Thursday Theatre Review: AMC Lincoln Square 13

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.

AMC Lincoln Square 13

Note: the next few weeks will feature AMC theatres since there are so many of them in the city.

Location: Very convenient. It’s right on Broadway at 68th St, and I’ve spent many hours over the past few years waiting in line for screenings along 68th St. There’s a Starbucks down the street, an Ollie’s Chinese restaurant right across the street, and a cool relatively new Apple Store just a few blocks away. As the name suggests, it's in Lincoln Square, which is a great area and contains many cultural and entertainment activities and resources. It’s only a few minutes from the 1, 2, and 3 trains.

Pricing: Standard tickets are $13 (surcharge for 3-D and IMAX). Like other AMC theatres, all showtimes before noon, seven days a week, are only $6. Pre-purchased discount passes, which are either $6.50 or $8, depending on how new the film is, are also accepted.

Film selection: Pretty great. At the moment, they’re pretty much playing only mainstream fare, but I’ve seen some smaller films like “For Your Consideration” and “Grace is Gone” there. It’s quite a busy theatre as pretty much the biggest cineplex above Times Square, and therefore a big draw for anyone who lives on the Upper West Side. Usually you can find the film you’re looking for at this theatre if it’s a major studio release. I’ve done a few double features at this theatre, including a Western pair, “The Assassination of Jesse James” and “3:10 to Yuma.”

Drawbacks: It’s not as convenient as the Times Square theatre, depending on where you’re coming from, and doesn’t necessarily have a more diverse selection of films. Otherwise, it just gets crowded, especially when it comes to free screenings.

Bonus features: IMAX. I saw “Beowulf” there and I think that “The Dark Knight” opened up pretty big too. Also, all of the auditoriums have names and they’re very big for the most part.

Worth the trip? Sure. It’s a nice area that’s not too far out of the way, and if you want to go to a nicer-than-average theatre with a great selection of films, check this one out.