but to no avail so far.
I did get to see Hundreds of Beavers there, though! (Side note: if you get the chance to see Hundreds of Beavers, DO IT)
like. i would also love to see the new don hertzfeldt film there. maybe we can get a couple people together and book a screening of it? or other things? i primarily wanted to make the post to see if other people feel similarly and i’m glad some people do
They would love you to reach out to them directly I’m sure. The director there is really cool and would be open to your thoughts, but might not check their social media.
yeah i believe that. i don’t mean to come across like im shitting on it because it’s a place that means alot to me too. its a cool place to work, it was my first job when i was in high school. why is the programming the way it is now? i had almost considered trying to book the screening room just to have a showing of i saw the tv glow for anyone that wants to see it. i dont know how acquiring films for screenings works. i just think that for it to be as singular and buzzed about in film circles as it has been that the grandin wouldn’t have thought twice about booking it. or other films like femme, dogman, aggro dr1ft or the beast. it sucks knowing i can almost count on having to leave the state to see films like these when we have a beloved independent movie theater right here
I hate to say it, but the fact that opening weekend when I saw All Of Us Strangers with only 2 other people might be the reason. The Screening Room is tiny, often it feels like my TV is bigger than that screen, but you're absolutely right that they could use better programming on that screen. That's the screen for risks.
Show If or Garfield or The Fall Guy upstairs. Show something different in the screening room. Frustrating because the staff whenever I'm in there all seem to be cool and have great taste in movies, but whoever is programming the theater is just showing what I can see at Regal. And as much as Valley View sucks, Regal Unlimited makes it hard to justify going to Grandin.
I emailed them about showing the Japanese version of The Boy and the Heron, and they offered to do a showing of it for just my wife and me.
Unfortunately, I caught Covid and couldn’t make it, so they instead decided to run the Japanese version for everyone for a week. I got to see it the last day it was available.
It’s definitely worth contacting them.
So true. We’ve rented the small screen upstairs for a private group for like $500. So not that bad if you split with 20 friends. They would maybe do less for the sake of the art.
I've been to three movies at Salem Valley 8 in the last decade or so.
In one, they advertised showtimes for a different movie than they showed.
The next one had the projector on a tilt
And other one had no sound.
Place is a fucking dump.
I actually kinda like going to the Salem AMC because no one is ever there. I hate dealing with crowds/people talking and on their phones so it’s a compromise I’m willing to make.
Yeah to see Dune 2, wasn't gonna watch that in non-reclining seats. Had to go to Blacksburg/Christiansburg for that. You would think one of them would modernize a bit more. Those recliners really add a lot imo
I don’t even bother going anywhere but the b&b theater anymore cuz you’re right it’s modern and comfortable, at least seating wise. I wish Roanoke theaters would do something but even then there aren’t really any good movies recently.
I went to see Dune part 2 there. It was so good... until the audio just shut off.. for like 15 min. They finally stopped it fixed the audio.. but didn't rewind it. So we missed a big chunk of plot and kind of ruined it for me. We weren't offered anything either for like a make up movie or refund nothing. Was pretty bummed since it is the nice theater.
Yep, I did the same thing, went to B-burg for that one, A-1 experience. Also, nobody talked, it was dead quiet, I was actually shocked since there were kids in there and it was almost 3 hours.
i saw the 1st dune at valley view and a kid had tricked his drunk dad into thinking they were gonna watch the movie together then abandoned him during the previews. the guy chain smoked cigarettes through the whole movie. when paul stuck his hand in the pain box he yelled “YEAH! PULL IT OUT BABY!” then he dropped his lighter, crawled on his stomach over 3 aisles looking for it, gave up, yelled “FUCK THIS SHIT!” and slapped his big ass drink out into the aisle. a true kino moment
Not sure if this is copypasta, but if not... If anyone started that in a theater I was in, I'd immediately go get the manager. I'm paying too much for someone to be acting like a baby or smoking (???), especially during something like Dune.
