The Loft Cinema — Attraction in Tucson

I’ve been to The Loft dozens of times and usually have had a good time. A few times the audience had been so loud and obnoxious it detracted from the movie, but that just happens at public movies sometimes. Recently though I went to a Mondo Movie night for a date with my boyfriend on what appeared to be a quiet night. After getting drinks and food in an almost empty lobby, we went to sit in the theatre. We had been looking forward to this movie for a few weeks. To our surprise, the theatre was PACKED with rowdy patrons, with maybe four visible seats scattered throughout the theatre. It was a chaotic scene. When we went back to the main counter, we let the employee know that we had come to see a movie together and we weren’t able to sit together because the theatre was nearly full. They informed us they would give us our money back this time but not before making it very clear that TECHNICALLY there were still several available seats. I told them I thought they should let people know if the theatre was filling up and their answer was basically that they were giving me what I wanted so what was the problem? Clearly the problem was that I don’t want to plan a date night at a theatre weeks in advance only to be casually sold tickets to a overly-full theatre. The only thing we could have done was come earlier and found a seat somewhere before the rest of the raucous crowd showed up, but honestly that movie experience sounds miserable. It was an incredibly condescending way for that employee (Candace) to handle the situation and although I’ve had many interactions with other employees over the years (exceedingly friendly ones) this altercation left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth. I can see why some people would enjoy coming here, but I don’t think this is the kind of place I want to support anymore. After spending over $20 on snacks and drinks, the least they could do is simply give us our money back, without trying to make some kind of point about their policies and theatre seating logistics. They made it sound like this is something that could happen again, and next time they may not give our money back. No thanks. I’d rather watch a movie literally...

Love the movies this place shows & love the crowds that show up. the events are one of a kind & always memorable. the snacks are great, especially the food trucks that come by! although, the popcorn isn’t much to brag about & neither are the seats. despite all that, my 2 star review is due to all my experiences at the concession stand. i don’t have a single positive memory w any concession workers of the Loft in the past; it constantly looks like it almost physically pains them to ask me what size drink i want & don’t get me started on asking about the different snacks. my worst experience was the night i went to go see my favorite movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High: i asked a worker if they had ever tried any of the sandwiches just to get an idea of what they like so i can maybe try the sandwich myself or something, they reply with the most blunt/dead expression: “i’ve never cared to try any of the food here.” one of their peers overheard the response & started chuckling while side eyeing the rude concession worker. i didn’t know what to say? i wasn’t sure if i was the one being laughed at or what was going on. i didn’t know how to respond so i gave up & got a tamale, not that that helped the situation bc the concession worker was still pretty annoyed w me. i remember getting to my seat & asking my friend if they noticed what had happened, they also perceived the concession workers remark to be a little snarky/rude. honestly, the only reason why i’m bothering to bring this up is bc i’m tired of coming here to experience my favorite movies on the big screen just for a fraction of that experience to be ruined by someone who doesn’t...

They’ve got Cherry RC and a 70mm projector — what more could you ask for?

More seriously: this is the best cinema in town — heck, possibly in the entire state — and something that all Tucsonan film buffs should treasure.

Personally, I try to see everything they show on screen one that I can make time for; but I still occasionally catch a movie or two on screens two and three, and have derived some incredibly intimate experiences from films I’ve seen those theaters. On that note: I’m excited to eventually catch my whatever my first film on their planned fourth screen will be, once it’s been built.

So, yeah: the films they curate are fantastic, their audiences are some of the best behaved I’ve ever sat amongst, their staff are knowledgeable and friendly, every corner of their whole complex is kept immaculate, and their food ‘n’ drink selection ranks among the very best I’ve enjoyed at any cinema. Whether you just want to catch blockbusters in 70mm, or find community among Tucson’s most dedicated filmgoers, The Loft offers the best theatrical experience in town — bar none.

I’d just like to close this out by giving my thanks to The Loft’s whole crew, for keeping the magic of the movies alive in this town. I hope all of the renovations end up bringing in as steady a stream of patrons as this little slice of paradise could ever need,...