[champion6]

Originally Posted by mrdarcy

AMC theater at Lake Square Mall in Leesburg has recliner seating. It’s a nice experience. That mall is re-inventing itself as an entertainment venue. You can browse the great inventory at Books-A-Million while you wait for your movie to start. I recommend checking it out.

Originally Posted by EdFNJ

I hear that mall has recently been resold. I think the 2 places you listed are 2 of about 6 stores remaining in the place. The first and last time we were there (about 7 months ago) it was Movies, T-Mobile, book store and pin ball palace and a couple other stragglers. Probably 10 "customers" in the place including us. A smart group of people could make it a "Villages Destination" and maybe get some REAL stores in there. Generally speaking though, indoor malls are on their death throes so probably nothing will help.

Yes, new owners. Of course, they have an optimistic outlook. Link to newspaper article: New mall owners share ambitious improvement plans - News - Daily Commercial - Leesburg, FL

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by champion6

Yes, new owners. Of course, they have an optimistic outlook. Link to newspaper article: New mall owners share ambitious improvement plans - News - Daily Commercial - Leesburg, FL

They are still missing out on their biggest market just a few miles down the road. Their plans don't look too promising other than the "covered entrance" to keep all the customers dry.

That $22 million bucks invested . Good luck to them. Maybe the 3rd try will be the winner.

Paddock indoor mall in Ocala is decent but the last time we were there there were 5 places in the food court and you couldn't even get a slice of pizza. There is a nice newer outdoor mall a mile or so away.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mrf6969]

In this past week we have seen a movie at Brownwood and one at Spanish Springs. Yes Brownwood has all the new wonderful amenities but why do they continue to put out the worst popcorn with that unnatural yellow/orange coating and they dump loads of salt on it?? The Popcorn at Spanish is much lighter, fresher and has just the right amount of salt. Great job Rialto!!

[toeser]

Except theaters make most of their money at the snack counters. Smaller audience, smaller profits.

[Mac McLean]

Not only is the theater old and outdated but it doesn't have a "Family Restroom" like the others. My wife is disabled and can't use the one that is there. We are boycotting the Rialto until they remodel and add one. The theater management seems to be balancing the use by booking certain film at the Rialto only. Why else would you go to that theater unless it was the only one playing the movie you want to see.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Mac McLean

Not only is the theater old and outdated but it doesn't have a "Family Restroom" like the others. My wife is disabled and can't use the one that is there. We are boycotting the Rialto until they remodel and add one. The theater management seems to be balancing the use by booking certain film at the Rialto only. Why else would you go to that theater unless it was the only one playing the movie you want to see.

Sorry to hear that.

Can she use the restroom to the south of the Rialto? It is near the wall of the Rialto movie theater.

[GypsyBuddy]

I have traded emails back and forth with the man that schedules movies at theaters and got nowhere. He said to me "no one else complains". My problem is the seats in the Rialto that kill my back. I tried that theater 3 times...first time with back pain that began 15 minutes into the movie. Second time I took a bolster pillow...third time I took two pillows. Nothing helped and now I am stuck with whatever comical, scifi, weird, or stupid movie is shown at one of the other two theaters. The man is Craig Franco and his email address is craig.franco@thevillages.com. Write to him and let him know that many more people would be attending these nicer adult themed movies if they could sit comfortably. The most comfortable seats are at Brownwood where they usually put movies made for the younger crowd. Doesn't make sense. I have become frustrated in not getting satisfaction from Mr. Franco, but if those of you reading this post will all write to him maybe things will change around here.

[ladybugsmom]

It’s to draw more people if course. The theater is smaller, older & more uncomfortable. It’s been like this for five years. It really bothers me as Rialto is the longest drive for us from south of 466A. It’s another “political” move by the powers that be in TV.

[DeanFL]

Originally Posted by GypsyBuddy

I have traded emails back and forth with the man that schedules movies at theaters and got nowhere. He said to me "no one else complains". My problem is the seats in the Rialto that kill my back. I tried that theater 3 times...first time with back pain that began 15 minutes into the movie. Second time I took a bolster pillow...third time I took two pillows. Nothing helped and now I am stuck with whatever comical, scifi, weird, or stupid movie is shown at one of the other two theaters. The man is Craig Franco and his email address is craig.franco@thevillages.com. Write to him and let him know that many more people would be attending these nicer adult themed movies if they could sit comfortably. The most comfortable seats are at Brownwood where they usually put movies made for the younger crowd. Doesn't make sense. I have become frustrated in not getting satisfaction from Mr. Franco, but if those of you reading this post will all write to him maybe things will change around here.

Thanks so much for his contact info. And his phone # from another poster here. I am the OP of this Thread - and could not determine who to talk to in order to escalate our feelings on this topic. We had joined MoviePass a month ago and now see a few movies per week. TV theaters get full price ticket $$$ from MP even though our cost is $9.95/month. So now TV theaters are making $$$ from us - but we plan to not attend movies at Rialto if he continues to not schedule the offerings better across all 3 theaters. If, in fact, his reasoning is that people would not go to Rialto unless he force-fits films there...that's ridiculous.

[fastboat]

The theaters definitely got better with each new one built. Don't know what it would take to replace the uncomfortable seats at SS but if you wait a few weeks there is always Red Box or On Demand by most carriers.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by ladybugsmom

It’s to draw more people if course. The theater is smaller, older & more uncomfortable. It’s been like this for five years. It really bothers me as Rialto is the longest drive for us from south of 466A. It’s another “political” move by the powers that be in TV.

Could you explain what this means?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

WHY does management seem to place the good adult-like films only at Rialto?

Originally Posted by 8notes

I suspect it is because the Rialto is such a crappy movie theater, the only way they can get decent audiences to frequent it, is to have the best movies.

That's always been my assumption about movies shown at the Rialto.

Originally Posted by GoodLife

Yep you heard right. The average age of Villagers north of 466 is 97 years old, we never die and sell our homes to the whippersnappers who congregate down south. We have a secret contract we made with Harold and his young son Gary that all the best movies and music groups will forever play in Spanish Springs. This is a secret clause in closing contracts that you would never know about unless you bought up here which you couldn't unless you were at least 90.

[Dan9871]

I think having three movie theaters running mostly new, different movies in The Villages is a really good thing. Good selection, good theaters. If showing a lot of the big draw movies at the Rialto is what it takes to keep it open then I'm all for it.

Maybe it's just me but I find the seats at the Rialto more comfortable than the ones at The Old Mill in LSL.

We're in the southern part of The Villages so it would be nice if all the movies we wanted to watch were screened at Barnstorm, which is our favorite of the theaters, but it's not a deal-breaker for us. We're up in Spanish Springs a few of times a month any how going to The Sharon, or the Terra del Sol theater, or the Rialto. At least when we go out of one of those theaters we know were not going to have to be driving back home in a sudden snow or ice storm :-) like we often did before we moved to The Villages.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by ladybugsmom

...It really bothers me as Rialto is the longest drive for us from south of 466A. It’s another “political” move by the powers that be in TV.

This year is the 20th Anniversary of The Rialto Theater. No homes existed south of 466A until 2011, that six years ago.

[Taltarzac725]

They could use a fourth movie theater in the Villages. This might be a better option. Somewhere in the center of the Villages.

I like the seats in the Rialto since they fixed them quite a ways back. The lines for the popular movies at the Rialto are a problem. I just wait a few weeks for them to grow shorter.