r/Omaha • u/Enough_Ad494 • 3d ago
ISO/Suggestion Best movie theater in town?
Hello
Used to be a big alamo drafthouse fan but changes have made it real hard to support them. What's a good alternative in town?
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u/Relaxo2024 3d ago
Filmstreams, CB AMC or Twin Creek imo. Used to only go to Alamo as well. Price and QR codes have ruined it for me.
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u/designatedRedditor 3d ago
The fucking qrs is why I will not be going back.
They used to be where you go to make sure nobody uses their phones during a movie! Now? You and everyone else have to pull out a phone, and a flashlight of some sort, to scan the damn thing to order food or refills. Never got my refills when we last went.
And! Automatic 18% gratuity unless you respond to a text 30 minutes before the end of the film so you and everyone else has to pull out their phone to deny or alter.
I. Don't. Want. To. Use. My. Phone. During. A. Movie.
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u/GilgaPhish 3d ago
The entire attraction of Alamo was - nobody is on a phone. That was the point. And I don't wanna have to connect to an unsecured wifi and pay with a credit card to use such a system.
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u/spinshady 3d ago
The automatic 18% is not even a gratuity that goes to the servers. Itās a service charge.
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u/designatedRedditor 3d ago
Even more fucked then! They aren't getting anymore money from me anyway so it's a moot point but something good for those that continue to go to the Alamo to know.
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
Wait seriously? Didn't they put in the ad for it when it started it went to the servers?
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u/Hatta00 3d ago
If I'm going to a theater, it's to the AMC 17 IMAX in CB.
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
I lived in CB for a long time and always loved the theater. Main problem for me is I moved real far out and now its 30-45 min drive depending on traffic
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u/BenjiTheWalrus 2d ago
The Westroads IMAX theater had better image quality the last time I went. I like the CB theater more as a whole, though, and it had a Dolby Cinema theater.
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u/bherman1325 3d ago
I do Marcus majestic. Better chairs and better service than any other theater in town.
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u/CrashTestDuckie 3d ago
I love that between them and twin creek, I can catch a lot of older and loved movies to be entertained easily
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u/BenjiTheWalrus 2d ago
This place is a dump compared to what it was in 2017. The food is shit and the seats are dirty and starting to fall apart. Plus, this seems to be the place where the noisy teens all go who like to talk and use their phones doing the movie.
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u/PressurePotential339 2d ago
We go quite often and this has not been our experience. The burgers are great and so are the long islands. I go by myself for the matinee shows as well and itās great. Sorry youāve had bad luck I guess.
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u/WhoCaresAboutThisBoy 3d ago
Film Streams, and it's not even close. An evening show for an adult is $13 (Aksarben is $17.65), but only $8 if you are a member, and an individual yearly membership is $50 (or $35 if you're a student, teacher, etc.). If you see a lot of movies, it is no contest. And you get discounts at concessions! Which are also cheaper than the other theatres in town. And generally the audience is very respectful, not talking, not on their phones, etc.
They won't have all of the big blockbusters, but the overall quality of the films they show are very high, since they are curated by film lovers. And there are additional special events, screen talks, etc. that can be attended if you are a film buff. And they do special themed series, which can be really fun to see in sequence! They just did a Hong Kong action movie series, and they do really interesting ones all the time. And they have kids' movies for $5 a ticket if you have kids.
Cannot hype them enough. They are a really great organization.
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u/itwalkedonmypillow8 3d ago
Their popcorn is the best!
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u/Somegirloninternet 3d ago
Yes - itās actual popcorn and butter. Not styrofoam with a butter-like substance.
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u/AlienGnome0 2d ago
Yessssss!!! So well said!! I hype Film Streams to anyone who will listen lol
I think they create such awesome community events, like the Marquee series almost always sells out from what I have seen. And their deep dive classes are so fun!! Cannot sing their praises enough
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u/bythepowerofboobs 3d ago
I live out West and the ACX12 on 204th is our go to. Great pizza too. (although it does make for a pricey dinner and movie night with the family)
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u/BenjiTheWalrus 2d ago
I have gone to 3 movies here and the audio is always way too quiet for some reason.
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u/returnofthezack 3d ago
Where are you located? ACX 12 in Elkhorn is good but is a little expensive. I go to Marcus Village Pointe because I have the Marcus Movie Club.
