The battle for the title of Denver’s greatest, most high-tech movie show is at all times raging, egged on by each 3D, luxury-seat, cheese-fry development. As a prime nationwide exhibition market — in accordance with chains akin to Regal, AMC and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — Denverites are normally those who profit.
The remainder of the nation, for instance, paused new movie-theater building in 2019. However that very same 12 months, nationwide exhibitors spent tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} on ground-up megaplexes and historic renovations in Denver. And but, we’re not simply in search of numbing sound and brightness and cocktails.
We need to run into outdated mates on summer time nights exterior historic artwork home theaters. We would like bizarre, cult showings programmed by bizarre folks. We would like midnight revivals, superstar pop-ins, costume contests and area of interest fests.
Briefly, we wish a purpose to go away the home. However final 12 months, audiences strayed additional away from theatrical experiences as in contrast with 2019 — save for the ballyhooed “Prime Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Approach of Water.”
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Paying for a ticket on the Mayan. (File photograph supplied the Mayan Theatre)
What’s driving us away? Common film ticket costs are method up, hitting a document $11 final 12 months, in accordance with IndieWire. AMC Theatres final week launched tiered pricing to its ticket-buying system, which requires upcharges for higher seats on prime of some other prices. The Hollywood Reporter referred to as it “a dangerous wager at a deadly time,” and like Crimson Rocks reveals and Broadway excursions, it’s additional pushing megaplex films towards an elite pastime.
At the very least when you don’t know the place to look. Right here’s a rundown of highlights at metro-area film theaters close to you that may fulfill all of your cinema-going wants, no matter they might be. To see a listing of favourite theaters from Denver arts and tradition luminaries, see our sidebar. For extra on the Denver film scene, go to denverpost.com/things-to-do/films.
DENVER’S PRETTIEST MOVIE THEATER
Many of the traditional film homes from the previous century or so have shut down or remodeled into music venues, however a number of historic gems shine on, akin to Landmark’s Esquire Theatre. The general winner, nevertheless, is the lovingly preserved, Landmark-owned Mayan Theatre, which eschews bed-like seating and bowel-shaking audio system for intimate experiences in a trio of rooms (two small, one huge). The 1930 constructing is considered one of solely three theaters within the nation flaunting the intricate, Artwork Deco Mayan Revival fashion, in accordance with Landmark, and the wealthy, refined ambiance is exclusive in Colorado, and maybe the area. 110 Broadway. landmarktheatres.com
Seating at AMC 9+CO 10, a brand new movie show from AMC Theatres that opens Friday, March 5, 2021 on the new 9+CO growth in Denver. (Supplied by AMC Theatres)
DENVER’S COMFIEST MOVIE THEATER
By default, every new movie show constructed nowadays is chasing developments like adjustable heated seats, full bars, and — as will quickly be the case in any respect AMC Theatres — up-charging for higher seats. Nonetheless, we haven’t discovered a extra snug theater than AMC CO 9 + 10, which opened in March 2021, after ready out the worst of the pandemic. The heated, touch-adjusted, spacious seating is a godsend for these three-hour Marvel slogs, but additionally taut, 90-minute dramas. And when you’re solely going sometimes, the $20 ticket is greater than value it. 826 N. Albion St. amctheatres.com
BEST POPCORN
It’s tough to select a No. 1 right here, given the variability and ever-changing qualities of this very important ingredient of moviegoing. And but, what’s so arduous about popping an excellent bag of popcorn? Most chains, even fancy ones, are inclined to serve up tongue-scoring, overseasoned Styrofoam peanuts instead of the good things, even when a few of us have develop into accustomed to faux butter and blasted style buds (Harkins is an outlier with its persistently nice popcorn). Nonetheless, we’re staking our declare on Landmark Theaters’ general high quality, significantly on the Mayan and Chez Artiste theaters. Contemporary, toothsome and completely popped — the way in which it’s presupposed to be — but additionally customizable for all of your seasoning and saucing wants. Numerous places. landmarktheatres.com
BEST BAR AND COCKTAILS
There are movie-theater bars, and there are movie-theater bars. The Sie FilmCenter’s 200-capacity Henderson-Withey Lounge is a real bar that simply occurs to sit down inside a movie show. It’s open however cozy, with areas to mill about, sit and jaw, or simply sip and people-watch. And in contrast to most movie show bars, save for the Alamo Sloans Lake’s Barfly, it’s a spot you wouldn’t thoughts hanging out lengthy after the screening has ended. Denver is usually faulted by outsiders for missing a movie tradition on par with greater cities, however they’ve by no means spent an hour or two dropping eves right here. 2510 E. Colfax Ave. denverfilm.org
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Marc Piscotty , supplied by Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain based in 1997 in Austin, Texas, that’s well-known for its strict coverage of requiring its audiences to take care of correct cinema watching etiquette. The Westminster location would be the chain’s thirty ninth location.
BEST MENU AND SERVICE
The Austin, Texas-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema as soon as claimed a singular spot in movie-going, providing the primary widespread and industry-scaled full service menu and drinks, all delivered to your TV-tray seat with servile quietude. Most chains and plenty of indies have since adopted swimsuit, to various levels of success, however Alamo has saved it dialed-in. Not simply in issues like a youngsters menus or top-notch craft beers and cocktails, however the high quality and number of recent and fried plates. Even when you’re not going to the films only for the Brussels sprout pizza, a Cobb salad or an Irish espresso, you’ve at the least acquired that choice. Areas in Denver, Westminster and Sloans Lake. drafthouse.com/denver
BEST PARKING
Landmark’s Chez Artiste wins this one by a mile. Or relatively, dozens upon dozens of free, handy parking areas. That’s as a result of it’s tucked away in a strip mall off South Colorado Boulevard, but additionally island-like in its isolation from different companies. Some chain exhibitors might provide that of their suburban shopping-mall sprawl, however you’re sometimes competing for spots shared by eating places and retail retailers. Certain, parking garages and quick walks aren’t the top of the world. However it’s virtually not possible to be late for a film at this tidy artwork home. (Nearly.)
