AMC Santa Monica 7

From July 4, 2007:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/smAMCJuly42007001.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/smAMCJuly42007002.jpg

The AMC Santa Monica 7 is three levels. 2 large theatres in the basement, two large on the ground floor and three small in the upstairs.

Hollywood, your photos are not posting for some reason. I noticed that on a few other pages as well. Here are a couple of photos from last week:
http://tinyurl.com/2g72jo
http://tinyurl.com/ypb8ru

This cinema complex seats 2,100. It is the largest of the new cinemas built in Santa Monica.

From Sept. and Oct. 2007. How the $rich$ city of Santa Monica could allow this bland beast on this fashionable street is beyond me.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/smAMC7Sept72007002.jpg
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff204/hollywood90038/smAMC7Oct82007001.jpg

It's been a while since I've seen a movie here, but I went today to see "Up" which was showing in auditorium 1, the large one downstairs. Much to my surprise, the screen was filthy. The lower 1/3 looked like multiple people had thrown their drinks on it. The splotches were noticeable at various points during the movie. Needless to say, I won't be hurrying back there any time soon.

The Bayside Business District is wondering why attendance is off in Santa Monica. They think they need to tear down a parking structure to build a new cinema. Maybe they should pay a little attention to the ones they have...

I have always thought the AMC SM 7 were hideous. It has been probably 10 years since I went to these theatres, and they were bad then. Now, I only could imagine.

Every time I've gone here, I've seen movies in the downstairs auditoriums. They used to be nice but upon my last visit in 2007, wear and tear has really gotten to the place. It's time for AMC to bid this one farewell and build a 14 screener in its place.

To do that, Chris, they would probably have to tear down that apartment building behind it, or some of the stores next door. Considering how small some of the upstairs theaters are, I'd hate to see what they'd have to do to squeeze in 14 screens!

They are talking about knocking down the parking structure behind the Criterion and building a larger "entertainment" complex back there, connected somehow to the Promenade. I don't know if that would involve destroying the recently renovated Criterion or not.

Aren't there 2 empty Department Store spaces at Santa Monica Place? They could build a large Multiplex in one of those space. AMC did that in Woodland Hills.

I think Bloomingdale's and Nordstom's are scheduled to move into those places.

They've gotta do SOMETHING! The place is a hot steaming pile of mess!

Since Mann is selling everything, AMC should indeed purchase the Criterion and build 10 screens behind it (or something of the sort).

According to today's Santa Monica Daily Press, AMC is pushing to demo the 7 and replace it with a 12 screen facility. The city is worried about "oversaturation of movie theaters," and wants AMC to promise to close the Broadway 4, which they also run. However, AMC only leases the Broadway and have no control over what happens with it when their lease is up.

If the Broadway closed and the 12 was built, it would mean an increase of about 1,000 seats.

How can there be too many movie theatres? The more, the better. If the market can't support that many, AMC will soon find out anyway and close one of them.

The impression that I get from the Bayside District Corp is that they are not pro-competition. They seem to stack the deck to favor certain businesses, particularly the big, national chains. Pretty much all of the small, locally-owned businesses have been driven off 3rd Street.

And from what I hear, the city is going to go ahead and raise parking rates...

I don't know how big the auditoriums are at the SM7 but I imagine if AMC was approved to build a 12 they likely limit the seating, probably only two theatres at 299 each, the rest at 140 or less. I can't imagine that there would be a huge increase in seats.

I stopped going to the promenade after the Midnight Special book store closed and was turned into a Banana Republic.

AMC seems to just let theatres get run down so they can tear them down and build another (and bigger) theatre in its place.

local news
Obstacles stand in way of new movie house


By Melody Hanataniwrite the author



September 11, 2009
DOWNTOWN — In a local market filled with outdated theaters that have long fallen behind the trends of stadium seating and state-of-the-art technology, cinema giant AMC is hoping to enliven the movie-going experience.

The only thing standing in the way is whether the company can guarantee city officials that its current movie house on the Third Street Promenade just off Broadway will be put out of commission once the replacement is constructed just a block north.

Concerned about the potential oversaturation of movie theaters in Downtown, the City Council on Tuesday asked its staff to confirm if AMC will promise that the Broadway 4 will not come back to life as a movie theater, and if so, allowing the negotiations for the development of a 12-screen cinema at 1320 Fourth St. to commence.

If the movie theater company is not able to guarantee the permanent shuttering of Broadway 4 from the local cinema market, the staff will then have to return to the council with a counterproposal from Pacific Theaters.


While the promenade has remained a vibrant shopping and dining destination on the Westside, its cinemas have been considered lacking, particularly compared to other theaters in the area that offer more screens, comfortable seating and improved technology.

Metropolitan Pacific Capital and AMC are proposing to develop a new theater at the current site of Parking Structure 3 that will include 2,167 seats. While a city staff report stated that the plan also includes remodeling the AMC 7 Plex at the 1300 block of the promenade and closing Broadway 4, a representative from AMC told the council that whether the space will continue as a theater will be up to the property owner.

"I can't offer you any guarantees that someone won't step in and try their hand at Broadway 4," Christina Sternberg, who works on development with AMC, said. "Our interest in the property is a leasehold interest and outside of our lease term, we can't control use of that asset."

Andy Agle, the director of housing and economic development, said the two proposals from AMC and Pacific Theaters were essentially identical, except the latter offered about 10 percent more in land rent but was not able to make the assurances that an existing theater in the area would be taken offline.

"The other proposal acknowledged they could not be competitive because of that criteria," Agle said.


The AMC's proposal was expected to have a modest increase in the number of seats — adding 2,167 with the new theater but losing 1,049 seats from the closure of Broadway 4 and the reduction from remodeling the AMC 7 Plex.

Mayor Ken Genser suggested that the proposal from Pacific Theaters also be considered if the deciding factor in AMC's offer — taking one cinema offline — can't be assured.

"If we're going to give exclusive rights of negotiation to one team and the sole basis for doing that is something they can't guarantee, it seems to be a rather flimsy recommendation to me," Genser said.

Scott, AMC 7 presently has 2167 seats. The expansion plans, which apparently include parking structure 3, would double that. If the Broadway 4 closes, they lose 1049 seats.

Ken MC, Benetton took over Midnight Special's place on the Promenade, and MS didn't close -- they moved over to 2nd Street. But it took them several months to reopen, and the financial strain wiped them out.

Sorry, 2167 is the number of added seats. 2100 is the number the AMC 7 supposedly has now.

I was never a fan of AMC 7. Although I've been there a number of times for special screenings, I've never bought a ticket. It is sad however for SM to lose the street scape with the three theatres.

This would not be good news for whoever takes over the Criterion lease. AMC will have the stronghold of most of the films.