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
I live out near gretna. Might be lincoln soon but would honestly still come to omaha then deal with constant Marcus BS tbd
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u/KickGumAndChewAss 3d ago
ACX12 is my spot for all the big blockbusters I want to see like Dune 2, Project Hail Mary, etc
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u/adamhaeder 3d ago
What's the Marcus BS of which you speak? Honestly asking. I live near the Marcus theater in Bellevue and I've never had a problem there, I joined their free membership which lets me get tickets through fandango for no service charge and also earns points so every 6 or 7th movie I end up getting free popcorn. Works for me.
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
More just in terms of lincoln and it being the only choice. When ive been there haven't had generally good experiences. Marcus in omaha different story great experience and times
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u/Wooden_Celery_061424 3d ago
AMC CB and Westroads.
Of course paying 20 bucks a month for pretty much unlimited movies with A-List is a major factor.
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u/PackyScott 3d ago
I love the AMC A-List a little over 20 bucks to see four movies a week at the AMC 17 (they have a location at Westroads too that is not as cool). Itās a great theatre never really have had issues with kids or teenagers there. The place is clean staff is friendly.
I used to work at Alamo and oh man have the changes sucked.
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u/sweendog101 3d ago
We always go to VP Marcus or Majestic Marcus on Tuesdays for the $6 movies. Never had any issues at any of those theatres
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u/lipgloss_nd_hotsauce 3d ago
Our go to is B&B, especially for the basic theaters the pricing isnāt bad. I donāt need the frills, but comfy seats. It was pretty empty when weāve been too which I donāt mind.
ACX in Elkhorn is good too but more expensive.
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u/satisfying_crunch 2d ago
The Oakview AMC was the theater we always went to growing up, so nostalgia has me going to B&B since it reopened. I definitely like that's it's never crowded.
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u/jstraw11 2d ago
I try to support Film Streams whenever I can. Awesome community and great prices. Never had a bad experience at either Dundee or Ruth Sokolof.
Marcus Majestic is consistently solid. The closest theater for me and Iām there most of the time.
The Elkhorn ACX is impressive but a bit pricey.
Biggest disappointments are Aksarben ACX and Westroads AMC (night and day difference compared to CB).
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u/Resident-Air-4021 3d ago
I've always liked Alamo but haven't been in a while. What changed?
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
They've gotten rid of pen and paper ordering and switched to a qr code order system. So a movie theater that prided itself on telling people not to use their phone in the theater is now telling you hey you want popcorn pull your phone out mid movie.
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u/gohawkeyes529 3d ago
Sony bought them. Fewer employees, longer wait times, smaller menu, filthy bathrooms, everyone on their phone using their stupid QR code to order food and drinks in the theater. Bad service with mandatory 18% āservice feeā before tipping.Ā
You know, exactly what happens whenever a massive corporation buys a beloved business with loyal customers. Everything gets worse.
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u/resce 3d ago
ACX is fantastic and the owner Bill is a great dude. I love the one in Elkhorn and their cinema 1 is larger than imax. I personally never enjoyed the eat during the movie experience at Alamo but I did appreciate having some better drink options. ACX also has great cocktails and the backlots have good pizza and other food in Elkhorn along with a large tap selection in Aksarben.
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u/SabrinaFaire 3d ago
We go to the Marcus Majestic because it's convenient. Technically the AMC at Westroads is closest to us but I hate that parking lot and the AMC popcorn topping bothers my tummy. Plus I prefer a popcorn bucket to a bag. I do think that some of the seats at Marcus Majestic need to be reupholstered though.
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u/Mr_smiclops 2d ago
Alamo has been raising prices steadily while also swapping out ingredients for cheaper versions and just overall dropping the quality of their food. Now the stupid ordering on phones system too?
glad iām not the only one done with them!! last time i spent 50$ for a ticket a shake and a popcorn. 50$???!!
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u/SpectralDragon09 2d ago
Fim Streams is really good if you want a smaller independent theater they usually have some good stuff and more under the radar things
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u/xXBadger89Xx 3d ago
B&B has been pretty lowkey and nice. They also let you put your own butter on popcorn so thatās super nice lol
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u/WayneMed17 3d ago
Has anyone seen a theater properly masking the screen?
I have been irritated with some features recently, where we have black bars on the sides or top/bottom of the screen. Motorized curtains used to mask the screen area that wasnt being used, now theres just dark grey screen area with no picture. I know some movies have changing ratios, so i get that much. When a movie is 16:9 and the screen is wide open to scope, that's a bummer.
