Thursday Theatre Review: Regal Union Square Stadium 14

Weekly to a new feature here at Movies with Abe, Thursday Theatre Review. As a resident of one of the world’s foremost movie capitals, I’ve been to a number of movie theatres in New York City and have developed preferences. There’s no perfect theatre, but there are a few things that can make or break a movie-going experience. In no particular order, this is a guide to movie theatres in Manhattan.

Regal Union Square Stadium 14

Location: The name is a giveaway. At 850 Broadway on the corner of 13th St, this is about as prime a location as you can get. It’s a block away from the L, N, Q, R, 4, 5, and 6 subways and only doors away from a number of restaurants and stores.

Pricing: Tickets are $13.00 each. Premiere Supersaver (new films) and VIP Supersaver (films that have been out for at least 12 days) tickets can be used, but a cautionary tale: with the NYC surcharge that the theatre charges, they both end up being the same price, $9.50.

Film selection: This isn’t your typical Regal theatre. It’s one of the Cinema Art multiplexes, where you’ll regularly find a number of select independent films along with your blockbusters. I’ve seen everything from “Seraphim Falls” to “The Ghost Writer” to “Gran Torino” at this theatre. On July 2nd, the theatre was showing “The Last Airbender,” “Twilight: Eclipse,” “Grown Ups,” “Knight and Day,” “The A-Team,” “The Karate Kid,” and indie film “Cyrus.”

Drawbacks: It’s a popular theatre, and if you’re using a Supersaver pass and need to purchase your tickets at the box office instead of at a ticket machine, the line can get pretty long. Also, don’t rely on fifteen minutes of padding provided by previews – I’ve been surprised more than once by the film starting after only a preview or two.

Bonus features: It’s part of the Regal Cinemas theatre chain, so even though you may have to pay $8.50 for popcorn, use your Regal Cinema Crown Club card and earn rewards like crazy. I’ve received at least multiple free popcorns, drinks, and even tickets over the course of twenty-something (an estimate) visits.

Worth the trip? Yes. It has all the big movies and a few independent ones as well. It’s the theatre with the most screens in the downtown area, and it’s in a really great location. Some might even say that it makes downtown feel like midtown, since this is the largest movie house south of 30th St.