The ShowRoom Cinema - Asbury Park — Attraction in Asbury Park

I had the opportunity to visit The ShowRoom Cinema this past weekend to view the assortment of Oscar Nominated Best Short documentaries. This was my first time at this theater and I have a few thoughts...

First impressions is that the staff here are really terrific. Everyone smiled and was welcoming. A few of us had issues with our downloaded tickets not showing up on our phone and they were very happy to assist and look up our orders. There is a very cute concession stand in the lobby.

Our presentation was in theater #3 located upstairs. I'll concentrate my thoughts on that auditorium and the presentation.

Now, I'm a home theater guy. I have quite a bit of experience with how a movie theater should be set up. And, that experience comes into play here as the room I was in could have been anyone's small living room. It was tiny. Among the approx. 12 plush chairs in the room were some tables and lamps. One of the tables with the lamp on top collapsed during our showing.

On a whole, for watching simple documentaries, the room and presentation were fine. And, perhaps, this room is solely designated for that purpose. However, if I was paying $15 to see a major motion picture here, I would be concerned.

From my experience, the theaters are not set up for optimal viewing quality. The walls should be painted flat black to prevent reflection (I think they are yellow). Pictures on the wall cause reflection from projection light. Putting furniture in the room is a distraction. I sensed no surround sound capability and the presentation was projected digitally from a budget projector hoisted on a side shelf. Again, perfect for our presentation but not for a major film.

And, after saying all this, I kind of understand that this is a community theater, with not a huge operating budget, and very dependent on having people support it. So, I don't mind paying the same $15 I would pay at a major venue to support independent films. I would just hope in time that small upgrades can be made in time to enhance the viewing experience further.

On a whole, however, this venue deserves 5-stars for its eager and friendly staff as well as giving the community a place to see...

I have always loved going to the movies. When I smell popcorn I think of being in a theater. I am 74 years old and have felt that way since I was a kid. I discovered The ShowRoom several months ago and have been there many times. This is not your ordinary movie house - I can truthfully say it is extraordinary. There are three theaters - one seats about 75 people and the other two seat about 16. The films shown range from your conventional big box office hits like "The Post" to a variety of independent films and documentaries. I enjoyed films at the SR that never made it to the "big houses" - such as "Loving Vincent". Another great feature of this theater are the folks who run the place - always very kind, helpful and eager to please. As an example, I had difficulty with the Asbury Park parking meters. I used several quarters but the time was not registering properly. When we arrived at the front desk I explained my situation to one of the staff - Nancy - such a wonderful person. She promised she would look into the meter problem as my wife & I proceeded into the theater to secure our seats. A few minutes later Nancy came in, sat beside me and told me she contacted the Asbury Park Parking Authority, explained what had happened to me and told me it was corrected and I was given time for all the quarters I put in the Pay Station. Where else would you find that level of care? No where. ...

It was my first time visiting this theater and I was very impressed with the staff as well as the setup and layout of the theater rooms.

My friend and I watched the new David Bowie movie in an upstairs theater that had comfy plush chairs that were on casters for easy maneuverability. There was a small table in between each set of two chairs to rest your snacks on and such, it could be moved around as well. (We each come and do a spare unused table and use it as a footrest. The quality of the projected movie was clear and bright and the sound was very respectable for a relatively small room. There may have only been maybe 12 or 14 seats in this theater. (We actually did not count them, lol )

Note, on the way out to the lobby there was a basket full of rolled up movie posters from previous films with a sign that said free movie posters, I took two and my friend took one. I have never been to a theater where they offer you the movie posters from previous films played there.

Absolutely yes I would go back. Absolutely yes I would recommend it if you prefer small comfortable...