• For the Carmike Ovation Room at Majestic 12: $10 matinee, $15 evening• For the Rave Imax: $9 (2-D matinee & child), $11.50 (2-D evening); $12.50 (3-D matinee and child), $15 (3-D evening)
With the advent of 3-D televisions, Blu-ray DVDs and home screens that fill walls, it takes a lot more than a big action sequence or a sexy starlet to get America to go to the movies. According to Hollywood.com, 2010 was the second worst year for box-office sales since 1996.
So theaters need to find a way to stand out. At the Carmike Majestic 12 downtown and the Rave 18 in East Ridge, cinephiles have a chance to watch the big screen in a big fashion.
In the Majestic's 56-seat Ovation Club, audience members can combine dinner and a movie in one stop. The reclining leather seats are each fitted with a tray on which to set food and drinks - including cocktails - that are served by seatside waitstaff.
Menu choices include Asian wings with Thai dipping sauce and crab cakes with lemon dill. Yes, it's costlier than a standard ticket, but it's also a different experience.
Rave's Imax theater opened with a little movie called "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." The all-digital theater includes dual projectors, enhanced audio and a larger, curved screen.
"It's more speakers with 10 times more range," said Jeremy Devine, vice president of marketing for Rave.
The enhancements aren't without their drawbacks, like fewer tickets - some seats were taken out to create space for the larger screens - and increased prices, but for those who want to lose themselves in the movies, Imax is bigger and bolder than a standard viewing at the cinema.
"It's a completely immersive experience," Devine said.
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