Thursday Theatre Review: AMC Loews Kips Bay 15

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 Loews Kips Bay 15

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

Location: On 2nd Ave and 31st, it’s not the most accessible of locations, but it does offer something that others don’t: while Midtown West is littered with theatres, the East Side isn’t so lucky, and this theatre is the best and biggest you’re going to find. Though it may be a ten-minute walk from the Lexington Avenue subway, it’s not a bad area, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops nearby.

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: Great. I’ve done more than a few double and triple features here, including “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” and “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” There’s usually one or two fun independent choices in addition to a good number of mainstream films.

Drawbacks: Location isn’t great if you’re coming from across town, as mentioned above, but that’s pretty much it.

Bonus features: IMAX, though I don’t think I’ve seen anything there. Showtimes at this theatre also happen to be very convenient – after I used to go to 34th St, I started going to this theatre every Friday to maximize my potential for triple-features since their showtimes were most accommodating to such endeavors. It’s also just a nicely-designed and pleasant movie house.

Worth the trip? If you’re in the area. East Side residents should definitely go here, and otherwise it will have to depend on where you’re coming from and what movie you wanted to see. Usually it’s a more than worthwhile trip. Reader JB will even tell you that it's his favorite theatre in the city.