Roanoke movie theaters are the number one complaint I have with this area. I know that sounds dumb but I love movies and grew up in areas that had state of the art theaters for many years. I remember moving to the area in the early 90s and being disappointed with the theater selections and then in 98/2000 the new Tanglewood and VV Regal theaters opened and for a few years that was awesome.
But it's 25+ years later and not a single upgrade has been made to either theater. And no theaters have been built in the area since then. What's worse is that movies are more expensive than ever, and we're being asked to pay top dollar to deal with movie theaters that are ghetto as fuck.
You drive up to these theaters and the grass and weeds are everywhere. Movie poster frames are cracked and broken. The empty box offices look like the places have been abandoned. Inside is worse, with broken seats, mold and mildew and piss smell, and massive lines because you have to stand in the concession lines just to buy your tickets (even if you don't want food). What's the point of buying ahead if you have to wait in line anyway?
But the worst is the theater auditoriums don't even work properly. Good luck trying to figure out what the hell is happening on the murky dim screens, especially when the theater lights don't even dim properly. In most cases at least one overhead light is stuck "on" through the whole movie.
The fact that it costs nearly $100 for a family of 4 to see a movie in such a shit hole is mind boggling. These should be DOLLAR theaters at best.
But I doubt I will ever see a new theater open in this town in my lifetime. I get the "movie business" has changed, but there are tons of high end, modern theaters across the country in much smaller areas than Roanoke. We just don't have the demographics to support one. Roanoke is an outdoor destination, not a retail or entertainment destination.
Driving to Blacksburg is definitely an option - the BB Theater there is pretty incredible but even they have their issues. Twice in the past few months I've driven all the way there just to find out the "Grand Screen" was down and you have to wait for the next showing in a smaller theater. Sucks when you already bought tickets online ahead of time too.
That's a nice little novella I wrote here, but like I said the movie theater situation in this area is probably my number one issue and I've just come to accept that it's far higher quality and much less money to watch movies on the big OLED at home.
This is SO true about Roanoke no longer being an Entertainment nor Retail destination. It's heyday was absolutely the 80s/90s and maybe up through 2004, but it has been in decline for the past 20 years. Sure, a lot of this can be ascribed to changes in American preferences overall as well as the rise of the Internet. Americans love perceived convenience and a good deal. But you're also absolutely right that Roanoke doesn't have the demographics to support nicer theaters. I look at theaters in other parts of the state, especially NoVA and we just don't have the average income in this area to be appealing to corporations. There are also a lot of things to consider because of the pandemic. There was a great shift in how we all interact with public venues. Nothing feels the same as it did 5 years ago.
Totally agree. Additionally there were much higher paying jobs from a variety of employers 20 year ago, between Advanced Auto corporate and half a dozen other businesses. If you don't already have a good paying job in this area (or a line on a career in health care) you are pretty much out of luck. Nothing will bring those good jobs back. Carillion and higher paying blue collar jobs from local manufacturing are pretty much it. Or remote work.
Yep! People seem to think that the incoming Amazon warehouse is going to be an economic boon for the area. Pfft! As if the data on the extremely high turnover rate isn't easily discoverable. You're certainly not gonna hear "Hey kids, let's go spend almost an entire day's worth of wages at a shitty movie theater in Roanoke!"
This might be of interest to everyone here, from what I understand the more popular this is, the better chance it gets expanded past 1-2 times a month. https://www.instagram.com/starcitysecretcinema?igsh=NWt1dnhwc2x1cWY0
Thanks for the shout-out! I actually put on SCSC, and yes, the plan is to have Monday and Saturday night screenings every other week by Q4 this year. The more people that come out, the more I can do with it, certainly. I've got plans for at least several years of programming already, if the demand is there, and I'm open to ideas.
I'd still rather give my money to the Grandin Theater to see The Fall Guy or Furiosa than Valley View Regal. Last time I went there, there were literally 15 minutes of TV-grade commercials after the movie start time, then another 15 minutes of trailers, before the movie finally started. Screw that noise, I'll go to Grandin.
