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Starplex Cinemas at Loudoun Station

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by flynnibus, Jun 27, 2015.

  1. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    I went to see a flick here tonight for the first time.. wanting to see what the new alternatives were like.

    I don't think I'll be back...

    • The main pro with this place is the price... movies are only 8.50 and matinee prices ($6.50) are great and run to 6 (vs the 4pm common elsewhere)
    • The theaters have big plushy vinyl/leather type seats as if they were recliners... but they aren't recliners. After having the spring back chairs in the other theaters for so long.. these things are a real disappointment. I'd call it a dealbreaker honestly.
    • The theater arrangement is not stadium style, but is instead pretty flat - but people in front are not a problem, but you do look up at the screen a good bit. Any seats in front of the aisle I would question the comfort.. especially without any rock back in the chairs! I would avoid those.
    • The seating is all reserved seating... which is a pro/con depending on your point of view.
    • Tickets can be bought in advance online, but not through fandango
    • The concession stand was decent... pretty standard prices for soda/popcorn/etc. They offer a menu of hot food, but its all just quick microwave stuff. We tried some fries.. and they were awful. They do have a bar in the lobby... did not see if you could take drinks into the theaters or not.

    The theater was pretty busy today... we tried to see a ~5pm showing but it was essentially sold out but for a handful of bad seats, our 7:30 show was probably 90+% full as well.

    While this place would seem to be a clear winner being so close and cheap... I still think brambleton beats it. While brambleton lacks the plush chairs or 'hot food' items.. its concessions have respectable variety, and the seats are more comfortable. Distance wise, I can probably be at brambleton quicker still than starplex.. and many a times I've decided 5mins before showtime to head down there and gotten in w/o issue and still be on time for the movie start.

    For traditional movie setting.. Brambleton still seems to be the best pick in the immediate area - skip the towncenter regal... yuck. For higher end, Cobb seems the best in terms of offerings... and people still love Alamo. I need to try that one yet... I've also heard one of the reston theaters has been recently redone.
     
    redon1 likes this.
  2. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    I'm curious what the big stadium theatre there is like.
     
  3. mdr227

    mdr227 Member

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    Most theaters have occupancy signs on them of 104 people while the IDX theater is probably about 400 seats or more. Same seats (look like recliners, but don't recline). Massive screen. Saw Jurassic World there last weekend (wasn't even 1/3 full for a 2:15 show). Had seats in the row behind the handicap seating (about halfway from screen to the back row) and that was about as close as I'd go. I have no idea how anyone can comfortably watch a movie on that screen in the first 10 rows or so, you would pretty much be looking straight up.

    It's amazing how many options we now have for theaters within a 15 minute drive (Cobb, Alamo, Dulles Town Center, Regal in Sterling, Fox Cinemas, Starplex, etc.). Throw in Reston and Herndon's Worldgate which have both been redone it gives us great options. If you are looking to eat while you watch the movie Alamo is definitely something to try (just make sure you are there by the time the movie is schedule to start or they won't let you in), but I would not want to go there if I wasn't going to eat or drink anything. Starplex is definitely the cheapest as flynnibus said and is worth a try. One thing I did notice there in the two movies I've seen is that they really limit the previews of other movies (each time we saw just two) which for some is a good thing and others a bad thing. Not much at Loudoun Station yet, but soon will have a couple more restaurants and a yogurt place open (no stores yet). One Loudoun is a neat place to go if you want dinner at a restaurant then a movie (as is Cobb at Village of Leesburg). If you are into shopping and a movie can't beat Dulles Town Center of course. Quite a change from when we first moved here in 1992 when Regal Sterling, Reston or Herndon were the closest theaters.
     
  4. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Yeah countryside was the main goto for years... Sad that the mall theater that took soooo long to build is such a disappointment.

    Rpx? Just goto Cobb and get a seat right behind their boom box seats... 90% of the value for no extra cost... And the concessions are vastly better.
     
  5. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    What's wrong with the mall Regal? My only problems there are that the seats are so comfy that I've fallen asleep a few times, and they add $1.50 to the costco voucher price ;)
     
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2015
    KTdid likes this.
  6. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    Their reclining seats spoiled me and they're great for quick naps - just don't snore. I'm waiting for the local theaters to show more independent, foreign, and limited engagement films. For these I make the short hike to the Angelika in the Mosaic District.
     
