AMC Bridgewater Commons

Formerly General Cinema.

This theatre used to be owned by the same company that owned the Essex Green and CLifton Commons cinema. When did it open and did it have stadium seating? I think it is one of three AMC/GC locations that has the THX auditoriums, since I'm going on a respite near Bridgewater.

It opened in the early 90's (maybe 91) under General Cinema, for a while it would be excusive bookings of major studio movies before they would open wide, it was considered a prestigious venue. It didn't have stadium seating, AMC probably hasn't made that improvement to it. I hear a roomer a year or two ago AMC was looking to close it down, but last I heard its alive and well.

Moviefone gives an address of 400 Commons Way. Bridgewater, NJ 08807 for this theater.

Just came back from my respite and went to Bridgewater Commons to see Emily Rose. It was in theatre #2, the THX auditorium, and the sound was good, the picture was fine, but the seating needs improvement. No stadium seating or rocking back chairs unlike other theatres, but it offers access to those who are disabled (with wheelchairs) and an excellent digital pre-show before the movie. A decent theatre, indeed.

Post above says BRIDGEWATER COMMONS opened in 90 or 91. I saw INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE here and that was in 89. Not sure if it was 70MM but definitely was in THX sound. Awesome!

THX is not a sound system. It is a set of standards of ideal movie-watching conditions established by George Lucas' organization regarding audio, picture, acoustics and miscellaneous light and noise distractions such as the sound of air conditioning units rumbling on the roof above the auditorium or stray light from exit signs spilling on to the screen. When the auditorium meets the standards, it is certified by THX.

But it sez THX SOUND SYSTEM right there in the trailer clips we see before the movie.

I understand what you're saying regarding the acoustics and standards and stuff, but it seems like a semantics thing to argue over whether THX is or isn't a "system".

At any rate, I posted to offer info suggesting the theater opened earlier than another person's recollection, not to argue over wording. All I know is that I had a GREAT time watching INDIANA JONES in that theater. It sounded phenomonal. Whether that was due to the sound recorded onto the film print or brand X speakers or brand Y cables or brand Z amplifiers or whether the air conditioning system was on or off or whether the projectionist simply turned the volume knob up to 11, I couldn't say.

The only thing that's not good about this theater is that it's too small, and that there's no stadium seating like Manville, and unlike manville, bridgewater commons is owned by a larger corporation.

on sunday at around midnight police responded to an incident at the theater; thankfully no one was injured during the standoff but the suspect was arrested.

check this link out...
http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/NEWS/801180346
looks like Bridgewater will finally get a brand new theater that will be better than the old one!!! Just in time for its 20th anniversary, it will expand to 14 screens, with seven becoming stadium seating and the other probably the original. I wonder if THX will still support the new theater, as the company still uses it in Clifton Commons and Essex Green after the GC takeover. Hopefully it will have DLP and compete against Manville.

check this link out...
http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/NEWS/801180346
looks like Bridgewater will finally get a brand new theater that will be better than the old one!!! Just in time for its 20th anniversary, it will expand to 14 screens, with seven becoming stadium seating and the other probably the original. I wonder if THX will still support the new theater, as the company still uses it in Clifton Commons and Essex Green after the GC takeover. Hopefully it will have DLP and compete against Manville.

Hey Justin, hold the celebration!!! I work occasionally at the commons as a relief projectionist. They have been talking about that new theatre for almost 4 years now. The current building runs on a month to month lease. The mall would rather have retail there as they would make more in rent. All AMC is doing now is running this place into the ground. Also, it appears to me, from many of your posts here on CT, that you are not much of a film fan, but you rather embrace this new DLP technology. As someone who has been an IATSE union projectionist for 33 years, I can tell you that it will be years, and I mean years before the film companies will be able to get all the screens in this country to go digital. Many theatres just aren't going to spend 1 million dollars per screen, just to go digital. And finally, what the theatres need to do is figure out how to get more butts in the seats, and digital alone is not going to do it. Changing how the end product is shown on the screen is not going to do it.

For your info, I still like watching movies in film format as much as digital. Watching a movie in HD on a tv is ok, but I miss the giant screen feel to it and the smell of popcorn and the thunder of surround sound. Even though the commons lack stadium seating and dlp, this theater still has an auditorium that's THX certified, and I went to that screen to see Emily Rose. Projection is sharper than what you'd expect at a larger AMC theater, and the surround sound is clear and distortion free. What surround sound system does each screen have? I know the THX one has dolby digital. Indy even played at this theater the last time he came...so probably the new one will play in THX in May. Big budget and hit movies usually play at this auditorium, which was one of the first in New Jersey to get the treatment five years after THX was born in 1983. The Essex Green cinema, in its first form, was the first in New Jersey to take the offer, and soon after the Menlo Park Twin, both General Cinemas. The last New Jersey theater to have THX on it is Clifton Commons, which remains GCC's best theater as two of its screens have THX. After AMC bought the chain, it decided to keep most of those screens THX certified and reinstall all screens to Dolby Digital EX.

Well Justin, I guess I miss judged you, and I apologize. Its refreshing to know people still do respect what we few union projectionists do. As a side note, having worked at the old Menlo Park Twin for the last 5 years of its existence, it never was THX certified, because the center split wall couldn't keep sound from bleeding thru, and the old HVAC was noisey. Essex Green (the triplex) was THX in the original 1000 seat theatre. You may be interested in the film festival going on in Red BAnk, at the Count Basie theatre thru May. You can look it up here on CT under their listing. I was to work the commons tom'w (thurs 3/6) but I am now at the Basie doing a concert. The next time I am at the commons, I will check their THX, because a lot of equipment has been removed from here because of the possible closing, whenever that may be.

It will be sad when that theater closes. The seats at the screen I went to weren't the rocking seats; they were more like those found at the allwood and menlo park 12 theaters. Recently when AMC took over, they introduced a digital preshow before the film began (before it absorbed into the First Look program) and at the beginning of the feature, there is a blue screen notice that this theater has been checked by the bridgewater board of health. Among the AMC trailers I saw was a spot featuring a flying cartoon eagle which is now used in promo spots for Best Buy, the chain that promoted the trailer called "Soar" with AMC's Silence is Golden program. I like that trailer better than the crying baby one, but I still miss the days when General Cinema managed that theater and clifton commons. GC had some pretty good trailers that were done by ILM beginning in 1986 until 2002. As for Red Bank, that's a long drive away. The closest town that has film festivals is Morristown as well as Dover, where the Black Maria film festival is held.

Originally operated by General Cinemas. Designed by architect James Thomas Martino.

Any word yet on when this theater gets closed and replaced by a newer one with Sony 4k projection? Its competition in Manville got digital 3d projection (2k).

Advance tickets are now on sale for A Christmas Carol, which is being shown in DLP. Hopefully it will be 3D and not 2D.

any word on when AMC will build a successor to this theater? Hopefully it will compete better against Manville and Hillsborough.