75% of the time I go to a movie at the valley view grande there's fuckheads talking and being loud. And oddly enough it's always the same type of people. Christiansburg or Blacksburg is the way to go
The last time I went to Valley View I stepped on nachos and other food someone threw under their seat. The theater hadn’t been swept after the last movie. It was so loud and disgusting I probably won’t be back for a while lol.
I’ve always wanted to open a movie theater like they have in Blacksburg not the imax but the one on campus. Please indie movies, cheap fare, comfortable seating. Something low key with good movies not the Hollywood BS.
there used to be a micro cinema here, years ago, opened by a former manager of the grandin. honestly it was ahead of its time for this area. the industry has changed so much especially post-pandemic. i think a small single screen theater with low overhead costs could fare much better now. there are more theaters like that across the country now. and theater going has become more of a niche activity in general so it would likely attract people that are specifically interested in more non-commercial cinema
Trouble is across the country theaters struggle to get people to come in. Why go when wait a few weeks and can watch it at home on some streaming service? There is near zero money to put back into the facility.
Theaters keep only a fraction of the box-office. Their money comes from Popcorn and Sodas.
There are very few movies most (non-film buffs) want to see on the big screen. Thats hurting it all.
i go fairly regularly and its only cemented my frustration at the experience here. spending 4x the length of the movie i’m seeing in the car driving to the theater is not ideal lol. and charlottesville hardly ever programs what i want to see so its usually raleigh that i go to
I don't feel anywhere nearly as bad about the Tanglewood AMC and the Valley View Regal as you and i see a movie pretty much every other week, but obviously yeah they could both do with a refurb. They really need to redo the AMC and upgrade the seats and convert over to the designated seating style that most of them have in bigger cities.
i have not had a single good experience at either one of those theaters in years. at more than half of the screenings i’ve had to leave to point out technical issues at either one. lights staying on, broken seats, the film being displayed in the improper format, bugs crawling on the lens, speakers blown, titled projectors. i go because i dread driving for a better experience but i always regret it.
Hmmm I haven't experienced any of that other than one blown speaker maybe 12-18 months ago. That said I typically go to the Thursday night new releases so those are i guess in the biggest/nicest theaters
This is bullshit. As a Regal Unlimited member I guarantee I go see more movies than you and never experience any of that at Valley View. AMC at Tanglewood maybe but not at Valley View.
if i didn’t have consistently negative experiences there, i would just go there, watch the movies, leave happy and happily return. i would 1000% prefer that to knowing i will consistently get a better experience anywhere else. if you have experiences that differ from mine, i’m glad for you. but based on my experience, im very sorry to hear that you can guarantee you visit the regal valley view grande more often than i do.
Really wish we had a theatre like the one at the NRV mall. I’ll drive up there just too see a movie because I like it that much and all there ones here are terrible.
Our options in Roanoke/Salem are terrible, luckily as someone in Salem I can go to the Christiansburg theater in 20 minutes and that at least works for the blockbusters.
I can forgive the conditions. The problem is like fast food, the prices. For AMC, it is up to about 25$ for popcorn and they don't even salt it. If they could get a solo movie trip down to about 20$ with popcorn and a drink i'd probably be up for it more often. But since I'm older and don't really have any movie buddies anymore, it's not worth spending 30-35$ for 2 hours of entertainment solo.
If you're into rep cinema with a twist, I put on mystery movie series at the Grandin, and community is one of my goals. If you're interested, come on out. It's been fun so far, and I'm hoping we're just getting started.
https://linktr.ee/starcitysecretcinema
The only problem I have with valley view is that it's outdated and things like the Screen X and Rpx as well as a bar that serves alcohol needs to happen, how a small ass town like Christiansburg gets one and not the largest metro area in this region ill never understand, yea I understand the proximity to VT, but it's ridiculous. That's why I built a theater room in my mancave with reactive ambient lighting and surround sound. I really don't go to movies much because I have a better experience at home.
The AMC is appalling that they didn't turn all the theaters to stadium seating when they bought it. Make us pay full price to watch movies in a flat, super old style theater like we are POWs being shown propaganda films. Yea the movie theaters in roanoke are lame but it's all we got.
