Apple Cinemas Providence Place IMAX — Attraction in Providence

I spent four days in Providence for a flight sim convention and had a little free time to explore the city. One afternoon I decided to go see a movie, which turned out to be 28 Years Later.

Back home I’m pretty spoiled because I’m an AMC A-Lister and used to all the bells and whistles, so I was a little bummed to find out the closest AMC was about thirty miles away. Thankfully, Providence Place Cinemas 16 came to my rescue and was only about a ten-minute walk from my hotel and the convention center.

The theater is tucked away on the top floor of the Providence Place Mall, so definitely factor in some extra time if you’re walking. From the directions, I thought I’d just stroll right in, but it took me an extra five to ten minutes to navigate escalators, corridors, and the typical maze of a big shopping mall. If you’re driving, it probably makes more sense to just park on the top level of the garage and head straight in.

I bought my ticket through Fandango, and getting inside was super smooth. I didn’t even bother looking at the full food menu because I already had my sights set on my usual movie snacks. I grabbed chocolate-covered raisins and an Icee, which hit the spot. I liked that they hand you an empty cup so you can fill it yourself and mix whatever flavors you want. Prices were surprisingly decent for a movie theater. My ticket was around sixteen dollars, and the snacks ran me another fifteen or so, which honestly felt pretty fair.

On my way to the theater, I spotted a small arcade section. It wasn’t huge or fancy, but I imagine it’s not really necessary to go big there since there’s a massive Dave and Buster’s directly across from the theater and Level99 just steps away. Still, it was fun seeing a few games in case you want to kill some time before your movie.

Inside the auditorium, I noticed the theater feels a little dated, but it’s overall clean and kept in good shape. The seats were comfortable, even though they weren’t the plush reclining seats I’m used to at AMC. It wasn’t a dealbreaker at all. I sat pretty much dead center in the theater and thought the screen looked great overall. Since 28 Years Later is packed with action scenes, I did notice a tiny bit of blurriness in some shots, but nothing that would ruin the movie. If you’re really particular about image quality, you could always go for the IMAX side of the theater. The sound quality was solid and plenty loud, which definitely added to the experience.

The only real downside was the air conditioning situation. It was pretty warm during the previews, and I was definitely starting to sweat a little. Thankfully, once the movie started, the AC finally roared to life, and it felt much better. It was a bit loud when it kicked on, and I realized how much clearer the movie sounded during the moments when it shut off. It wasn’t a huge problem, but I definitely noticed it.

All in all, I enjoyed my visit and would absolutely come back to Providence Place Cinemas 16 if I found myself in town again. It’s a great spot if you’re staying downtown and want to catch a movie without having...

Updates : 6/29/24. It’s been five years since I last set foot in this cinema. The allure of "A Quiet Place, Day 1" beckoned me, not just because of the movie, but because it started at the oh-so-perfect time of 11:40 am. So there I was, navigating the mall parking, reveling in the mild weather that was a welcome break from our recent heatwave.

As I strolled in, memories flooded back to me like a torrential downpour in a rom-com. Back in 2005, this place was the epitome of newness – the cinema practically smelled of fresh paint and optimism. I recalled watching King Kong, hanging out with movie set buddies at one of our days off from filming. Yes, I was an extra turned stunt double, In hindsight, it was a bold move; I approached the stunt coordinator, claiming my martial arts prowess , and ended up doubling for the main actress.I learned a lot about filming a movie, especially the on-set drama with our lead actor who, let's just say, was more 'big' back then as a martial arts star. His pride radiated like a cartoon steam cloud. That movie almost didn't get finished because of his superstar tantrums! I think after all these years he's become a lot more mellow, but who knows! Back to my story:

Fast forward to today, and the cinema hasn’t changed much. The seats might be the same, or maybe I’ve just forgotten their shape after all these years. I ordered the Oreo popcorn, a tantalizing treat that could send even the sweetest tooth into overdrive. Note to self: if you’re already sweet, this popcorn might be the sugary equivalent of a rom-com marathon.

But what really got me was the bathroom – ah, that perennial icebox. It's like entering the North Pole, a chilling experience that’s somehow turned into a fond memory. The staff were as friendly as ever, though I suspect their smiles hid a secret: they knew I was here for the time travel, not just the movie.

"The Quiet Place 1" didn’t quite keep me on the edge of my seat like its predecessors, but hey, neither did the bathroom chill my bones like it used to. Time flies, things change, and malls evolve – but for today, I got to revisit a slice of cinema nostalgia that’s becoming as rare as drive-in theaters. Here’s hoping these places stick around like that persistent popcorn kernel between the seats. I do

(2019) Always great time here. Old...

I recently went to go see a movie at this theater specifically because of their ability to play 70mm film IMAX movies, and I traveled quite a distance to do so. When my party and I arrived at the entrance to the theater, there was a sign stating that the showing of the movie we were about to watch had run into technical difficulties and would not be shown in film, and would instead be screened digitally. While disappointed, I can understand that technical difficulties do occur and may not be able to be resolved in a timely manner. What I cannot understand, however, is why we were told that the digital screening would be the exact same experience as the film screening, and why there was no advanced warning that the movie would not be played as we paid for. The only reason we stayed to watch the movie instead of receiving a refund was because we were told it would be the same experience. The movie had some noticeable differences compared to the film screening. The two main differences were the showing of trailers before the movie, which did not happen for the film version, and the black bars that took up large portions of the IMAX screen on the top and bottom that are not present during the film screening of this movie in this theater. The black bars that indicated they were not playing the movie in the same aspect ratio as the film version meant that the two hour drive we made to this theater was for nothing. There are other IMAX theaters closer to me that charge less for parking, have better facilities, and cost less for tickets. Along with playing the incorrect version of the movie, it started late, and the lights were turned on around a minute before the end of the movie. Along with this, for small portions of the movie, a light was on in the projector room that was able to be seen on the screen. It was a poor screening of the movie, and the problems that occurred did not seem warranted given the price of tickets. Overall, we felt scammed as we did not receive what we...