Only theater on Springfield's north side should make movie going easier for students

Jonathan Thomas
The Mirror

As a Springfield native, it has been incredible to watch as the downtown revitalization project has spread from South Street all the way to Commercial. At its very center, there's the addition of the Park Center Library, two new coffee shops, many restaurants, retail stores, hair salons, art galleries, an independent movie theater, and now a multiplex movie theater.

Hollywood Theaters opened College Station Stadium 14 Theater last weekend at the corner of College St. and Campbell Ave. This is the only first-run movie theater on the north side of Springfield, adding to the business growth in the downtown area.

After parking in the Heer's parking garage and walking across the street to the theater, I bought two student tickets priced a bit higher than expected: $8 each. However, all movies before 6:00 p.m. are $6.75. The two parking garages across from the theater normally cost five dollars in which to park but are free with the purchase of a movie ticket. However, it is often easy to find a free parking space on one of the surrounding streets.

Downtown Springfield already offers an independent movie theater that has become a popular destination and one of the more unique aspects of the downtown area: The Moxie. However, it is still nice to see a mainstream movie theater in the heart of Springfield. These two businesses cater to different crowds and therefore should not create any hostility or competition. The location of the new theater is ideally located between Drury and MSU, saving students from driving miles to see the newest box office hit.

From the outside, it is obvious that the theater is modern and much newer than any of the buildings around it. The box office is located outside with several self-service stations. The building is clean and modern with flat screen TV's, a digital list of movies and show times, and an expansive concession stand with a do-it-yourself butter station and many overpriced food items.

The concession items are definitely overpriced, which is fairly typical for a movie theater. I bought a bag of peanut M&M's for $3.50. Luckily, they were offering popcorn for a dollar as a grand opening perk. But the popcorn tasted similar to microwave popcorn.

Surprisingly, there were no projection problems while I watched "Madagascar 2". It started on time, and managed to finish without any sound or screen problems. The temperature and chairs were comfortable, and the stadium seating provided for a pleasant movie experience.

Overall, the experience was a good one. A little overpriced, but I would still go back just to save a little gas. I prefer The Moxie for my downtown movie pleasure, but when I want to see a big movie blockbuster, I will definitely make my return to College Station.