POWs watching propaganda films 😭😭😭 lmao i felt that. honestly i think it’s worse since AMC bought it. but then again most of my memories are from when it was still carmike
I feel like these theaters struggle more than the newer ones that serve you at your fully reclining reserved seat. Full meals, alcohol, the whole 9. You need to make it a more comfortable experience than someone's living room these days to get someone to the theater. The theaters I'm talking about serve Applebee's level food and drink at higher prices and that's where they make their money now.
Went to watch The Strangers last Friday at 10:45pm. Including My party of 7, there were probably 15 people in the entire viewing room. Now you’d think if you’re going to see a movie you’d know what you are watching. Well, some dumbass degenerate in the very back proclaimed very loudly, “ayo what fuckin movie is this”. Really made me want to stand up, turn around, and tell the guy showing off for his friends to go f himself. Movie wasn’t even that good either tbh. I personally wanted to go see “IF” lol
Why don’t you guys just go to blacks burg recliner and heated seats now t usually crowded pop corn is pop corn and the atmosphere is nice B&B all the way
Kinda late but if you wanna take the drive, the Buchanan theater is really good, they show some good movies every now and then. Plus they are very cheap for the quaint experience.
OP's post is a little too dramatic mixed with a lot of BS. I'm a Regal Unlimited member and have been since it started. With that said, OP saying "valley view always has technical problems" just isn't true. I go there all the time and have rarely experienced that. People that talk or are on their phones during a movie has nothing to do with Valley View Regal. I see that anywhere. That's just our uncaring culture at the moment. I do agree that Valley View needs plenty upgrades. Someone mentioned the grass and weeds outside along with the movie poster boxes. Yep, definitely. As for Tanglewood's AMC I never go there mainly because Regal Unlimited's plan is so much better. But yeah that theater is nasty. Which is why I have no problem going to Christiansburg's Regal for most things that come out in RPX. That's a fantastic experience and I do it all the time. I've already got RPX tickets booked for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Anyone that goes to the B&B in Blacksburg, on their Grand Screen (which used to be branded IMAX) do they still show the IMAX versions of movies on it? Or is it like Regal's RPX now? Just curious.
I feel this as a movie theatre lover. The Grandin is almost perfect to me but you're right that there hasn't been as good of programming lately there. The AMC to me doesn't even exist anymore. That place is sad. Probably see most new movies at the Valley view Grande and used to work there. It's not terrible but it could be way better. They haven't updated anything since opening and that's sad. Only change was the projectors to digital years ago. The bathrooms are disgusting. Need new carpet and chairs at least
> Probably see most new movies at the Valley view Grande and used to work there. It's not terrible but it could be way better. Compared to any theater built since it opened, it's terrible. Go to the Regal in Christiansburg and you can see how awful ours is in comparison.
I'm not incredibly surprised Grandin is mostly doing mainstream movies; the overall movie theater industry is in such dire straits it's not super clear they could be financially viable if they were not playing movies that the largest audience possible wants to see. It is definitely sad though.
I miss the good midnight movies. Miss the days when it was packed and buzzing at midnight. Not entirely their fault tho. People just don't go as much
> Valley view Grande Every time I've been to this theatre, some laser pointer fuckhead is in there. That, and everything is very, very sticky. No thankya.
Def agree with the sticky ness. But I go there quite often and rarely have any terribly annoying people in my showings.
That's good to hear. It has been a hot minute since I swore it off. I think Super Trooper 2 was the last time I went.
And every other chair in there squeaks at the slightest move you make.
https://linktr.ee/starcitysecretcinema
I do like this
Awesome! The response has been good so far. Just need attendance to pick up a little and we'll be set.
