AMC Theatres
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1920 in Kansas City, Missouri |
| Headquarters | 920 Main Street Kansas City, Missouri 64105 |
| Key people | Edward Durwood, Founder Gerardo Lopez, CEO and President |
| Industry | Entertainment (movie theaters) |
| Products | AMC Theatres |
| Revenue | ▲ $2.5 billion (FY 2007) |
| Net income | ▲ $134 million (FY 2007) |
| Owner(s) | CCMP Capital, Apollo Management |
| Employees | 21,000 |
| Parent | Marquee Holdings |
| Website | http://www.amcentertainment.com |
AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 4,612 screens[1] and one of only four national cinema chains (National Amusements, Inc., Cinemark Theaters and Harkins Theatres being the others) of the 12 largest on the continent that did not go bankrupt during the 2001-2002 recession,[2] due in part to the fact that its theatres often dominate lists of the top 50 most profitable theatres in North America.[3] Its mascot is the animated filmstrip Clip who has starred in the pre-show policy trailers from 1991 until a brief hiatus for most of 2009 until the autumn of 2009. While it also has locations in Canada, within the United Kingdom, France, and Hong Kong the chain is known as AMC Cinemas.[4][5][6] Within Spain the chain is known as AMC Cines.[7]
Contents |
[edit] History
The company was founded in 1920 by the Dubinsky Brothers (Maurice, Edward and Barney) who had been traveling the Midwest performing melodramas and tent shows with actress Jeanne Eagels. They purchased the Regent Theatre on 12th Street between Walnut and Grand in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.[8]
The Dubinskys eventually changed their name to Durwood and the company was called Durwood Theatres.
In 1961, Edward's son, Stanley, took control of Durwood Theatres when his father died. Stanley had attended Harvard University and served as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force during World War II.
He renamed Durwood Theatres to "American Multi-Cinema, Inc.", and began to apply military management and the insights of management science to revolutionize the movie theatre industry.[9] As he later explained to Variety, "We needed to define what our company was doing in the (exhibition) business. My dad wasn't that organized."[10]
It was founded on the belief that every "guest" (as AMC calls them) was to be treated first.
In 1963, AMC opened the two-screen Parkway Twin in a shopping center on Kansas City's Ward Parkway. Durwood later claimed that "in 1962 he was standing in the lobby of his 600-seat Roxy in Kansas City mulling over its poor grosses when he realized he could double his box office by adding a second screen and still operate with the same size staff."[11] This insight arises from the fact that the real-time labor demands of a movie theatre are not constant. Rather, they come in bursts at the start and end of the movie. At the start, a large number of employees have to sell tickets, process tickets at an access point, sell food at the concession stand (a theatre's primary profit center), make sure the theatre is not overcrowded, and run the film projector. While the movie plays, a small number of employees are needed for security and access control, while the others are relatively idle, allowing them to restock concession items, clean restrooms, and clean the lobby. At the end of the movie, a number of employees are needed to clean the theatre for the next showing. When the start times for movie showings in several physically connected auditoriums are staggered correctly, one team can continually keep all of them operational with minimal downtime. An additional advantage is that a different movie can be shown in each auditorium, which increases the choices available at a theatre's box office at any given time, and minimizes the possibility that disappointed moviegoers will take their business to a different theatre altogether.[12]
In retrospect, Durwood's idea seems simple, but it took a lot of trial and error to get the bugs out. For example, when the Parkway Twin opened, both screens were showing the same movie, The Great Escape.[13] Next, Durwood followed up on the Parkway Twin with a four-screen theatre in 1966 and a six-screen theatre in 1969. It expanded nationwide in the 1980s.
AMC pioneered the first North American megaplex when it opened the AMC Grand 24 in Dallas, Texas, in 1995, though the first megaplex in the world had been built by European chain Kinepolis in 1988. AMC has continued to open megaplex theaters and now operates the busiest theater in the country at the AMC Empire 25 theater in New York City, New York, located near Times Square.
