A few months ago someone asked me if I had ever considered doing reviews of actual movie theaters, seeing as how I spend so much time inside of them and that I have been to all of the ones in our area. I was not sure how exactly to do it, but I liked the idea. Of course, I would have to eliminate the Woodland theaters because I have a bias, but that still leaves about 10 theaters in the area I could review. This is going to be my first attempt at such a review. I may tweak this type of review in the future but for now I think I will break things down into categories and give each category a separate grade and then do an overall grade at the end. If people reading this find it to be too confusing or lame, please tell me so I can stop and not look lame, thanks!
The Varsity Theater, located in downtown Davis, has only been a movie theater for two years now. Well it was a movie theater when I first moved tot eh area in 1990, but then it became an all purpose theater. Now it is back in its rightful place as a movie theater.
Appearance: The exterior is as ugly and dirty as ever, with a confusing marquee and you purchase tickets outside, which causes issues if there is a line longer than four people because it leaves it up to the person number 5 which way the line will bend so as not to go into the street. Yet, when you go inside the place actually looks nice. The snack bar is small and simple, but again, if it is busy it can be crowded. The restrooms have been renovated and look much nicer than before, but the real beauty of this place happens once you get inside the auditorium. The auditorium is gorgeously spacious with seats big enough for people of any size and plenty of leg room as well. The stadium seating also looks nice and makes it easy to see everything.
Appearance grade: B
Taste: When I refer to taste I want to make clear that this encompasses food taste as well as movie choices. It is a one screen theater, so they do not offer options really. However, as an independent theater in a town dominated by the Regal Machine, The Varsity gets the smaller, independent films. Oscar films, foreign films and documentaries dominate the year, but in the summer when options are limited they sometimes hold onto a film for far too long which limits how often I attend this theater. The popcorn is pretty good, but I recommend asking for light butter because they really soak their popcorn and it can ruin the taste. They don’t offer nachos or hot dogs or any meal type food, but they have a little coffee window which is very nice for most patrons. I honestly don’t usually buy anything here. Also, in a town like Davis one would think they would have fun midnight movies on Thursdays or Fridays but no such luck because the guy running it isn’t really a movie guy.
Taste grade: B
Affordability/convenience: During the week hey only run 1 afternoon show and 1 evening show, and if the movie is long they only play 3 on the weekend, which makes little sense in a college town and it cuts down on the times you can attend. Plus, you are limited to on the street parking in downtown (read busy) Davis or the shared Parking garage with another theater. It can make you late if you do not plan on having to search a bit for parking which makes the whole thing a bit inconvenient. The prices are expensive to keep up with the growing minimum wages but they stay about a dollar cheaper than the other theaters in the area, so it feels like a deal. Also, Tuesdays are $7.00 all day, which turns out to be a nice little discount. The concession prices are too high for what you get, but that is the norm these days and at least it doesn’t taste bad!
Affordability/convenience grade: B-
The Final review: I love this theater, I really do. It has a throw back 1950’s look on the interior and I like that they get good movies. However, the employees are often rude and none of them are terribly knowledgeable about the current or future movies, which always bugs me. I think it could ultimately be run more efficiently, especially given its location, but I will wait a week to see a movie if I know it will be at the Varsity next week.
Overall Grade: B
Hopefully this becomes something I do semi-regularly and if the label thing works you can click the label and be taken to other movie theater reviews, in the future
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