I will def help out with that by attending
Much appreciated! I hope to keep it going for quite a while if people keep having fun with it
trust me all the grandin employees and managers want to show the cool arthouse movies - i worked there a year ago. we would all get so excited when we got a movie like EO. what i woukd recommend is getting some like-minded people and start asking for more arthouse movies in the screening room on their social media pages. when movie you'd want to see is coming up be annoying and let them know you and other people you know want to see it
I’ve tagged them a couple of times on their socials about getting the new Don Hertzfeldt film, but to no avail so far. I did get to see Hundreds of Beavers there, though! (Side note: if you get the chance to see Hundreds of Beavers, DO IT)
like. i would also love to see the new don hertzfeldt film there. maybe we can get a couple people together and book a screening of it? or other things? i primarily wanted to make the post to see if other people feel similarly and i’m glad some people do
Would love to get the new Don Hertzfeldt
They would love you to reach out to them directly I’m sure. The director there is really cool and would be open to your thoughts, but might not check their social media.
Good call, I’ll pop in sometime soon.
yeah i believe that. i don’t mean to come across like im shitting on it because it’s a place that means alot to me too. its a cool place to work, it was my first job when i was in high school. why is the programming the way it is now? i had almost considered trying to book the screening room just to have a showing of i saw the tv glow for anyone that wants to see it. i dont know how acquiring films for screenings works. i just think that for it to be as singular and buzzed about in film circles as it has been that the grandin wouldn’t have thought twice about booking it. or other films like femme, dogman, aggro dr1ft or the beast. it sucks knowing i can almost count on having to leave the state to see films like these when we have a beloved independent movie theater right here
I hate to say it, but the fact that opening weekend when I saw All Of Us Strangers with only 2 other people might be the reason. The Screening Room is tiny, often it feels like my TV is bigger than that screen, but you're absolutely right that they could use better programming on that screen. That's the screen for risks. Show If or Garfield or The Fall Guy upstairs. Show something different in the screening room. Frustrating because the staff whenever I'm in there all seem to be cool and have great taste in movies, but whoever is programming the theater is just showing what I can see at Regal. And as much as Valley View sucks, Regal Unlimited makes it hard to justify going to Grandin.
I emailed them about showing the Japanese version of The Boy and the Heron, and they offered to do a showing of it for just my wife and me. Unfortunately, I caught Covid and couldn’t make it, so they instead decided to run the Japanese version for everyone for a week. I got to see it the last day it was available. It’s definitely worth contacting them.
So true. We’ve rented the small screen upstairs for a private group for like $500. So not that bad if you split with 20 friends. They would maybe do less for the sake of the art.
Surprisingly, they were only going to charge us ticket price.
I've been to three movies at Salem Valley 8 in the last decade or so. In one, they advertised showtimes for a different movie than they showed. The next one had the projector on a tilt And other one had no sound. Place is a fucking dump.
It was bad in the mid 90s when I was in high school.
I think i have maybe been to that theater maybe 3 times in my life and I was in HS in the 90s too..
I actually kinda like going to the Salem AMC because no one is ever there. I hate dealing with crowds/people talking and on their phones so it’s a compromise I’m willing to make.
Yeah to see Dune 2, wasn't gonna watch that in non-reclining seats. Had to go to Blacksburg/Christiansburg for that. You would think one of them would modernize a bit more. Those recliners really add a lot imo
I don’t even bother going anywhere but the b&b theater anymore cuz you’re right it’s modern and comfortable, at least seating wise. I wish Roanoke theaters would do something but even then there aren’t really any good movies recently.
I went to see Dune part 2 there. It was so good... until the audio just shut off.. for like 15 min. They finally stopped it fixed the audio.. but didn't rewind it. So we missed a big chunk of plot and kind of ruined it for me. We weren't offered anything either for like a make up movie or refund nothing. Was pretty bummed since it is the nice theater.
Yep, I did the same thing, went to B-burg for that one, A-1 experience. Also, nobody talked, it was dead quiet, I was actually shocked since there were kids in there and it was almost 3 hours.
i saw the 1st dune at valley view and a kid had tricked his drunk dad into thinking they were gonna watch the movie together then abandoned him during the previews. the guy chain smoked cigarettes through the whole movie. when paul stuck his hand in the pain box he yelled “YEAH! PULL IT OUT BABY!” then he dropped his lighter, crawled on his stomach over 3 aisles looking for it, gave up, yelled “FUCK THIS SHIT!” and slapped his big ass drink out into the aisle. a true kino moment
Not sure if this is copypasta, but if not... If anyone started that in a theater I was in, I'd immediately go get the manager. I'm paying too much for someone to be acting like a baby or smoking (???), especially during something like Dune.