In 1997, AMC formed a joint partnership with Planet Hollywood to develop Planet Movies by AMC.
In the 1980s, AMC built and operated a number of multiplex ten-screen cinemas in the UK, including sites at locations such as Dudley and Tamworth. These were subsequently bought and taken over by UCI. In January 2002, the 16-screen Great Northern was opened in Manchester, which was later supplemented by the opening of a 12-screen cinema on the Broadway Plaza site in Birmingham in October 2003. United Kingdom outlets serve a dual function, they also cater to business conferences and companies can display spreadsheets and other things through a projector onto the cinema screen, this is in addition to the normal cinema functions.
On February 24, 2009, AMC's Board of Directors announced that long time CEO Peter Brown would be replaced by Gerardo Lopez as CEO and President effective March 2, 2009. Previously, Lopez was the Executive Vice President and President Consumer Products Group, Seattle's Best Coffee and Foodservice at Starbucks.
On March 26, 2009, AMC Entertainment announced that it will equip 1,500 of its screens with Real D projectors in the months ahead.
On March 28, 2009 AMC announced that it closed on a $315 million deal with Sony to replace all of its movie projectors with digital cinema projectors starting in the second quarter of 2009 and completing in 2012.[14]
[edit] Theatre locations
[edit] United States
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| AMC Arrowhead 14 | Glendale, Arizona |
| AMC Westgate 20 | Glendale, Arizona |
| AMC Mesa Grand 24 | Mesa, Arizona |
| AMC Ahwatukee 24 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| AMC Arizona Center 24 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| AMC Deer Valley 30 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| AMC Desert Ridge 18 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| AMC Esplanade 14 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| LOEWS Foothills 15 | Tucson, Arizona |
| AMC Fiesta Square 16 | Fayetteville, Arkansas |
| AMC Downtown Disney 12 | Anaheim, California |
| AMC Santa Anita 16 | Arcadia, California |
| AMC Burbank 16 | Burbank, California |
| AMC Burbank Town Center 6 | Burbank, California |
| AMC Burbank Town Center 8 | Burbank, California |
| AMC Century City 15 | Century City, California |
| AMC Otay Ranch 12 | Chula Vista, California |
| AMC Covina 30 | Covina, California |
| MAGIC JOHNSON Crenshaw 15 | Crenshaw, California |
| AMC Cupertino Square 16 | Cupertino, California |
| AMC Bay Street 16 | Emeryville, California |
| AMC Fullerton 20 | Fullerton, California |
| AMC Glendora 12 | Glendora, California |
| AMC Puente Hills 20 | Industry, California |
| AMC La Jolla Village 12 | La Jolla, California |
| AMC Marina Pacifica 12 | Long Beach, California |
| AMC Pine Square 12 | Long Beach, California |
| LOEWS Marina Del Rey 6 | Marina Del Rey, California |
| AMC Montebello 10 | Montebello, California |
| AMC Plaza Bonita 14 | National City, California |
| AMC Norwalk 20 | Norwalk, California |
| AMC Ontario Mills 30 | Ontario, California |
| AMC The Block 30 | Orange, California |
| AMC Victoria Gardens 12 | Rancho Cucamonga, California |
| AMC Southbay Galleria 16 | Redondo Beach, California |
| AMC Tyler Galleria 16 | Riverside, California |
| AMC Fashion Valley 18 | San Diego, California |
| AMC Mission Valley 20 | San Diego, California |
| AMC Palm Promenade 24 | San Diego, California |
| LOEWS Metreon 16 | San Francisco, California |
| AMC Van Ness 14 | San Francisco, California |
| AMC Eastridge Mall 15 | San Jose, California |
| AMC Saratoga 14 | San Jose, California |
| AMC Mercado 20 | Santa Clara, California |
