Bay Area Moviegoing: THX Venues

updated Saturday, 16-Dec-2006 00:25:24 PST by sparCKL@snout.org

This page contains information about THX-certified movie theatres in the San Francisco bay area. (Complement: favorite non-THX venues)

NOTE: Some information below may be out of date. Use the official THX web site to find a THX certified cinema near you.

RECOMMENDED

NOT recommended
The Metreon, San Francisco
Jack London Cinema, Oakland
 Any Century theatre

Cities:  Oakland  San Francisco 

Oakland

Jack London Cinema
100 Washington St.
Oakland, CA 94607

(510)433-1325

RECOMMENDED

 THX screen(s):
1-9 (all)		 Sound formats:
Dolby SR (+DD 3,6) (+DTS 4-6), Dolby EX		 Remote tickets:
Fandango
Web links:  official  citysearch 

Auditoriums have comfortable plush chairs, good acoustically dead wall padding, bright, flat screens, and great sound. Free 3-hour validated parking in structure across the street.

Seen here:

  • Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
  • Monsters, Inc. (2001)
  • Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
  • The Matrix (1999)
  • Mulan (1998)

Exhibitor: Regal Entertainment Group

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Cities:  Oakland  San Francisco 

San Francisco

AMC 1000 Van Ness
1000 Van Ness
San Francisco, CA 94109

(415)922-4262 recording
(415)931-9800 tickets
(415)674-4634 person after 10am

 THX screen(s):
2,3,7,11,12		 Sound formats:
Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, SDDS		 Remote tickets:
MovieTickets.com
Web links:  official  metroactive  citysearch 

A nice theatre in a convenient location (near the intersection of Geary and Van Ness), with validated parking on site.

This place does a lot of EW's free advance screenings, and also hosted the Serenity fan screenings in the summer of 2005.

Exhibitor: American Multi-Cinema

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AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres
1881 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94115

(415)922-4262 recording
(415)931-9800 tickets
(415)346-3243 person after 10am

 THX screen(s):
1		 Sound formats:
70mm, Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS		 Remote tickets:
MovieTickets.com
Web links:  official  citysearch 

Weekend advance tix go on sale Wednesday afternoon.

Nice big theatre, plenty of elbow room. Right in the middle of Japantown.

Seen here:

  • Liar, Liar (1998)

Exhibitor: American Multi-Cinema

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Sony Theatres Metreon
101 Fourth Street (corner of 4th & Mission)
San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 369-6200 showtimes
(415) 369-6201 office
(415) 369-6000 Metreon info (IVR)

RECOMMENDED

 THX screen(s):
1-15 (all)		 Sound formats:
SDDS ?		 Remote tickets:
Fandango
777-FILM #072
Web links:  official  SF Chronicle 

Auditorium layout is similar to both the Century 25 in Union City and the AMC Mercado 20-- mostly stadium seating, with a few rows down front for the latecomers.

ADDENDUM (25 Jan 2001): The Metreon shows selected 35mm movies on their IMAX screen. Check showtime listings to find out what's currently playing.

Seen here:

  • K-Pax (2001)
  • Pearl Harbor (2001) on IMAX screen
  • South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

Exhibitor: Loews Cineplex Entertainment

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Cities:  Oakland  San Francisco 

CENTURY THEATRES SUCK. I am absolutely, unequivocally BOYCOTTING Century Theatres (and their parent company, Syufy Enterprises). They don't employ competent staff, they treat the audience with no respect, and most of all, they don't care about movies. They're not getting any more of my money. For more information, see CAVEAT EMPTOR.

General info:

Data sources (not listed above):

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