Hollywood Cinemas

Address:	268 Odlin Rd, Bangor, ME 04401, USA
Phone:	+1 207-941-9419
Site:	hollywoodcinemasbangor.com
Rating:	3.2

Location

Photos 1

Reviews 4

Sherry

This is a privately owned cinema (not a corporate entity), which I love, because with independents you never know what to expect. My Hollywood Cinema experience began with me being the ONLY person in the place other than the guy who worked there. The parking lot was dark and a little off-putting, especially with only 2 other cars in a space that could accommodate the Superbowl crowd. (maybe not THAT big). I went inside, decided the guy who greeted me was friendly, and probably wouldnt be sneaking in the room after the movie started to steal my purse or something (strange things go through your mind when youre the only one in the place), I engaged him in heady conversation about "why is popcorn so freaking expensive?" I rambled on about the cost of stuff and he graciously agreed and then educated me on the plight of the independent cinema. My one ticket on a Thurs. evening made the cinema owner just 13 cents. No, really! 13 cents of my ticket went to the cinema, the rest to the movie producers. So popcorn, at $6 or whatever, is their way of STAYING IN BUSINESS. He was not condescending in this discussion, he was interesting and showed passion for his job. Probably being paid minimum wage and showing passion and love for his job? We talked a little more, I bought the popcorn and a soda even though I dont usually drink soda AND I had a water hidden in my purse, which he would have found if he had been a purse snatcher once the movie started, (but he wasnt). I watched the movie, I stayed for the credits and when I exited into the lobby, there were 2 young men waiting for me to leave. I apologized for watching the credits even though Im not sorry for doing it, because, you know, it seemed the polite thing to do since they couldnt go home until I left. They were both insistent that I had no reason to apologize, so I decided I would spring some "constructive criticism" on them (subtitles were hard to read). The 2nd young man thanked me profusely for my input and wanted to know if anything else had hindered my movie watching, he was the grandson of the owner and they were always looking for feedback. Never say this to me. I ALWAYS have feedback. So I told him I wished they were still a second run theater, where if you missed a film, you could count on the 2nd run place to have it 2 weeks later. And he agreed with me, but explained that since the FORCED digitalization, there werent any 2nd run places because there werent any physical films anymore. In the old days, a film was released on, well, FILM. and after its 1st week, it could be shuttled to a 2nd run place for the cost of the gas to drive it, so the producers werent out any extra $, and any $ they got from the #2 cinema was gravy. But with digital, there is no physical film that can be shown 2 weeks later at no extra cost. They dont give a darn if you missed the movies debut. Nuts to you, and the independent movie house you go to! Anyway, both these employees were passionate about the movies. We stood there, the 3 of us, talking cinema and marketing strategy, and the old days ...for 45 MIN! They were animated and interested in what I had to say. I was completely floored by the dedication and yes, passion of these two dudes. They encouraged feedback and input to help make their cinema stand out from the crowd in this new "digital=everyone the same" world. Granted, they dont have corporate money to update everything, but maybe they can garner a following of loyal folk with well-padded posteriors who have positive suggestions for what theyd like in a cinema? If you go to this place, I guarantee you that the popcorn is good, and there is at least one comfortable seat in theater number 5. Also, I learned that STEPHEN KING, yes, the author Stephen King, sat in those very same seats! He sat down front and bent his neck back to see the screen. So if you decide to frequent this place, your buttocks might very well be seated where the famous buttocks of Mr. Stephen King sat!

Lindsay Williams

Parking lot and building are both in considerable disrepair. The building has essentially no flooring, minimal decoration and the theater itself had an unpleasant musty smell. One of the sconce lights in the theater (of course the light closest to the screen) flickered throughout the movie. An air vent from the HVAC system above my seat periodically dripped water onto my armrest/arm. The projection was not calibrated properly to the screen size, so a strip of the image on the left (often including the first word of any subtitles) was not visible. The screen itself had some kind of dirt or liquid splashed onto it, which was evident whenever that area of the screen was mostly dark or light. During the action climax of the movie, a thunderstorm came through and the power flickered enough to cause the projector to reboot (note the power did not go out, as all the other lights were still on). We were not able to locate any staff, in spite of knocking on several "employees only" and unmarked doors as well as calling the theater (this only provides an automated message with movie showtimes and no option to speak to someone). The movie was never restarted and we were unable get a refund. We did not try any of the food or drink, but the popcorn did not smell particularly appetizing.

Chase Brunton

For a while, this theater was a really cheap experience, at a very low price. The theaters were inconsistent in quality; if you were lucky youd get one that was just fine, if you werent, youd get a theater with a big blotch in the corner of the screen, or bad sound quality. But with the low price, it was hard to complain. Now, it seems that theyre re-doing a lot of things, and the price has gone up as a result. Does this mean an increase in quality? It would seems so. For one, it looks a lot more pleasant. The lobby, which extends from a large arcade, looks much better. At the snack bar, the items have improved- they now offer coffee and tea, for one- and the popcorn, which was always one of the best things about this place, remains excellent. The only down side on the concessions menu is the candy, which, at $4 a box, is a little ridiculous. Finally, the bathrooms are clean and surprisingly regal-looking. Although the jury is still out as to whether or not the theaters themselves have improved, this place seems to be doing a lot better these days. As of now, one of my favorite movie theaters in the area. Although the price has gone up, its still one of the best deals around. All we can hope now is that the price increase results in better theaters.

Alex Gray

My wife I and went to the movies for the 8:40 showing of Spiderman 2. Once we got in the theater we noticed it was extremely cold for inside. If I had to guess I would say it was probably about 60 degrees and it felt like the AC was still on. Well I immediately went out to the front to see if someone wouldnt mind getting the temp raised but I was unable to find ANYONE. I waited, and walked around, and shouted behind the counter, and poked my head into a few different theaters for about 10 minutes and there was absolutely NO employee to be found. - Did you hear me? There was literally NO employes in the entore cinemas. So, I went back in and my wife and I watched the movie with a blanket over us and shivered the whole time. Afterwards I was going to complain - but yet again I waited for 5-10 minutes and there was no one to be found in the entire facility. I have no idea why the theater was so bitterly cold, but to not even have an employee be able to fix it - let alone even SEE one - is beyond my belief. I even emailed their management, and followed up with it three times and no one responded to my issues. The place is disgusting, over-priced, EXTREMELY poor customer service, and literally not even worth it if you could go for free.