| LOEWS Broadway 4 | Santa Monica, California |
| AMC Santa Monica 7 | Santa Monica California |
| AMC Del Amo 18 | Torrance, California |
| AMC Rolling Hills 20 | Torrance, California |
| AMC Tustin 14 | Tustin, California |
| AMC CityWalk Stadium 19 | Universal City, California |
| AMC Avco Center 4 | Westwood Village, California |
| AMC Promenade 16 | Woodland Hills, California |
| AMC Flatiron Crossing 14 | Broomfield, Colorado |
| AMC Highlands Ranch 24 | Highlands Ranch, Colorado |
| AMC Orchard 12 | Westminster, Colorado |
| AMC Westminster Promenade 24 | Westminster, Colorado |
| LOEWS Danbury 16 | Danbury, Connecticut |
| LOEWS Plainville 20 | Plainville, Connecticut |
| LOEWS Georgetown 14 | Washington, D.C. |
| AMC Mazza Gallerie 7 | Washington, D.C. |
| LOEWS Uptown 1 | Washington, D.C. |
| AMC Altamonte Mall 18 | Altamonte Springs, Florida |
| AMC Aventura 24 | Aventura, Florida |
| AMC Regency 20 | Brandon, Florida |
| AMC Celebration 2 | Celebration, Florida |
| AMC Tri-City Plaza 8 | Clearwater, Florida |
| AMC Coral Ridge 10 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| AMC Regency Square 20 | Jacksonville, Florida |
| AMC Pleasure Island 24 | Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| AMC Lake Square 12 | Leesburg, Florida |
| AMC Mall of the Americas 14 | Miami, Florida |
| AMC Merchants Crossing 16 | North Fort Myers, Florida |
| AMC West Oaks 14 | Ocoee, Florida |
| AMC Woodlands Square 20 | Ocoee, Florida |
| AMC Orange Park 24 | Orange Park, Florida |
| LOEWS Universal Cineplex 20 | Orlando, Florida |
| AMC Sarasota 12 | Sarasota, Florida |
| AMC Sunset Place 24 | South Miami, Florida |
| AMC Tallahassee Mall 20 | Tallahassee, Florida |
| AMC Veterans Expressway 24 | Tampa, Florida |
| AMC Westshore Plaza 14 | Tampa, Florida |
| AMC Indian River 24 | Vero Beach, Florida |
| AMC Mansell Crossing 14 | Alpharetta, Georgia |
| AMC Fork & Screen Buckhead 6 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| AMC Parkway Pointe 15 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| AMC Phipps Plaza 14 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 | Cumming, Georgia |
| AMC North Dekalb Mall 16 | Decatur, Georgia |
| AMC Barrett Commons 24 | Kennesaw, Georgia |
| AMC Colonial 18 | Lawrenceville, Georgia |
| AMC Discover Mills 18 | Lawrenceville, Georgia |
| AMC Stonecrest 16 | Lithonia, Georgia |
| AMC Southlake Pavilion 24 | Morrow, Georgia |
| LOEWS 600 North Michigan 9 | Chicago, Illinois |
| AMC Ford City 14 | Chicago, Illinois |
| LOEWS Pipers Alley 4 | Chicago, Illinois |
| AMC River East 21 | Chicago, Illinois |
| LOEWS Chicago Ridge 6 | Chicago Ridge, Illinois |
| LOEWS Country Club Hills 16 | Country Club Hills, Illinois |
| LOEWS Crestwood 18 | Crestwood, Illinois |
| LOEWS Quarry Cinemas 14 | Hodgkins, Illinois |
| AMC Yorktown 18 | Lombard, Illinois |
| AMC Randhurst 16 | Mount Prospect, Illinois |
| LOEWS Norridge 10 | Norridge, Illinois |
| AMC Northbrook Court 14 | Northbrook, Illinois |
| LOEWS Streets of Woodfield 20 | Schaumburg, Illinois |
| LOEWS Gardens 1-6 | Skokie, Illinois |
| LOEWS Gardens 7-13 | Skokie, Illinois |
| AMC South Barrington 30 | South Barrington, Illinois |
| AMC Cantera Pavilion 30 | Warrenville, Illinois |
| LOEWS Woodridge 18 | Woodridge, Illinois |
| AMC Castleton Square 14 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| AMC Greenwood 14 | Greenwood, Indiana |
| AMC Town Center 20 | Leawood, Kansas |
| AMC Studio 30 | Olathe, Kansas |
| AMC Newport on the Levee 20 | Newport, Kentucky |
| AMC Hammond Palace 10 | Hammond, Louisiana |
| AMC Elmwood Palace 20 | Harahan, Louisiana |
| AMC Westbank Palace 16 | Harvey, Louisiana |
| AMC Houma Palace 10 | Houma, Louisiana |
