TwoTallSocks

My wife and I went to the new Rave Motion Pictures in Chattanooga the other night to see Ocean’s 12. It’s a relatively new cinema company, I think they have 18 locations across the southeast now. The company says they aren’t trying to be an art-house type theater that plays foreign films or independent flicks, they just play blockbusters on really big screens with really loud sound. Which is fine with me.

The screens really are quite huge, bigger than any I’ve seen except for an IMAX and the feature theaters at the Cleveland movie theater. Unfortunately we got to the movie a little late, so the stadium seats up top were already filled, so we had to sit on the second row from the front, which put the screen right in our face and so close that you had to move your whole head around just to see the entire screen.

But at least we didn’t didn’t have to move our head around just to see past other people’s heads, because each row of seating is risen 18” above the one in front of it, giving just about anyone a clear view. The radio ads being played on the station’s around town mention a 7’ man with a 2’ tall stovepipe hat going to the movie and people still being able to see over him, which is a big of an exaggeration, but maybe if he didn’t have the hat on it still wouldn’t be a problem.

There is also ample space in between rows, so you don’t have to stand up for people or have your toes smashed when people come and go.

The best part however was the self-ticketing system in the lobby. Most of the theaters around this area don’t take credit cards, and if they do they charge you a crazy fee like $1 – $2 extra just to use your card. The Rave theater doesn’t take cards at the tellers in the window, but there are two kiosks in the lobby that allow you to choose your movie and showtime and pay with a credit card quickly and easily without having to stand in line or yell through one of those little holes at the ticket window. Then the machine spits out your tickets and you can proceed to your movie.

The prices are more than any other theater in town that I’ve been to, $7.75 for a feature showing, and I’m not sure what the matinee price is. Most other theaters are $7.50, and the one in Cleveland is $7.00. However I don’t mind paying the extra quarter for the convenience of the self ticketing system and the huge screens and great quality sound.