Santa Cruz Cinema — Attraction in Santa Cruz

I love that Santa Cruz Cinema filled the void left when Regal pulled out, but I do miss the air of polished professionalism. The staff, who seem sparse and occasionally under-trained, are always friendly and nice, but (and I say all of this with LOVE and in the spirit of constructive criticism) the theaters and concession counter are too often sticky to the touch and in need of cleaning (and disinfecting). Which brings me to the bathrooms... the homeless problem is a bane on all businesses, and it seems this theater is a popular "rest area" for the under-housed on Pacific. I'll spare you what I've witnessed in the Men's room, but I assure you, it would be impossible to expect a minimum wage employee to return for another shift after cleaning up what I've encountered. (UPDATE 07/2023: It's worth noting that on my recent visits I've noticed a vast improvement in the cleanliness of the Men's restroom and with the attentiveness of the staff, overall. I hope they fix the air conditioning in theater #8 though. It's a nice screen, but it gets too hot in there without air.)

Key Takeaway: I will absolutely continue to give this theater my business because I love movie theaters, I respect the effort they are making to provide Santa Cruz with a comfortable, quality movie-going experience, and would hate to see us lose them.

Patrons: Support this theater, show some patience, and politely report any problems you encounter, and try to respect the space and help keep a clean environment.

Theater Staff: Do your best to listen to what your customers are telling you. Pay your staff and train them well. A smaller, happier, well-paid staff will be more efficient. And please repair the projector in Theater...

Honestly things with the Regal are such a hit or miss everytime. First, I hate that when you try to get ahold of someone at the Santa Cruz location the phone rings and rings and then hangs up on you. I would rather listen to obnoxious elevator music on hold then just abruptly get hung up on. Second, was a little annoyed that my birthday freebies weren't 100% honored. Granted only paying $1 for a LG soda wasn't bad (even if it is Pepsi 🤢) but still if its in the description why can't you just honor it instead of fighting about it? Thirdly, is just a problem with the app itself. If you request a refund on a ticket because you accidentally picked the wrong show time it doesn't allow you to choose a different show time. It only shows me the same exact one I accidentally clicked on. My biggest issue was when my best friend and I were asked to open our tiny little bags to "ensure there is no drugs or alcohol being brought in" YET the huge group behind us with other females with much bigger purses or the countless people behind them were not checked. Please explain how that is supposed to make me feel okay? We stood on the side waiting for the rest of our group and watched as numerous people came up the stairs and escalators to check in and NONE were asked to open their bags. You guys were doing so well and then something just changed in the...

If you hit the movies at least once a month and live near downtown, do yourself a favor: grab the membership and download the app — it’s easy. You basically get paid to go, with a free ticket every month for the same price as one regular ticket. Best part? You can lock in the best seats from your couch and skip the $1.50 convenience fee.

But wait, there’s more! You get 20% off concessions — which supports the theater — and the coolest part: when you buy your ticket on your phone, you can also pre-order your concessions. Then, when you’re just a couple minutes away, a special button pops up so you can tell them to start preparing your order. By the time you arrive, your snacks are already waiting for you at the counter — no standing in line.

The first time I did this was the other week, and I felt like such a VIP. I rode my skateboard there, and when I was two minutes away, I hit that special button. I walked in, had my ticket scanned at the door, and got a slip proving my seat was mine. Took the escalator past a decent line at concessions, grabbed my order waiting on the counter, and everyone watched in confusion as I strolled to my VIP seat, popcorn and Dr Pepper in hand.

Last but not least, hit it on a Tuesday — tickets are only five bucks for everyone, and the energy’s better with the...