| AMC Clearview Palace 12 | Metairie, Louisiana |
| AMC Security Square 8 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| LOEWS White Marsh 16 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| LOEWS Center Park 8 | Beltsville, Maryland |
| AMC Columbia 14 | Columbia, Maryland |
| LOEWS Rio Cinemas 18 | Gaithersburg, Maryland |
| LOEWS White Flint 5 | Kensington, Maryland |
| MAGIC JOHNSON Capital Center 12 | Largo, Maryland |
| AMC Country Club Mall 6 | La Vale, Maryland |
| LOEWS Lexington Park 6 | Lexington Park, Maryland |
| AMC Owings Mills 17 | Owings Mills, Maryland |
| LOEWS Valley Center 9 | Owings Mills, Maryland |
| AMC Towson Commons 8 | Towson, Maryland |
| LOEWS St. Charles Town Center 9 | Waldorf, Maryland |
| LOEWS Boston Commons 19 | Boston, Massachusetts |
| AMC Braintree 10 | Braintree, Massachusetts |
| AMC Burlington 10 | Burlington, Massachusetts |
| LOEWS Harvard Square 5 | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| AMC Chestnut Hill 5 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts |
| LOEWS Liberty Tree Mall 20 | Danvers, Massachusetts |
| LOEWS Methuen 20 | Methuen, Massachusetts |
| AMC North Dartmouth Mall 12 | North Dartmouth, Massachusetts |
| AMC Tyngsboro 12 | Tyngsboro, Massachusetts |
| STAR Great Lakes 25 | Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| STAR Gratiot 21 | Clinton Township, Michigan |
| STAR Fairlane 21 | Dearborn, Michigan |
| STAR Holland 8 | Holland, Michigan |
| AMC Livonia 20 | Livonia, Michigan |
| STAR John R 15 | Madison Heights, Michigan |
| AMC Meridian Mall 6 | Okemos, Michigan |
| STAR Rochester Hills 10 | Rochester Hills, Michigan |
| STAR Southfield 20 | Southfield, Michigan |
| AMC Forum 30 | Sterling Heights, Michigan |
| STAR Grand Rapids 18 | Walker, Michigan |
| AMC Eden Prairie Mall 18 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota |
| AMC Southdale 16 | Edina, Minnesota |
| AMC Arbor Lakes 16 | Maple Grove, Minnesota |
| AMC Rosedale 14 | Roseville, Minnesota |
| AMC Chesterfield 14 | Chesterfield, Missouri |
| AMC Creve Coeur 12 | Creve Coeur, Missouri |
| AMC West Olive 16 | Creve Coeur, Missouri |
| AMC Independence Commons 20 | Independence, Missouri |
| AMC BarryWoods 24 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| AMC Main Street 6 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| AMC Ward Parkway 14 | Kansas City, Missouri |
| AMC Crestwood Plaza 10 | St. Louis, Missouri |
| AMC Esquire 7 | St. Louis, Missouri |
| AMC Oak View 24 | Omaha, Nebraska |
| AMC Brick Plaza 10 | Brick, New Jersey |
| AMC Bridgewater Commons 7 | Bridgewater, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Cherry Hill 24 | Cherry Hill, New Jersey |
| AMC Clifton Commons 16 | Clifton, New Jersey |
| AMC Deptford 8 | Deptford, New Jersey |
| AMC Deptford Mall 6 | Deptford, New Jersey |
| LOEWS East Hanover 12 | East Hanover, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Monmouth Mall 15 | Eatontown, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Jersey Gardens 20 | Elizabeth, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Menlo Park 12 | Edison, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Freehold Metroplex 14 | Freehold, New Jersey |
| AMC Hamilton 24 | Hamilton, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Newport Centre 11 | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| AMC Aviation 12 | Linden, New Jersey |
| AMC Marlton 8 | Marlton, New Jersey |
| AMC Mountainside 10 | Mountainside, New Jersey |
| LOEWS New Brunswick 18 | New Brunswick, New Jersey |
| AMC Garden State 16 | Paramus, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Ridgefield Park 12 | Ridgefield Park, New Jersey |