  7. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    1) The concession is tiny and uneventful - borderline MEH
    2) They only have 9 screens - average at best
    3) They charge a surcharge for their seats (which are nice.. but don't like paying extra for it..)
    4) Their screen setup is rather hokey.. pretty, but seems on the small side
    5) I prefer the stadium seating arrangement over the flat
    6) Low # of seats per theater and low # of theaters = more competition to get a decent seat w/o any fuss

    Basically its just not compelling enough to want to drive 20mins out there, pay more, and compete more when Brambleton is like <10 door to chair.

    Given the choice.. I'd take Brambleton's Lie-MAX theater for the movie experience and convenience. I'd head to Cobb every time over the Mall Regal...
     
  8. Silly Yak

    Silly Yak Member

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    LOL, I remember when it was Merrifield and we went to the movies there...
     
  9. wahoogeek

    wahoogeek New Member

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    And I remember when there was a drive-in theater on that spot!! Yeah the whole "Mosaic" thing is pretty mind-blowing to us native NoVa'ers

    Anyway to add to the thread; my first choice is Regal at Dulles if I can get a a good seat reserved -- most comfortable seats and best sound system in the area; popcorn and maybe a drink is all I need for concessions. Starplex seats are so uncomfortable I won't go back; they spent money on the wrong things.
     
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  10. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    Yea Steve, agree with the point about the seats at the new Starplex. Unless you get the right seat, your next tilt will be funky and not ideal. But I like the choice this place offers for price and convenience.. and $1.00 hot dogs. I will be back, just careful to get good seats.
     
  11. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Tuesday's at Regal Brambleton... $5 tickets (with the loyal card) all day. Theater was quite busy... but movie was scheduled for 10:10, and I left my house at 10:05... still got there, got concessions, and still got a good seat... and still saw previews :)

    $5 movie and can leave <10mins before showtime? Don't need no upright starplex :)
     
  12. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    You're saying some seats tilt? Mine (just in normal seating row) didn't tilt at all.. and given the amount of space between rows, wouldn't expect any tilt was possible.
     
  13. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I second the motion on Brambleton....Can't beat location and don't want the crap that Starplex throws up to get good seats. My family likes it when its that close to our home so we can eat dinner before going to the movies when we do. Im surprised that Starplex developed that business model---one that I don't think will last.
     
  14. Sam M

    Sam M New Member

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    I talked to a manager at Starplex Cinema and I was told that the manufacturer will be replacing all of the seats in the theater sometime this summer, 2015. I very much enjoy the theater, its location, and you can't beat the price!
     
  15. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    They said the same thing back in May promising change immediately after they opened - From Yelp..
    Yet after months of nearly every yelp review complaining about the seats... no more replies after this one :)

    Pix or it didn't happen mr manager ;) They'll need to market again once they fix it all
     
  16. MikeK

    MikeK Member

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    Agree 100%, it is really great to have all these choices. I grew up in Leesburg in the 80's and back then there was one movie theater between Ashburn/Leesburg and it had two screens. Thanks to all those that have moved to Loudoun :)

    Another decent place (very limited movies) is the Air and Space Museum http://www.si.edu/Imax/Theater/airbus-imax-theater

    I haven't been there since the new upgrades but I am looking forward to seeing the Star Wars movie there later this year.
     
  17. mdr227

    mdr227 Member

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    Went there yesterday to see Terminator in the IDX theater (seats 417) and had the theater to myself! Definitely did not notice anything new done to the seats, same old lack of reclining from when they first opened. Probably saw about 10 total cars in the parking area outside of it in mid-afternoon.
     
  18. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Went to Alamo today.. Really good theater experience and of course a full menu. Seats are in between in comfort.

    Need to goto Cobb again sometime soon to refresh my opinion :)
     
  19. Audrey

    Audrey Member

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    This is great info! Here are my favorites...
    Best food - hummus and wine at Cobb
    Best seats - Worldgate but the bar was closed for no reason last time I was there.
    Best location - Brambleton (I don't count Starplex until they fix the seat problem)
    Best previews - Alamo
     
  20. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

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    From Starplex's Facebook page today:
    NEW, spacious luxury recliners, with increased width between rows for extra leg room, are being installed at the Loudoun Station Luxury Cinemas 11!
     

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