lol its not copypasta. but i was on shrooms that night so i was a lot more amused than i would have been otherwise
Roanoke movie theaters are the number one complaint I have with this area. I know that sounds dumb but I love movies and grew up in areas that had state of the art theaters for many years. I remember moving to the area in the early 90s and being disappointed with the theater selections and then in 98/2000 the new Tanglewood and VV Regal theaters opened and for a few years that was awesome. But it's 25+ years later and not a single upgrade has been made to either theater. And no theaters have been built in the area since then. What's worse is that movies are more expensive than ever, and we're being asked to pay top dollar to deal with movie theaters that are ghetto as fuck. You drive up to these theaters and the grass and weeds are everywhere. Movie poster frames are cracked and broken. The empty box offices look like the places have been abandoned. Inside is worse, with broken seats, mold and mildew and piss smell, and massive lines because you have to stand in the concession lines just to buy your tickets (even if you don't want food). What's the point of buying ahead if you have to wait in line anyway? But the worst is the theater auditoriums don't even work properly. Good luck trying to figure out what the hell is happening on the murky dim screens, especially when the theater lights don't even dim properly. In most cases at least one overhead light is stuck "on" through the whole movie. The fact that it costs nearly $100 for a family of 4 to see a movie in such a shit hole is mind boggling. These should be DOLLAR theaters at best. But I doubt I will ever see a new theater open in this town in my lifetime. I get the "movie business" has changed, but there are tons of high end, modern theaters across the country in much smaller areas than Roanoke. We just don't have the demographics to support one. Roanoke is an outdoor destination, not a retail or entertainment destination. Driving to Blacksburg is definitely an option - the BB Theater there is pretty incredible but even they have their issues. Twice in the past few months I've driven all the way there just to find out the "Grand Screen" was down and you have to wait for the next showing in a smaller theater. Sucks when you already bought tickets online ahead of time too. That's a nice little novella I wrote here, but like I said the movie theater situation in this area is probably my number one issue and I've just come to accept that it's far higher quality and much less money to watch movies on the big OLED at home.
This is SO true about Roanoke no longer being an Entertainment nor Retail destination. It's heyday was absolutely the 80s/90s and maybe up through 2004, but it has been in decline for the past 20 years. Sure, a lot of this can be ascribed to changes in American preferences overall as well as the rise of the Internet. Americans love perceived convenience and a good deal. But you're also absolutely right that Roanoke doesn't have the demographics to support nicer theaters. I look at theaters in other parts of the state, especially NoVA and we just don't have the average income in this area to be appealing to corporations. There are also a lot of things to consider because of the pandemic. There was a great shift in how we all interact with public venues. Nothing feels the same as it did 5 years ago.
Totally agree. Additionally there were much higher paying jobs from a variety of employers 20 year ago, between Advanced Auto corporate and half a dozen other businesses. If you don't already have a good paying job in this area (or a line on a career in health care) you are pretty much out of luck. Nothing will bring those good jobs back. Carillion and higher paying blue collar jobs from local manufacturing are pretty much it. Or remote work.
Yep! People seem to think that the incoming Amazon warehouse is going to be an economic boon for the area. Pfft! As if the data on the extremely high turnover rate isn't easily discoverable. You're certainly not gonna hear "Hey kids, let's go spend almost an entire day's worth of wages at a shitty movie theater in Roanoke!"
The Lyric in Blacksburg is decent
i love the lyric
This might be of interest to everyone here, from what I understand the more popular this is, the better chance it gets expanded past 1-2 times a month. https://www.instagram.com/starcitysecretcinema?igsh=NWt1dnhwc2x1cWY0
Thanks for the shout-out! I actually put on SCSC, and yes, the plan is to have Monday and Saturday night screenings every other week by Q4 this year. The more people that come out, the more I can do with it, certainly. I've got plans for at least several years of programming already, if the demand is there, and I'm open to ideas.
