After months of reconstruction, the AMC 20 Fullerton is finally open.
During construction the theater completely revamped both buildings to bring the movie going experience to another level.
What used to be rows of red velvet folding chairs with shared armrests in theaters have slimmed down to about 100 seats complete with reserved leather reclining chairs, swivel tables, red call buttons, full service bar, and gourmet dining.
Long gone are the days of picking up your tickets from the booth and sending someone to find seats while you waited in the concession line to pick up popcorn and soda. There are no more fold down seats and lift-able arm rests. You can also forget about putting your feet on top of the seat in front of you.
The food they offer is of gourmet standards, truffle Parmesan fries with a garlic basil aioli sauce, cheese smothered potato skins, spicy and sweet Thai bang shrimp are a few of the appetizers they offer. The range of food covers everything from creative seafood dishes to world class burgers to spicy southwestern food.
There’s a bar ready to serve any dreamy alcoholic beverage you may think of before, during, or after your film.
A definite “pro” about the Fork and Screen theaters is that they are 18 and over only. So there will be no screaming or whining kids kicking your seat or teenagers who seem to think that texting and talking in a movie theater is perfectly acceptable.
In theory and in the right practice this dine in experience is great. Though in two visits, two very different experiences were had.
During the preview weekend, a nighttime showing of “Guardians of the Galaxy” was fantastic. The service was topnotch. Drinks arrived before the server finished taking orders. Food was brought discreetly to the swivel tables without needing to ask for condiments as they were already built in and provided by the theater. The seats were comfortable and reclined. One would think that the dim light in between seats would be bothersome but it wasn’t. The server was great and at the end they waited outside the theater with smiles to send the patrons on their way.
Though a daytime experience was not well at all. The first showing of “Gone Girl” in the day was inexplicably cancelled. Accommodations were made and the next available showing was given. After arriving for the showing, the theater was a bit late, and even though there was an open menu, nearly every other item was not available. Once orders were made, delivered, and enjoyed, it seemed as though the red button to call for service just didn’t seem to work. Empty drinks, dirty plates, and no server made for a frustrating experience and had patrons wishing for a regular concession stand set up.
Hopefully now in it’s grand opening month, AMC will get in a regular routine of five-star service despite some bumps that were experienced along the way.