AMC Yonge & Dundas opens at Toronto Life Square

[smuncky]

I was at I am Legend as well -- it kinda disturbed me the number of people who brought their children and babies into the theatre - did you notice that smuncky? Oh, and the girl who decided to run to the front of the theatre as it was beginning, stand to the side, and talk on her cell phone. Come on.

The food court still has a long way to go. I think once the tenants move in, signage is installed, it'll look a lot different. And I think there will be a major concentration of video screens in the area, and that'll probably "enliven" it a bit more. I'm still giving the food court the benefit of the doubt.

299, did you go to the early screening or the later one? i came into the theatre just after it opened at 3pm for the early show, so i saw everyone coming in but i wouldn't say that there were more or less kids than i usually see when i go out to catch a flick.

however, there was an amusing moment around half way when a cell phone went off and at that same moment in the movie will smith turned around and said "what is that?" quite a few people around me started laughing.

one other thing i didn't mention earlier was the bathrooms. instead of making one big bathroom it seems like they split it up into smaller ones. the inside is quite small and with a lot of people i could see major crowding. but hopefully they'll regulate that with the screening times.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

I went to the later one, which was littered (choice of word is deliberate) with children.. I Am Legend is not a movie I'd ever bring a young child to... I want to feel sorry for the parents who are probably having a hellish time tucking their kids in right now.. but I just can't.

I agree with the bathrooms... there were three urinals and one of them was a short one. Did they not read the Rules of the Urinal before they designed it?

EDIT: I'd be even more concerned though if the little urinal was in the middle.

 

[FutureMayor]

Went to the movies with a group of friends tonight and saw "The Great Debators" at 7:25 in theatre 13.

I was really impressed with the speed of service in the ticket line. Will the atrium be the only place to buy tickets? If so, I can see major bottlenecks in the future, especially with starbucks opening up in the small atrium as well.

The first thing I noticed while going up the escalators was that the atrium had a cheap uncompleted look as ceiling. The grey coloured roof is just left exposed.

The concessions areas and the theatres were nice. The AMC is lacking the view natural sunlight of the Paramount Theatres, however I appreciate the clean and simple look to everything, with plenty of open space. It could use a little more seating. The washroom functioned really nicely, they just don't have hand drayers and of course they didn't refill the papertowels dispensers.

The exist down the escalators was crowded and I can see this being a real safety factor in the future. At the bottom of each landing, people began to bunch while crowds of people continued to come off the the esclator. There was a lot of pushing going on, at one point someone yelled to push the emergency button to stop the esclator as it was getting extremely dangerous.

Once we got to the bottom of the last flight of escalators, the problem is clearly obvious. There is little to no space between the bottom of the escalator and the single door which leads you into the food court.

I guess it was smart of them to do this trail run this weekend. I thought it was a great way for them to test out the building, while building buzz and awareness of the new theatre.

Louroz

 

[MetroMan]

Louroz, are you allowed into the top floors without a ticket?

I have no interest in watching any of the films on the free weekend but I'd like to see the concessions area and generally the look and feel of the place.

I'll go watch a paid movie sometime next week.

 

[marcus_a_j]

Louroz, are you allowed into the top floors without a ticket?

I have no interest in watching any of the films on the free weekend but I'd like to see the concessions area and generally the look and feel of the place.

I'll go watch a paid movie sometime next week.

If you tell them that you just want to buy some popcorn they might let you in since they make their money of concessions.

 

[Geekaroo]

Louroz, are you allowed into the top floors without a ticket?

I have no interest in watching any of the films on the free weekend but I'd like to see the concessions area and generally the look and feel of the place.

I'll go watch a paid movie sometime next week.

You can get up to the the entrace to the theatre without a ticket - I did last night on the way home from work. I am confused that a number of people seem to think the common areas are finished and underwhelming. They seem to have some distance to go yet, and while the whole Toronto Life exerience seems to be lacking in many ways, I don't think a fully formed opinion can be arrived at until the building is complete. I'm sure that even the most impressive venue (which this is not, mind you), looks barren and incomplete, prior to completion - an intential redundancy

Still, to reiterate - this is not the jewel of the nile, or the square as it were!

 

[TrickyRicky]

I saw a movie there for free as well on the weekend. Futureshop will definately benefit from it's openness to the theatre in terms of store volumes (i don't know if that will translate into sales however). Like Chapters at Scotiabank Theatre people waiting around before or hanging out after a movie seem to go to futureshop.

 

[caltrane74]

Having a Movie Theatre back at Yonge and Dundas is a good feeling.
Sure beats having to go to Richmond to catch a flick.

Can't wait till the newer releases come out.

 

[V of E]

You probably don't remember Cal but in the early 1960's there used to be several movie joints ( I choose the word as it fit the venues) on the east side of Yonge between Queen and Gerrard.

 

[caltrane74]

ahh.. fun times on Yonge Street!!.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

You probably don't remember Cal but in the early 1960's there used to be several movie joints ( I choose the word as it fit the venues) on the east side of Yonge between Queen and Gerrard.

With the exception of the Downtown Theatre (where Dundas Square now sits) most survived until the mid 80's

 

[lordmandeep]

I saw a movie there for free as well on the weekend. Futureshop will definately benefit from it's openness to the theatre in terms of store volumes (i don't know if that will translate into sales however).

I would imagine small purchase like games and video games to increase drastically.

 

[pancsi]

You probably don't remember Cal but in the early 1960's there used to be several movie joints ( I choose the word as it fit the venues) on the east side of Yonge between Queen and Gerrard.

I remember the Imperial Six theaters which went on to become the Pantages for Phantom of the Opera. It started out as a (or maybe 2) live theatre venue (before my time).

 

[Edward Skira]

Northeast corner of Yonge and Gerrard you'll find one of those jewellery mini malls. Used to be a theatre. Before home video this area had many porno theatres. I think this was one of them.

 

[adma]

Okay, so that means we saw young people fucking back then, and we see Young People Fucking right now?