| AMC Rockaway 16 | Rockaway Township, New Jersey |
| LOEWS Meadow 6 | Secaucus, New Jersey |
| AMC Seacourt 10 | Toms River, New Jersey |
| AMC Wayne 14 | Wayne, New Jersey |
| AMC Essex Green 9 | West Orange, New Jersey |
| AMC Maple Ridge 8 | Amherst, New York |
| LOEWS Bay Terrace 6 | Bayside, New York |
| AMC Bay Plaza 13 | Bronx, New York |
| LOEWS Fresh Meadows 7 | Fresh Meadows, New York |
| LOEWS Roosevelt Field 8 | Garden City, New York |
| LOEWS Shore 8 | Huntington, New York |
| LOEWS Nassau Metroplex 10 | Levittown, New York |
| LOEWS Galleria Metroplex 16 | Middletown, New York |
| LOEWS 19th Street East 6 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS 34th Street 14 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS 72nd Street 1 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS 84th Street 6 | New York, New York |
| AMC Empire 25 | New York, New York |
| MAGIC JOHNSON Harlem 9 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS Kips Bay 15 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS Lincoln Square 13 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS Orpheum 7 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS Village 7 | New York, New York |
| LOEWS Port Chester 14 | Port Chester, New York |
| LOEWS Fantasy 5 | Rockville Center, New York |
| LOEWS Stony Brook 17 | Stony Brook, New York |
| LOEWS Vestal Towne Square 9 | Vestal, New York |
| LOEWS Webster 12 | Webster, New York |
| LOEWS Raceway 10 | Westbury, New York |
| LOEWS Palisades Center 21 | West Nyack, New York |
| AMC Carolina Pavilion 22 | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| AMC Northlake 14 | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| AMC Concord Mills 24 | Concord, North Carolina |
| AMC Ridge Park Square 8 | Brooklyn, Ohio |
| AMC Easton Town Center 30 | Columbus, Ohio |
| AMC Lennox Town Center 24 | Columbus, Ohio |
| AMC Dublin Village 18 | Dublin, Ohio |
| AMC Westwood Town Center 6 | Rocky River, Ohio |
| AMC Crossroads Mall 16 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| AMC Quail Springs Mall 24 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| AMC Southroads 20 | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| AMC Tilghman Square 8 | Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Neshaminy 24 | Bensalem, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Woodhaven 10 | Bensalem, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Colonial Commons 9 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| LOEWS Waterfront 22 | Homestead, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Granite Run 8 | Media, Pennsylvania |
| AMC 309 Cinema 9 | North Wales, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Franklin Mills Mall 14 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Plymouth Meeting 12 | Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Marple 10 | Springfield, Pennsylvania |
| LOEWS Stroud Mall 7 | Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Painters Crossing 9 | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| AMC Dutch Square 14 | Columbia, South Carolina |
| AMC Parks at Arlington 18 | Arlington, Texas |
| AMC Barton Creek Square 14 | Austin, Texas |
| AMC Northpark 15 | Dallas, Texas |
| AMC The Grand 24 | Dallas, Texas |
| AMC Valley View 16 | Dallas, Texas |
| AMC Palace 9 | Fort Worth, Texas |
| AMC Stonebriar Mall 24 | Frisco, Texas |
| AMC Firewheel 18 | Garland, Texas |
| AMC Grapevine Mills 30 | Grapevine, Texas |
| AMC Highland Village 12 | Highland Village, Texas |
| AMC Gulf Pointe 30 | Houston, Texas |
| AMC Studio 30 | Houston, Texas |
| AMC Willowbrook 24 | Houston, Texas |
| AMC Deerbrook 24 | Humble, Texas |