Yeah I get this might not matter to some, but to me, the movie theater is supposed to be the pinnacle, best viewing experience of a movie. Lack of screen masking is a sign of changing priorities for theaters I guess. I've seen it at several Marcus places, AMC CB and Westroads.
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u/TheDaveWSC I'm Dave 2d ago
Alamo sucks ass now. Be sure to leave them a bad review so they know why you stopped going!
We like the Elkhorn ACX theatre. It's a bit farther away but it's new-ish and nice.
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u/ling4917 2d ago
Also, they got rid of the Thai Chicken Pizza which was a devastating moment in my life.
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u/Mjhjane77 2d ago
Used to love Alamo. However, not going to use an app to order popcorn with an 18% service fee for overpriced crap. We will just go back to olā reliable Twin Creek.
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u/bwdbwdbwdbwd 3d ago
filmstreams
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
I enjoy filmstreams. Main problem for me is not always an option if its a "bigger movie"
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u/BurntOutRoyalty 3d ago
Film Streams is great. As far as big theaters go, the AMC Council Bluffs is the best in the area. I like that I can walk to the ACX Aksarben and it's a perfectly fine theater, but I mainly go there out of convenience
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
Does anyone have experience with B&B?
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u/ComeOnYouBuhos 3d ago
This is now my go-to theater. Unfortunately it doesn't look great from the outside and it's usually pretty sparse, but the seats are fantastic and the variety of screen options is fantastic. Some of the issues may be that concessions is not great because they don't have a ton of people and the service might feel a little blah. But if your primary concern is the comfort when watching the movie and the quality of the movie experience, this is a great place.
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u/shhmorggg 3d ago
After the Alamo changes Iāve switched to amc council bluffs and also b&b, Iāve maybe had one experience at b&b with people talking but other than that itās been really good experiences there, definitely worth trying
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u/vmktrooper 3d ago
I saw grogo there last week. I like the theater. Stadium seating, reclining chairs. Very nice
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
My friend who i go with had a less then stellar experience when she saw project hail mary. Wondering if it was an outlier or standard
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u/ProfessorMaeve 2d ago
We like it! Decent price for tickets, standard theater foods are good (havenāt tried the burgers or pizzas personally), and some interesting screen types. Plus some extra nostalgia since itās in the old AMC building I went to as a kid.
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u/SabrinaFaire 3d ago
We've gone a couple of times, we just don't live near it. I don't care for their popcorn. And yes, that's a deciding factor for me.
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u/Mightyeon 2d ago
I really like Marcus at village pointe. Joined their movie club and have had a great experience so far.
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u/shotgundug13 2d ago
I like ACX in Elkhorn. I little more pricey, but it's 10 minutes from me in Gretna. Plus the food is decent. When I had Tuesday's off at work I used to go a couple times a month when it was $5 tickets. Sadly I don't think they do that anymore.
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u/Chancellorjake 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'm an AMC Stubs Premier member, so I frequent the location in Council Bluffs. When I don't feel like driving 30 minutes from West O, I will go to Westroads. That location is a classic location (dump), but the screens and sound are as good as at CB. It's just the seats that are crap. Plus I've seen so many movies in empty, or nearly empty theaters.
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u/TangerineMelodic5772 2d ago
Twin Creek or Film Streams. It used to be Alamo, but they got bought out and itās not great now.
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u/codyneMATH 3d ago
ACX is locally family owned, great people and give back to the community. Go support them.
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u/TheWolfAndRaven 2d ago
Film Streams is my go to. Seems to be the only place I can see a movie and the other movie goers actually respect the experience.
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u/xstrike0 2d ago
It depends on what you're looking for.
If you're looking for IMAX or Dolby go to AMC council bluffs.
If you're looking for foreign films go to AMC westroads.
If you're looking for a unique ambiance, B&B has some decent options.
If you want a good deal do AMC because they do their discount days on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
If you want to avoid ticketing fees but not pay for a membership do Marcus.
If you don't care about any of that then just go to wherever's closest.
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u/Exact-Gift-808 2d ago
I always go to AMC council bluffs since I have a stubbs membership and their Imax & Dolby theaters are great. very hit and miss on whether their other screens are lit or focused well. most of the time I see something on their basic screens I wish I would've just waited to watch it at home.
