Patrons look for seats at the Art Deco-style Fremont in SLO. The theater, which opened in 1942, has a backlit celing.
Correction 5/02/08 A story Thursday on Page F3 of Ticket about movie theater seats incorrectly stated that there are no cup holders at the Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo. Seats with cup holders were installed in two of the theater’s screening rooms during a recent renovation and are planned for a third.
How often has something like this happened to you?
You walk into a local movie theater, settle in with your popcorn and soda, and 20 minutes into watching Bruce Willis blowin’ up the bad guys you find yourself stuck in a creaky, cranky, uncomfortable chair.
Few things make a movie more unbearable.
That’s why, with summer blockbusters around the corner, we at The Tribune decided to figure out the best and worst movie theaters for sitting down and kicking back. (Sorry, Sunset Drive-In. That couch in the back of our pickup truck doesn’t count.)
Here’s what we discovered:
The Fremont
1025 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo
Easily the county’s largest indoor screen, the historic Fremont hasn’t changed much since its movie palace heyday. Neon lights glow on the marquee, popcorn perfumes the lobby and stars occasionally grace the stage.
The theater, which opened in 1942 and underwent a major renovation in the early 1990s, features seats that are old-fashioned but generally comfortable, with wooden arm rails doubling as cup holders. Plus, with more than 860 spots to choose from, there are plenty of good vantage points.
The real appeal, however, is the gorgeous art deco design, swirling with images of swans, flowers and maidens on horseback. Crane your neck for a peek at the backlit ceiling.
Mission Cinemas
1025 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo
As far as county movie theaters go, this small, four-screen complex is right in the middle.
Mission Cinemas, also known as “The Fremont 4,” is located next door to the “Big Fremont.” It’s more modern than its counterpart, which shows in the partially underground screening rooms.
Average-size, plush-and- plastic seats come “standard” with cup holders and medium give.
These aren’t spacious screening rooms—nor are they the biggest screens on the Central Coast—but they’re suitable for your average action flick.
Palm Theatre
817 Palm St., San Luis Obispo
It’s the only place in the county where movie lovers can watch indie comedies, art-house dramas and foreign- language flicks. But despite its open-minded offerings, the Palm Theatre feels a bit cramped.
While the main screening room is comparable to chain theaters, screens two and three are best suited for less popular movies. Show up late and you’ll find yourself hugging a wall.
As for the seats, they’re what you’d expect from a smaller, older theater — tolerable but too firm and creaky for epics.
The Palm Theatre does have cup holders in two of its three theaters, and plans to put them in the final theater soon.
Fair Oaks Theatre
1007 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
Don’t let Fair Oaks’ old-fashioned exterior fool you. Beyond the stone-and-stucco storefront and the wood-paneled lobby is a surprisingly modern single-screen movie theater.
Stadium-style seating is divided into two tiers of tall, comfy chairs. Like the seats in Regal Cinemas’ deluxe screening rooms, these are high-backed, deep-seated armchairs with just the right amount of tilt.
Cup holders on each arm tend to be stiff and hard to pull down, so be careful with those snacks. (They’re pretty affordable here.)
For extra legroom, snag one of eight handicapped-accessible seats on the center walkway (if they’re not in use by those who need them, of course).
Bay Theatre
464 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay
The Bay Theatre’s Web site calls their seats “the softest seats in San Luis Obispo County.” I would heartily agree with that and even go one step further: The Bay’s seats are the most comfortable I’ve experienced in any movie theater.
The funky ’40s-era movie house with the wooden ceiling (plus ceiling fans!) has gone through some pretty extensive renovation in recent years, and the new seats are the latest touch.
The ultrasoft and thick cushions mold themselves around you like memory foam. The arms are padded, with nice cup holders at the ends. And there’s plenty of space between you and the guy in front of you, so when you lean back, the only thing missing is an ottoman. This single-screen theater is a great place to catch a flick.
Regal Cinemas
1160 W. Branch St., Arroyo Grande
When Regal’s former owners renovated this multiplex theater in 2001, they spent $2.5 million. Much of that money went toward installing stadium seating, a graduated tier that assures the people in front of you won’t obscure your view with their big heads.
The switch to stadium seating cost the cinema capacity (the number of seats went from 2,900 to 1,900), but crowds flocked to the comfortable chairs, which were 3 inches wider and came with an additional 5 inches of space between them. With their high backs and soft padding, these tilting chairs make you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat of a space ship (a ship with moveable cup holders).
Prices are higher here than at other local cinemas, but the overall comfort and modern features can’t be beat.
Downtown Centre Cinemas
888 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo
A trip to the Downtown theater completes your weekend downtown experience: shopping, coffee, dinner and a movie.
And we love it whenever they show previews on the wall outside. Inside the cinema
the seats are decent enough, though they feel pretty small when it’s crowded.
The chairs feature low backs, they seem a bit narrow, and there’s not a ton of space between rows. They’re not old-looking, but they’re already outdated compared to other theaters with stadium seating. There is a fair number of seats, but since the Downtown tends to show the most popular movies, it can get crowded.
Park Cinemas
1100 Pine St., Paso Robles
The Park, built in 1997, is a cineplex with some character, located across from City Park in the heart of downtown Paso Robles. While it looks sort of small from the outside, the lobby is spacious, and there are nine screens total.
The entire theater complex offers rocking chairs, which is always a plus. The better screens offer stadium seating, with high, curved backs and thick cushions.
Combined with state-of-the-art sound, this is a good place to see a movie—and that’s a good thing, because it’s currently the only place to see a movie in the North County.
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