| AMC Irving Mall Cinemas 14 | Irving, Texas |
| AMC Katy Mills 20 | Katy, Texas |
| AMC Mesquite 30 | Mesquite, Texas |
| AMC Huebner Oaks 24 | San Antonio, Texas |
| AMC Rivercenter 9 | San Antonio, Texas |
| LOEWS Spring 10 | Spring, Texas |
| LOEWS Fountains 18 | Stafford, Texas |
| AMC First Colony 24 | Sugar Land, Texas |
| LOEWS Layton Hills 9 | Layton, Utah |
| AMC Hoffman Center 22 | Alexandria, Virginia |
| AMC Courthouse Plaza 8 | Arlington, Virginia |
| LOEWS Shirlington 7 | Arlington, Virginia |
| AMC Hampton 24 | Hampton, Virginia |
| AMC Tysons Corner 16 | McLean, Virginia |
| AMC Lynnhaven 18 | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| AMC Potomac Mills 18 | Woodbridge, Virginia |
| LOEWS Factoria 8 | Bellevue, Washington |
| LOEWS Cascade Mall 14 | Burlington, Washington |
| AMC Kent Station 14 | Kent, Washington |
| LOEWS Lakewood Town Center 12 | Lakewood, Washington |
| LOEWS Alderwood Mall 16 | Lynnwood, Washington |
| AMC Renton Village 8 | Renton, Washington |
| AMC Cinerama 1 | Seattle, Washington |
| LOEWS Oak Tree 6 | Seattle, Washington |
| AMC Pacific Place 11 | Seattle, Washington |
| LOEWS Uptown 3 | Seattle, Washington |
| AMC Kitsap 8 | Silverdale, Washington |
| AMC River Park Square 20 | Spokane, Washington |
| AMC Southcenter 16 | Tukwila, Washington |
| LOEWS Woodinville 12 | Woodinville, Washington |
| AMC Mayfair 18 | Wauwatosa, Wisconsin |
[edit] Canada
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| AMC Interchange 30 | Concord, Ontario |
| AMC Kanata 24 | Kanata, Ontario |
| AMC Courtney Park 16 | Mississauga, Ontario |
| AMC Winston Churchill 24 | Oakville, Ontario |
| AMC Kennedy Commons 20 | Scarborough, Ontario |
| AMC Yonge & Dundas 24 | Toronto, Ontario |
| AMC Whitby 24 | Whitby, Ontario |
| AMC Forum 22 | Montreal, Quebec |
[edit] United Kingdom
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| AMC Broadway Plaza 12 | Birmingham, England |
| AMC Great Northern 16 | Manchester, England |
[edit] China
| Name | City |
|---|---|
| AMC Pacific Place 6 | Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong |
| AMC Festival Walk 7 | Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong |
[edit] Features
AMC introduced stadium-style seating, in which the seats are placed on risers so that each person has an unobstructed view of the screen, and adjustable armrests that can be raised to create "loveseat" style seating. Both of these features have become standard for nearly all movie theaters built today by all major chains.[15]
The early versions of stadium-style seating as built in 1995 had auditoriums configured with an entrance to a flat area right in front of the screen for wheelchair-using guests. Able-bodied guests had to ascend up the stairs to sit in the middle of the risers in order to have a comfortable line-of-sight with the screen. Since many wheelchair users also have limited neck range as a result of the injuries that put them in wheelchairs to begin with, this configuration made AMC a popular target for ADA lawsuits.[15]
AMC subsequently solved the problem in newer theaters by building full-stadium auditoriums where the main entrance is through a ramp that emerges onto a platform in the middle of the risers, so that wheelchair users can enjoy optimal line-of-sight. However, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the company anyway and obtained an order from federal district judge Florence-Marie Cooper requiring AMC to retrofit over 1,990 screens in 95 multiplexes and megaplexes across the United States. The company successfully appealed the order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which ruled on December 5, 2008 that the order was grossly overbroad and violated AMC's due process rights under the Constitution of the United States.[15]
