AMC Theatres is spending $2.9 million to renovate the auditoriums of the former ArcLight Cinema in Bethesda, Maryland. All 16 auditoriums will be receiving recliners. The company says the recliners will reduce the overall occupancy of the theater which has fixed traditional upholstered seating.
AMC reopened this shuttered ArcLight in the Spring of 2022. Furthermore, AMC didn’t change much of the lobby or screens. The signature ArcLight wall of movie posters remained, as did the iconic ArcLight clock. However, the new owners did update the concessions to be in line with what is expected from an AMC. Furthermore, AMC reopened ArcLight’s bar to as a MacGuffins Bar.
MacGuffins features hand-crafted cocktails and an extensive beer and wine list. And the bar menu revolves by season. For example, as we enter the Holiday 2023 season, MacGuffins features a trio of holiday drinks that include the “Naughty Elf”.
The ArcLight Closure
ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres announced they would not be reopening in April 2021. The company saw no “viable way forward” given the blow COVID-19 had delivered to the industry. The chain operated more than 300 screens in California, including the famous Hollywood Cinerama Dome. The chain also had ArcLight Cinemas around the country. For example, Bethesda, Maryland had the ArcLight in Westfield Montgomery Mall.
AMC Recliners
AMC offers several different types of recliners. Their Signature Recliner features seat warmers, a pair of cup holders and the ability to tilt back.
The chain also offers a Dolby Cinema Recliner. AMC describes this as a “top-of-the-line” recliner. Furthermore, it features seat rumbles that reverberate. To be clear, this particular recliner is only available in Dolby Cinema auditoriums.