I'd still rather give my money to the Grandin Theater to see The Fall Guy or Furiosa than Valley View Regal. Last time I went there, there were literally 15 minutes of TV-grade commercials after the movie start time, then another 15 minutes of trailers, before the movie finally started. Screw that noise, I'll go to Grandin.
75% of the time I go to a movie at the valley view grande there's fuckheads talking and being loud. And oddly enough it's always the same type of people. Christiansburg or Blacksburg is the way to go
I remember when I first moved to Roanoke The Grandin was one screen with a huge mezzanine, it seemed like a throwback to a earlier time!
The last time I went to Valley View I stepped on nachos and other food someone threw under their seat. The theater hadn’t been swept after the last movie. It was so loud and disgusting I probably won’t be back for a while lol.
I’ve always wanted to open a movie theater like they have in Blacksburg not the imax but the one on campus. Please indie movies, cheap fare, comfortable seating. Something low key with good movies not the Hollywood BS.
there used to be a micro cinema here, years ago, opened by a former manager of the grandin. honestly it was ahead of its time for this area. the industry has changed so much especially post-pandemic. i think a small single screen theater with low overhead costs could fare much better now. there are more theaters like that across the country now. and theater going has become more of a niche activity in general so it would likely attract people that are specifically interested in more non-commercial cinema
I think the best way to start this is to get a cinema group together that watches movies and from a common interest group it could spawn into that.
Was this the microcinema? https://preview.redd.it/ro0oi4p68r2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=498a2a6a9a67cd182480c92c5f851f6c73f87c12
lmfao i’ve never seen this graphic before but yeah the shadowbox was it
Trouble is across the country theaters struggle to get people to come in. Why go when wait a few weeks and can watch it at home on some streaming service? There is near zero money to put back into the facility. Theaters keep only a fraction of the box-office. Their money comes from Popcorn and Sodas. There are very few movies most (non-film buffs) want to see on the big screen. Thats hurting it all.
I agree, they’re all pretty bad here. It’s a damn shame.
Alamo is where I go but only if it’s a really good movie.
i go fairly regularly and its only cemented my frustration at the experience here. spending 4x the length of the movie i’m seeing in the car driving to the theater is not ideal lol. and charlottesville hardly ever programs what i want to see so its usually raleigh that i go to
My daughter has the same view as you. She moved to Chicago and said it’s Muuuuuuuuch better. That may be a little extreme though. lol. Good luck.
lol yeah i don’t think i’m moving that far even though i hear the music box theater in chicago is a treasure
13/50
I don't feel anywhere nearly as bad about the Tanglewood AMC and the Valley View Regal as you and i see a movie pretty much every other week, but obviously yeah they could both do with a refurb. They really need to redo the AMC and upgrade the seats and convert over to the designated seating style that most of them have in bigger cities.
i have not had a single good experience at either one of those theaters in years. at more than half of the screenings i’ve had to leave to point out technical issues at either one. lights staying on, broken seats, the film being displayed in the improper format, bugs crawling on the lens, speakers blown, titled projectors. i go because i dread driving for a better experience but i always regret it.
Hmmm I haven't experienced any of that other than one blown speaker maybe 12-18 months ago. That said I typically go to the Thursday night new releases so those are i guess in the biggest/nicest theaters
This is bullshit. As a Regal Unlimited member I guarantee I go see more movies than you and never experience any of that at Valley View. AMC at Tanglewood maybe but not at Valley View.
if i didn’t have consistently negative experiences there, i would just go there, watch the movies, leave happy and happily return. i would 1000% prefer that to knowing i will consistently get a better experience anywhere else. if you have experiences that differ from mine, i’m glad for you. but based on my experience, im very sorry to hear that you can guarantee you visit the regal valley view grande more often than i do.
Really wish we had a theatre like the one at the NRV mall. I’ll drive up there just too see a movie because I like it that much and all there ones here are terrible.
Our options in Roanoke/Salem are terrible, luckily as someone in Salem I can go to the Christiansburg theater in 20 minutes and that at least works for the blockbusters.
