AMC Albuquerque 12 — Local services in South Valley

Edit: 5 months later I attended the highly anticipated Oppenheimer IMAX Sunday 7/23 opening weekend. This was a 3 hour engagement, no intermission so get your food ahead. I avoided the concessions because of lines and prices. Website said no outside food or drinks allowed but people brought in HUGE jugs of water and backpacks (spooky). If I had known we could bring jugs of water, I would have because I was pretty dehydrated after 3 hours. Oh well. If you're new to IMAX, G row is directly behind an aisle so expect some traffic to walk in front of your screen intermittently throughout the show. An aisle is also in front of rows E & F. Next time I'll choose something further back due to traffic. Sound and picture were fine but what bums me out is NOT ONE of your AMC theaters in the entire state of New Mexico has 70mm. Why? This movie was filmed in NM too and nobody stepped up to bring this masterpiece to life as Nolan intended. My ticket was purchased online for a supposed 40% discount but if you don't join their silly club they shake you down with a $3 convenience fee completely negating the "40% discount." They offer an option to purchase concessions with your ticket but what's the point of that if they're out of an item AND you gotta wait in that single line anyway with everyone else just to get your food? Ticket taker was super friendly, glad there was a water fountain near the auditorium entrance. Aside from the tween kicking my seat throughout the 3 hour show, it was a packed house and folks managed to behave for the most part. What's sad is people pulling out their phones every 10 minutes scrolling social media and texting. It's unnecessary, distracting and y'all should just stay home if you can't stay offline for a movie. The sound for the advertisements and annoying commercials prior to previews were too loud prior to the show--turn it down! Otherwise a good experience and glad there's an IMAX at the south end of town.

February review: Went for a matinee. Theater was clean, lobby was clean, bathroom was relatively clean. Line was too long to bother with food--they appear to be understaffed. I hadn't been to a theater in 4 years so just getting my ticket in the lobby was a little confusing because apparently an actual box office does not exist here anymore. Separate lines but only one cashier. After standing in the line for a minute I realized the cashier was not even acknowledging separate lines. The line for "ticket holders" was LONG as it was mixed with folks getting food. I went to the ticket taker to ask if I was in the correct line but she mentioned there was also a KIOSK. Why is there no clear signage for it?? It could have been an ATM by the looks of it. So I purchased my ticket at the kiosk and went to my show because if I'd waited in line I would have been late. Or so I thought. Perhaps its a marketing tool as well but nowadays, they make you sit through commercials AND at least 5 previews. So your movie is actually 20 minutes later than "SHOWtime" regardless if its imax or digital which is quite annoying. When the movie was over I felt like the attendant was standing and staring at us patrons who wanted to sit through the credits which was super uncomfortable after an emotional movie. Awkward. All in all, it was a nice experience for someone who generally doesn't go to theaters because, people. I look fwd to seeing another film...

AMC Classic 12 is located in South Valley, near the busy intersection of Rio Bravo and Coors. Depending on the time of day, the streets can get backed up and congested, usually the work scheduled times between 3pm and 6pm. So, if you're planning on seeing a movie around these time frames, then I'd say, come early. The parking lot is pretty large, so there shouldn't be an issue of finding a place. It's also surrounded by many department stores and restaurants, so finding something to eat nearby isn't an issue as well. The area is pretty safe, and the sheriff's office is one parking lot over, so I don't see any safety issues at all. Plus, they have their security guard outside, if needed. When you arrive at the movie theater, there are 2 order kiosks on opposite sides of the entrance if you want to quickly purchase your tickets or print your tickets, if you're in a hurry. I use their mobile app so it's quite nice and convenient. There is a guided, roped off area (stanchion) at the entrance, which makes getting in line more organized and the cashiers call who's next at the end of the line, if you're an AMC Stubs member, there is a separate line which makes getting to the front quicker and it's definitely worth the skipping ahead time. If you're in a super hurry and need to get to your theater room fast with some food, drinks or snacks, I'd recommend ordering your food/snacks on the app with your movie ticket, as they'll have it ready for you. Just have to read the fine print receipts on the already made food (squinting may be required). It beats standing in line, especially when a large family is in front of you and they aren't prepared on what they want and delays your turn by 5-15 mins. The food is good, the popcorn is fresh, and if you purchase the refillable bucket (30 bucks), you can refill your popcorn for 6 bucks each time, and a same-day free refill for AMC Stubs members (hold on to your receipt). Sodas and frozen Icees are also refillable, which is nice, and there are hundreds of flavor choices/combinations of flavored sodas. Vanilla Sugar-free Barq's Cream Soda is my favorite. Word of advice, the theater rooms marquees do not tell you what's showing in each room (aside from the IMAX room poster), so keep your ticket in hand so you know which room is yours. Seats are first come, first serve, so get there early if you want the perfect spot. The only room that has reserved seating is the IMAX room, and it's the best price in the area - compared to other theaters (normally 10 bucks cheaper) and the picture and sound quality is amazing. I've seen the latest Dune part 2 (7 times so far in this IMAX room). The staff is usually friendly. They are constantly cleaning and refilling their booths and stations. Sometimes, the soda fountain is down, but luckily, there are 6 stations, so finding a drink shouldn't be an issue, plus you can always ask at the counter if you need help. The movie trailers are about 15 to 20 mins long, so if you're running late, just keep that in mind. Unless this is my 7th time for the same movie, I take my time to get snacks and drinks. But if not, then I come early, so I am ready for the entrance line, the snack line, and the drink line. This should be a place to relax and immerse yourself into film and sound, and not a stressful environment, so keep it simple and...

I was of the first staff to be employed with this theater when it opened back in December of 2015 when it was first Carmike Cinemas and it was a real nice theater back then. I'm pretty sure all of the original management has left because they wouldn't allow it to be how it is now. I recently went here to watch Sing 2 and I was disappointed. The Coca Cola Freestyle machines are filthy and the syrups need to be replaced. There was hardly any soda selection to choose from! The popcorn butter machines need to be cleaned and the butter needs to be replaced. There was no butter for my popcorn!? The restrooms were disgusting and not maintained. What happened?!?! It's astonishing how they used to make the original employees keep the theatre nice and clean and now it's becoming the opposite.

Update: Me, my fiancé, and mother in-law went to watch a film yesterday. This is still a grotesque theatre. Counters are gross/filthy and the restrooms need A LOT of maintenance attention. Not only that, they didn’t even have popcorn because they burnt the batch they were making and the girl didn’t even know how to work the kettle correctly so we were almost late to our movie even though we got there early! The staff is also kinda rude. Do better AMC management before the only theater in the South Valley goes out...