AMC won by pointing out that the United States Access Board, for reasons unknown, had never amended its guidelines for movie theaters to specifically require theaters to provide line-of-sight for wheelchairs that was as good as the best sightlines from the elevated risers, versus merely providing an unobstructed view of the screen. The first time any government agency took that position was when DOJ filed an amicus brief in an unrelated case in 1998. Therefore, it was unfair to AMC to retroactively hold it to a standard which did not even exist at the time it started building stadium-style theaters and which it did not receive proper legal notice of; in contrast, AMC would have received constructive notice under the Administrative Procedure Act if the Access Board had ever bothered to amend its guidelines. The federal district court was ordered to identify the specific date after 1998 when AMC should have reasonably become aware that some agency in the federal government was taking the position at issue, and limit the retrofit order to theaters constructed after that date.
[edit] MovieWatcher program
AMC also created the MovieWatcher program that rewards frequent movie-goers similar to other rewards programs, but featuring innovative restrictions. It is based on points per movie ticket purchased, with rewards varying from concessions to movie passes based on point level. However, points are limited to a maximum of four points per three-hour time period - which is two tickets.[16] For those AMC cinemas which were not part of the Loews Cineplex acquisition and therefore ticketed by MovieTickets.com, the website's surcharge is waived for MovieWatcher members.
[edit] Other endeavors
AMC has also had some endeavors that did not prove as viable, such as experimenting with 16 mm film for projection and selling microwave popcorn at concession stands through a small test in the South[clarification needed] several years ago.[11] They also stumbled by agreeing to install the Sony Dynamic Digital Sound system in all their new locations, rather than the more popular Dolby Digital or DTS systems. While the majority of major releases have all three digital tracks, including SDDS, most independent and smaller-budgets films only have Dolby Digital tracks, leaving many films in AMC's otherwise ultra-modern megaplexes showing films in analog sound. Recently, AMC has begun installing Dolby Digital in all new auditoriums, and in 2003 began upgrading selected older auditoriums. AMC announced an agreement on March 26, 2009 to convert 1500 existing auditoriums to fully digital 3D screens using RealD technology.[17] On March 30, 2009 AMC announced they will convert all 4500 screens in their chain to 4K digital projectors provided by Sony.[18]
[edit] Acquisitions
AMC has been successful in integrating competitive theater circuits into its family. In March 2002, AMC bought General Cinema Corporation, which added 621 screens to the company assets as well as Gulf States Theaters which had 68 screens in the greater New Orleans area. In late 2003, AMC acquired MegaStar Theatres, adding top-quality assets to its Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul markets. Then on January 26, 2006, AMC merged with Loews Cineplex Entertainment; AMC was the winner in the merger and the newly merged company continued with the name AMC Entertainment, Inc.
The company has interests in 358 theaters with 5,128 screens in six countries. Some of the U.S. theaters are named for basketball legend and businessman Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who became a partner of Loews in the mid-1990s.
