UEC Hollywood Premier Cinema — Local services in Starkville

Genuinely cannot fathom the good review for this place; have you all never been to another movie theater? All of the projectors are incredibly dim, the sound can be far too low and yet the neighboring theater rooms can bleed through much more than should be possible. Perhaps the worst thing of all is that the likelihood that they will screen anything worth watching is absurdly low -- I know you have to sell tickets to the Marvel/Disney crowd, but even the most celebrated films of any given year take weeks to months to come here after wide release, if they come at all which is already unlikely. For instance, right now this theater is neglecting an actually incredibly well-regarded and highly talked-about film ('Zone of Interest') in January, and instead has been screening episodes of some unheard-of faux-prestige religion teledrama called 'The Chosen' -- seriously, what is guiding that decision? It's really abysmal, easily the most lifeless, poor quality movie theater I've ever been to. I know the Starkville crowd is not the most artistically concerned or culturally open-minded, but places like this are supposed to be a safe haven for those things; if you're going to be an old dump, at least play a proper movie every once in a while. And, of course, concessions are priced insanely, but at least I can give them a pass for just playing by the rules...

Overall this is a good cinema. Ticket & concession prices are fair and on par with other theaters. Bathrooms are clean and staff are friendly. HOWEVER, I always seem to have issues with various theaters that never get fixed. For example, there is one theater on the left side that has a busted speaker in the front right that makes a horrible crackling, buzzing sound. I first noticed it months ago, reported it to the staff, and then just recently I saw another movie in the same theater and the exact same problem was there. Another theater had a garbled speaker in the back left; I again reported it, but I don't think I've been back in that one since to know if it's been fixed, but if I'm paying nearly $10 for a theater experience, I'd like to not have to worry about these things. Another issue is that a few projection booths will have blinding white lights turned on and shining directly down into the seats below them through the window. Whether it's lights being accidentally left on or poorly placed lights in the booth, it leaves some viewers watching their movies with a spotlight on them.

EDIT: Recently saw Avengers: Endgame in yet another third different theater different from the above two. Right side speakers were popping, and audio skipped for a good minute in all speakers at some...

This theater has really gone downhill in the past few years and has failed to keep up with the current trends in the industry. Even though it was purchased by UEC a couple years ago, they have neglected to do any meaningful updates and repairs and have kept this theater in a bleak state. Many of the seats are broken, many of the screens have dark/light spots on them, the concession prices are ridiculously high for very mediocre/bland food, and the theaters aren't cleaned adequately between showings. In spite of all this, ticket prices are at "normal" prices even when other theaters have put in seating upgrades as well as made an effort to improve the experience for customers to make their prices worth it. UEC has done none of that. You won't find any recent remodeling, comfortable reclining seats, upgraded sound systems, etc. here. UEC seems to have decided to take advantage of the fact that they own the only theater in this town and know they have a captive audience so they've done the barest of minimums to provide for their customers. If you want a barebones, pricey, mediocre experience, look no further than UEC Hollywood Premier Cinema in Starkville. If you can, visit Columbus, Tupelo, or Tuscaloosa to enjoy your movies at a different...