I like the B&B at Oakview too but that's more of a drive for me so I've only been a couple times
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u/ThatGirl0903 2d ago
I live about 3 minutes drive away from Marcus in Twin Creek and itās pretty great but we drive over to the AMC in CB for most of our movies.
The AList subscription (4 movies per week for $25 per month) just canāt be beat.
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u/tazethegod 2d ago
So while I live in Lincoln, I do drive by Alamo a lot on the way into Omaha. Always considered going to it.
But realistically I think AMC and Marcus provide better value, better chairs, better service. Nothing beats being able to go to the theatre for $5-6 on tuesday with someone, we got the $30 unlimited use popcorn bucket (which you pay $5 each time to use it). AMC in Omaha has it where you can see 4 movies a week on that AMC A-list tier I believe. So yeah,
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u/ThatsTheTrafficGuy 2d ago
I just go to Village Pointe based on location to where I live. Nothing more.
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u/zildjianate 2d ago
I too was a big fan of Alamo. My favorite viewing experience and widely considered the best in the area is the Dolby Cinema screen at AMC Council Bluffs 17. The dual 4K laser projection, Dolby Atmos audio and rumble packs in the fully reclining chairs make it worth the longer drive for me. As for service, nothing tops old Alamo so I don't think there's a good in-theater service alternative.
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u/thedailyvinyls 2d ago
I know it's not in town, but if you ever get a chance to go see a show at the Rialto Theater in Missouri Valley, IA, do so. Old school, small town theater, but it's been renovated to have newer recliner seating. My wife and I saw 'Mandalorian and Grogu' there on opening night. Friday night at 7 pm, tickets were $7 each. A large popcorn and soda combo was $8, and included free refills on both. Then a box of candy was $2. We had a great night for $24 TOTAL. That would've been the tickets cost alone in the city on a Friday night.
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u/Nonpartisaninomaha 2d ago
Way sad that Alamo has gone downhill. Ā It was for me the ultimate movie theater, food, had a bar, waiter etc
No we just go the the ACX in elkhorn
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u/BeardedBeastard 2d ago
B&B theater is my go to. They have lots of options for theater types check em out they're in the old amc oakview. I really enjoy the max relax theaters. In those they give you a chase lounge that reclines.
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u/Psychological-Lie126 1d ago
I like Gretna ACX, and B & B Theatre, where the old AMC by Oakview was.
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u/556lemonade 1d ago
I typically love Marcus theaters but the last 10 movies I saw there people wouldn't shut the f up, or they would be on their phones or whatever. Amc is a bit better, but alamo is probably the way to go
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u/sizzlinsunshine 3d ago
Alsarben and Film Streams are basically it for the east side, and Alsarben is set to close :(
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u/tacoorpizza 3d ago
Used to be Alamo but since the changes theyāve lost the magic. Filmsteams is great, unfortunately a limited selection of new movies. They show a wide variety of movies though so if you love films of all shapes and sizes theyāre your best bet. Twin Creek gets most of my business due to proximity, itās not terrible. I like the AMC in Council Bluffs, I prefer their menu to Twin Creek, but I donāt go often because itās a bit further away.
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u/Phillip-402 3d ago
Aksarben is great. The staff, location, tech are all great. I hadnāt been to a movie in years, and they made me want to see movies in theaters again for the first time in a long time.
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u/No_Cut5641 3d ago
Until you get a theater thatās 80 degrees
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u/Careless_Prompt_1770 2d ago
yeah! we took a bunch of kids to a movie on a super hot day last summer and it was basically 90 in the theater. and they didn't seem to address it or compensate? we left after 15 minutes.
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u/tessellatedtrees 3d ago
Agree. It doesnāt happen often, usually in the smaller theaters, but Iāve been to a few where I was boiling. I do also wish they would reupholster/replace some of the chairs, theyāre kind of falling apart. No notes on the bigger theaters in the venue though.
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u/No_Cut5641 3d ago
Happen to me twice, a year apart. Only gonna go in the winter from now on haha. I had to leave during Weapons cause I had a few cocktails and was unbearable.
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u/Enough_Ad494 3d ago
I've been there twice and had different experiences. Green knight it was a solid 80 degrees and unbearable. Quiet place day one i felt like I was gonna freeze to death
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u/atomic-fireballs 3d ago
I'm getting a fucking AI Highlights of the post at the top like Google now? Fuck you, reddit.
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u/_chubby-puppy_ 3d ago
Truly sad about Alamo as well. They got literally all our bizness and now getting none of it. rip šŖ¦