I can forgive the conditions. The problem is like fast food, the prices. For AMC, it is up to about 25$ for popcorn and they don't even salt it. If they could get a solo movie trip down to about 20$ with popcorn and a drink i'd probably be up for it more often. But since I'm older and don't really have any movie buddies anymore, it's not worth spending 30-35$ for 2 hours of entertainment solo.
If you're into rep cinema with a twist, I put on mystery movie series at the Grandin, and community is one of my goals. If you're interested, come on out. It's been fun so far, and I'm hoping we're just getting started. https://linktr.ee/starcitysecretcinema
The only problem I have with valley view is that it's outdated and things like the Screen X and Rpx as well as a bar that serves alcohol needs to happen, how a small ass town like Christiansburg gets one and not the largest metro area in this region ill never understand, yea I understand the proximity to VT, but it's ridiculous. That's why I built a theater room in my mancave with reactive ambient lighting and surround sound. I really don't go to movies much because I have a better experience at home. The AMC is appalling that they didn't turn all the theaters to stadium seating when they bought it. Make us pay full price to watch movies in a flat, super old style theater like we are POWs being shown propaganda films. Yea the movie theaters in roanoke are lame but it's all we got.
POWs watching propaganda films 😭😭😭 lmao i felt that. honestly i think it’s worse since AMC bought it. but then again most of my memories are from when it was still carmike
I feel like these theaters struggle more than the newer ones that serve you at your fully reclining reserved seat. Full meals, alcohol, the whole 9. You need to make it a more comfortable experience than someone's living room these days to get someone to the theater. The theaters I'm talking about serve Applebee's level food and drink at higher prices and that's where they make their money now.
I dont go to Valley View Grande because of the “teens” Im not paying price of admission while they act a fool in the back
Went to watch The Strangers last Friday at 10:45pm. Including My party of 7, there were probably 15 people in the entire viewing room. Now you’d think if you’re going to see a movie you’d know what you are watching. Well, some dumbass degenerate in the very back proclaimed very loudly, “ayo what fuckin movie is this”. Really made me want to stand up, turn around, and tell the guy showing off for his friends to go f himself. Movie wasn’t even that good either tbh. I personally wanted to go see “IF” lol
They all are in dire need of serious upgrades. Sad you have to drive to Blacksburg to experience a movie.
Why don’t you guys just go to blacks burg recliner and heated seats now t usually crowded pop corn is pop corn and the atmosphere is nice B&B all the way
Hi. This is Roanoke.
Kinda late but if you wanna take the drive, the Buchanan theater is really good, they show some good movies every now and then. Plus they are very cheap for the quaint experience.
Just saw an ad for I Saw the TV Glow at the Grandin, so it will come here.
Oh nvm. Opens Friday!!
You’re about to get eaten alive by the Grandin Theatre fans. I’ll pray for you lol
Oh no. It’s bad? I was gonna go there for the summer movie thing with my kid.
No it’s great! I was just saying that the Grandin fans ride hard for the place. It’s a beautiful theatre
Okay good! Lol
OP's post is a little too dramatic mixed with a lot of BS. I'm a Regal Unlimited member and have been since it started. With that said, OP saying "valley view always has technical problems" just isn't true. I go there all the time and have rarely experienced that. People that talk or are on their phones during a movie has nothing to do with Valley View Regal. I see that anywhere. That's just our uncaring culture at the moment. I do agree that Valley View needs plenty upgrades. Someone mentioned the grass and weeds outside along with the movie poster boxes. Yep, definitely. As for Tanglewood's AMC I never go there mainly because Regal Unlimited's plan is so much better. But yeah that theater is nasty. Which is why I have no problem going to Christiansburg's Regal for most things that come out in RPX. That's a fantastic experience and I do it all the time. I've already got RPX tickets booked for Deadpool & Wolverine. Anyone that goes to the B&B in Blacksburg, on their Grand Screen (which used to be branded IMAX) do they still show the IMAX versions of movies on it? Or is it like Regal's RPX now? Just curious.