9811 Washingtonian Boulevard, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
(301) 948-0906
Review by Brett Douville
The Rio theaters are nice, clean, mostly quiet, good projection quality. It's my theatre of choice for mainstream Hollywood fare.
There are about 50 million previews, however, which is generally not to my liking, and they have the ads up on screen before that besides.
The popcorn is okay if not extraordinary.
I guess on your scale it'd probably be a B.
Cinema Grade = B
5904 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212
Senator Theatre
(410) 435-8338
Review by: Hayes Preston from Home Theater Forum 02/10/07
The Senator is not just a theater, it's a landmark, a haven for film lovers, a center piece to for Urban renewal and home to very nice dog.
The owner of the theater is part of what makes it so special. He LOVES movies, seriously, I thought I was a movie geek, he is THE movie geek. He stays up with the fans all night while waiting to see the midnight premier of Star Wars. He personally greets filmgoers prior to every show. He hosts special events like Lord of the Rings Trilogy day, Star Wars Saga screenings, almost every premier of John Waters movies, and other national and regional premiers. When Ladder 49 was released he worked with the Baltimore City Fire Department to have the real ladder 49 truck parked in front of the theater for the entire opening weekend.
The concession area makes excellent fresh popcorn and features real drinks like cream soda and root beer (they also have standard fountain drinks and candy)
Did I mention the theater itself? The Senator is hands down the best sounding theater I have ever heard, and I have been to many theaters (East and West Coast) If you see an action movie at the Senator and then go to see the same movie at a multi-plex, you may think that there is something wrong with the sound at the later. The screen is huge and very bright (Tom does not play the dim-the-bulb game!) and the interior of the theater (lobby included) is beautifully restored to it's original art deco elegance.
There is also a private "sky box" at the Senator which you can rent for a very reasonable price. The private area is upstair and patron watch the movie from behind soundproof glass, in rooms on either side of the projection booth. The sound proof glass is so you can enjoy your own food and drink (alcohol is allowed) and not disturb the movie in the main auditorium. Each private room has its own sound system with volume control. When you rent to private area, you can bring your own food and drink as mentioned, the Senator has two rules, no crabs (this is Maryland remember) and no kegs, that's it.
One last thing, the owner Tom plays a mean set of bongos.
Cinema Grade = A
8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 495-6700
AFI Silver Theatre
Posted by Brett on 01/24/07.
The AFI in Silver Spring is a terrific movie-going experience; it may well be the best public theater I've had the privilege of sitting in. I saw Pan's Labyrinth there on opening night; I was immediately regretful that I hadn't been to the theater in the two years I've lived here. Rest assured that I will be making up for lost time.
The film was bright (where appropriate; this is one of the darkest films I've seen in years -- del Toro demonstrates a mastery of the dark palette in this film).
The audience was quiet.
The seats were comfortable, stadium-style, but the theater was sizable and did not feel cramped.
Other amenities included two snack bars: one for traditional film fare, and the other serving beer and wine alongside popcorn and some adult-oriented foodstuffs (good selections, too!), the popcorn was just right, and the lobby/snack area included blown-up print reviews of the films being shown, in addition to a small monitor showing previews (at a non-intrusive but crisp size).
All in all, one of the best experiences I've had in years. In addition to quality first-run films, the theater also carries classics, often in retrospectives or other thematic groupings. It is also home to several runs of foreign films and documentaries throughout the year.
An absolutely splendid theater.
Cinema Grade = A
Comment by: Hayes Preston from Home Theater Forum 02/10/07
A few words about the AFI Silver in Silver Spring MD. The AFI Silver is a rare thing, a modern theater with state of the art projection (to include but not exclusively digital) and sound, combined with the film choices of the American Film Institute. You are just as likely to see a new "art house" film as you are to see a classic Kurosawa or Kubrick. The main theater in the AFI Silver is also equipped with 70mm (they show Lawrence of Arabia once a week every summer!)
Comment by: Rich D. from Home Theater Forum 02/13/07
I also concur with Hayes opinion about the AFI Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland with one clarification; it’s not a modern theatre so much as it is a restored/renovated theatre. The Silver goes back decades, in fact, one of the shots in the lobby features The Silver showing Marie Antoinette (1938).