Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 XQ — Attraction in St. Charles

Our group of 3 (adult and 2 teens) went to see Saw X on 10/27/23 at 615 pm. Tickets purchased online, so I paid extra in fees. Since we went to the movie after dinner at Portillo's, none of us were really hungry. But you know how that goes... teens need some popcorn to snack on despite just being fed! haha! I ordered 2 kiddie combos. First, the cashier put his index finger down the cups as he sat it on the counter for us to take. I ask for a new cup (politely). We paid and headed to the filling station for the buttery topping and to fill their kiddie cups. One of the teens dropped her cup on the floor directly into a visibly sticky spot. Nonchalantly, I told her to throw it away and go get another cup. So that is what she did. As I waited, I realized that there was starting to be an issue at the counter as I now see my daughter coming back to the drinks filing station with no cup. She informs me that the cashier instructed her to "get it out of the trash and bring the cup back." I was incredulous - so I stopped her and said 'We are not digging in the trash to look for a cup that I just bought 40 seconds ago." So, I walk back over and ask for a manager. There was a man dressed in black speaking with another man in a suit all the way at the opposite end of the snack bar. The man in all black was motioned over to me, and I explained what happened. I told him we just bought the kiddie combos, daughter dropped it on the floor, and I would like a new cup for her and that we would most definitely not be digging anything out of the trash.

He produced the kiddie cup and told me that "Next time, you need to have a cup if you want an exchange." I just looked at him, took the cup, and went on about my evening with the kids.

This whole situation was so baffling to me... I had literally just purchased the combos. I wasn't trying to scam them out of a kiddie cup. Second, if I was trying to pull a fast one, why would I ask for a kiddie cup in the first place?! It is the smallest cup ever! ugh! Third, no apology or anything for being told to dig through the trash. Actually, the opposite -- I got a "Next time..." speech. Who is going to dig through the trash bin under the refill station at the movie theater on a Friday night? Over a paper cup! Come on!

I am not sure we'll be back to this location. The whole thing bugged me through the entire movie. While not an earth shattering ordeal, I just feel like the rudeness & reprimand was not necessary. I get the barely 16 yr old at the counter saying something out of turn (I mean, maybe young and lack of training/common sense?) - but the manager who appeared? No way. He was definitely seasoned enough to just give me a kiddie cup and call it an evening. Anyway, I'm still annoyed over this when I think about it. I wish that I had found the actual manager of the theater before I left that night to tell him/her that I didn't appreciate the indictment over a discarded kiddie cup. Just...

Update from an Avid Moviegoer: It's 2025 and Charlestown 18 remains the best overall location to see a movie in Chicagoland. Every auditorium in the theater is the equivalent of a "First Class Seat" on a luxury commercial airliner. This was accomplished via ingenuous engineering. All 18 auditoriums were designed so that the screen takes up the largest possible surface area of one's total field of vision, regardless of where one sits. This means that compared to anywhere else, whether you're in a "Standard" or "XD auditorium", you get the equivalent of a "Dolby Cinema/IMAX" style viewing experience at a fraction of the cost with minimal crowds and affordable concessions. This premium viewing experience is accomplished by placing the seating at the ideal distance (and slope) from the projector surface.

Every auditorium is outfitted with plush recliners that have ingeniously designed controls so that it's possible to fully recline while adjusting the seat back and head rest upward so it's unnecessary to strain your neck from the coziest position. The seats also have heaters and coolers built in for your preference.

The rewards program puts all other theaters to shame especially AMC. After a small handful of visits I discovered I had enough points to get large drinks, candy, and a food item for 3 guests and still have credit left over. Charlestown 18 always has early (late Wednesday or Thursday afternoon) screenings of the major releases. They serve delicious cocktails and alcoholic beverages that are reasonably priced. Matinee seats are 7 bucks every day of the week for standard screens and all their auditoriums on Tuesdays are 6 bucks.

Don't let the awful abandoned exterior fool you, this theater rivals the best luxury cinemas. All the projectors are state of the art with laser crisp displays and bright rich high dynamic colors. This cinema chain appears to be one of the last family owned businesses in the movie industry. It's evident they prioritized guest experience over short term profits. I am urging anyone that lives in the area to patronize this theater because it deserves to endure and thrive. Seeing a movie at the cinema completely transforms the viewer's experience. Without your fellow moviegoing strangers you don't get to share in the big laughs, the scares, the thrills and the awe. Thank you Charlestown for offering this community a place to be transported for a few hours in these...

I would normally never go all the way to St. Charles to see a movie but this was the closest theater to me that was showing a limited engagement of the documentary about the Mars Volta that I wanted to check out and I have to say that it was a surprisingly very nice moviegoing experience.

I will agree with some that it was a bit eerie how dark the parking lot was when I pulled in on a Wednesday evening but there was a good amount of cars so I didn't find it too spooky. It is also strange how recessed into the building the entrance to the theater is.

The inside has a pretty retro feel though I'm not sure that's by design. Yes, the staff were mostly a bunch of teens but there were plenty of them available and they did a fine job of keeping the concessions lines short.

I ordered my ticket ahead of time on the Classic Cinemas app and noticed that the ticket price was less than other theaters ($10.50) so I assumed it would just be regular seating but was glad to find that they had reclining chairs that even have heaters built in. It was probably the best movie seat I've experienced in the past year actually. The sound quality was great which was very much appreciated for this documentary as it had a lot of musical content and picture quality was good as well.

Decent priced concessions were another plus. A small popcorn and coke which both come with free refills was only $10.50. They have melted butter dispensers which I always appreciate. I ended up getting a refill of popcorn on my way out for a snack during the drive home.

Although it's still pretty far out of the way for me I'm glad I now know that this theater is available and maybe even worth it the next time I'm looking...