The company has theaters in the United States and Canada. In addition the company operates two cinemas in the United Kingdom (in Birmingham and Manchester), one cinema in Dunkirk, France, and two in Hong Kong.[4][5][6][19] AMC used to operate theaters in Brazil, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Uruguay.[20][21][22]
The company's flagship theater is the AMC Empire 25 in New York, New York (as mentioned above, consistently rated the busiest theater in the world by AC Nielsen-EDI box office tracking.)[citation needed] The company's marquee theater is the AMC Studio 30 in Olathe, Kansas, which is nearby the company's world headquarters dubbed the "AMC Home Office".[citation needed]
On Tuesday, January 19, 2010, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, LLC announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to sell most of the assets to AMC Entertainment, Inc., combining the nation's second- and sixth- largest movie theater chains.[23][24][25]
[edit] Sale to investment Partnership
In 2004, the company which at the time publicly traded on AMEX under the code AEN was acquired by Marquee Holdings Inc. Marquee is an investment vehicle controlled by affiliates of J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC, the private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase, and Apollo Management, a private investment firm.[26] The company continues to officially be headquartered in Kansas City although it has sold its headquarters building at Tenmain Center where it now leases space.[27]
In 2006, the company announced a new IPO expected to be worth approximately $789 million, however, adverse market conditions convinced the company's management to withdraw from such an offering on May 3, 2007. As of 2010, the company has no plans to file an IPO, citing economic concerns.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.natoonline.org/statisticscircuits.htm
- ^ Kathryn Harris, "AMC on Firm Footing as Others Stumble," Los Angeles Business Journal 23, no. 4 (Jan. 22, 2001): 14.
- ^ M. Doman, "AMC 3rd-quarter revenue up," Hollywood Reporter 366, no. 35 (Jan. 25, 2001): 6.
- ^ a b Home Page. AMC Cinemas (United Kingdom homepage). Accessed September 21, 2008.
- ^ a b Home Page. AMC 20 Dunkerque. Accessed September 21, 2008.
- ^ a b English home page." AMC Cinemas (Hong Kong homepage). Accessed September 21, 2008.
- ^ Home Page. AMC Cines. January 21, 2002.
- ^ The Dubinsky Brothers - Kansas City Public Library - Retrieved March 21, 2008
- ^ La Franco, Robert. "Coming soon: a megaplex near you." Forbes, August 12, 1996, p. 133.
- ^ Anonymous. "Durwood legacy packs 'em in." Variety, March 16, 1998, p. 42.
- ^ a b Klady, Leonard. "Obituaries: Stanley Durwood." Variety, July 19, 1999, p. 40.
- ^ Nan Robertson, "Multiplexes Add 2,300 Movie Screens in 5 Years," New York Times, November 7, 1983, C13.
- ^ Anonymous, "Stan Durwood: Multiplex Theater Pioneer," Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1999, A22.
- ^ AMC to Get Sony Digital Projectors - New York Times - March 29, 2009
- ^ a b c Kenneth Ofgang. "Ninth Circuit Overturns Ruling on Disabled Seating at Movie Theaters" Metropolitan News-Enterprise, 8 December 2008
- ^ http://www.amcentertainment.com/network
- ^ http://www.investor.amctheatres.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=373314
- ^ "AMC Entertainment to Convert Entire Circuit to Digital Cinema Projection with Sony 4K Systems". 2009-03-30. http://www.investor.amctheatres.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=373945. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ "Locations Worldwide. AMC Theatres. Accessed September 21, 2008.
- ^ "AMC International - Locations." AMC Theatres. January 28, 2001.
- ^ "AMC, Loews Cineplex to merge." USA Today. June 21, 2005.
- ^ "AMC International - Locations." AMC Theatres. June 8, 2003.
- ^ AMC Entertainment and Kerasotes Theatres Announce Entry Into Definitive Agreement, AMC Entertainment, January 19, 2010
- ^ Kerasotes Plans Sale of Theatres to AMC, NWI.com, January 22, 2010
- ^ News About Kerasotes and AMC
- ^ Acquisition of AMC Entertainment by Affiliates of J.P. Morgan Partners and Apollo Management is Completed - amctheatres.com - December 23, 2004
- ^ HQ Building For AMC Sells - Kansas City Business Journal - December 16-22, 2005
[edit] External links
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