BIGGEST SCREEN
The road between IMAX and different huge screens is getting thinner, nevertheless it nonetheless exists — significantly in terms of format and projection. There’s no higher IMAX display in Denver for first-run films than the Regal UA Colorado Heart, the place Hollywood spectacles get their full due. Shorter, extra academic, however just-as-gorgeous titles are additionally working on the Infinity Theater at Denver Museum of Nature & Science, which formally opened this month after quiet, public testing the previous couple of weeks. regmovies.com or dmns.org/go to/infinity-theater.
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In the second half at Sunday’s Broncos game, a rookie running back momentarily took all of the Denver crowd’s breath away. Audric Estimé caught a pass thrown by fellow rookie Bo Nix and hurdled an Atlanta Falcons defender, but the play got called back because of a penalty.
Running back Audric Estime of the Denver Broncos hurdles Clark Phillips III of the Atlanta Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday.
Brooke Sutton / Getty Images
Cornerback Clark Phillips III came in low to try to tackle Estimé, who had the ball tucked in his left arm, and Estimé jumped high in the air and floated right over Phillips. Another Falcons defender then tackled him as he was returning to Earth.
The play got called back because of an unnecessary roughness penalty on a Broncos offensive lineman.
CBS
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On Xfinity Monday Live, CBS Colorado host Romi Bean joked that he should be called “Air Estimé.” She asked him if he knew ahead of time that he was going to make his stunning leap.
“No I did not,” Estimé said. “It was kind of just like a reaction, honestly.”
“I saw (Phillips) kind of put his head down and close his eyes and that’s something I kind of did in college and I was like ‘This is my opportunity to do it,’” said Estimé, who played for Notre Dame in college.
“Have you always had hops?” Bean asked.
“I’d say so. I played basketball. I was grabbing rim in eighth grade,” he said. “I had pretty good vertical … like 30 and a half.”
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Bean asked Estimé if he might flash the hurdle again in an upcoming game.
“We’ll see. I just can’t be doing it too much,” Estimé said.
Estime saw his first NFL action in Week 1 against the Seahawks, but he wound up with an ankle injury and missed several games after that while he was on IR. It’s only in recent weeks that he has started to get more work in the Broncos backfield. He had 14 carries for 53 yards against the Chiefs, and on Sunday he had 6 rushes for 16 yards plus three catches for 9 yards. And after an early fumble, he has been more cautious with the football.
“Once you change your perspective of what that ball represents, you kind of hold it differently,” he said. “Coach (Sean) Payton really told me like, this ball represents everyone’s dreams. Thinking of it, it’s like something I’ve done my whole life. And playing at the highest level is my dream, and carrying that ball my whole life is what got me there. So I just, no matter what, I just have to hold onto it.
“Ball security trumps yards, and I have to just keep improving and I believe I will.”
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Estimé and the Broncos are now preparing for the Las Vegas Raiders. You can watch the game on Sunday afternoon on CBS Colorado.
Jesse Sarles
Jesse Sarles manages the web content and website operations for CBS Colorado. He writes articles about Colorado news and sports in and around the Denver area.
Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix were opponents in the 2019 and 2020 Iron Bowls. Now they’re teammates on the Denver Broncos.
Surtain has been a first-team All-Pro selection once and a Pro Bowl pick twice, and he currently leads the NFL in interception-return yards in his fourth season since Denver selected him at No. 9 in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Nix is a rookie, but he’s begun to attract accolades 11 starts after becoming the 12th pick in the NFL Draft on April 25. And Surtain foresees more recognition ahead for the Broncos quarterback.
“He’s him,” Surtain said. “I told him, ‘Man, you’re trying to win MVP. It’s not even looking like Offensive Rookie of the Year. It looks like MVP right now.’
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“But, man, it’s a testament to him. He puts the work in each and every week, and it shows with his preparation. He stays after hours to watch film, perfect his game. This is what you see from him. When you have games like this, it’s not a surprise because he puts the work in fundamentally each and every week.”
Surtain made the remark after the Broncos had beaten the Atlanta Falcons 38-6 on Sunday. Nix reached career highs in passing yards, touchdown passes, completion percentage and passing-efficiency rating as he completed 28-of-33 passes for 307 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He completed 84.8 percent of his passes and posted a passer rating of 145.0.
In his NFL debut, Nix completed 26-of-42 passes for 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The former Pinson Valley High School star completed 61.9 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 47.5 in a 26-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8.
“Our league, you’re learning each week,” Denver coach Sean Payton said, “and then pretty soon, you’re like, ‘I belong here.’ And it’s clear he belongs here.”
Nix became the first rookie in NFL history with 300 passing yards, four TD passes, no interceptions and a completion percentage of more than .750 in the same game on Sunday.
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“It’s a lot of fun to be able to be a part of, a lot of fun to watch him go out there and have fun,” Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton said after Sunday’s game. “You can tell he’s like a kid, man. He’s just enjoying himself. And for your quarterback to be out there enjoying himself but not panic – there’s not one ounce of panic that goes upon him no matter what part of the game we’re in. It’s a lot of fun.”
Broncos safety P.J. Locke has his award projection for Nix set a little lower than Surtain, pitching the quarterback for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after Sunday’s game.
“If it’s not, we got to go talk to somebody,” Locke said. “But, no, let me scale back. We still got a whole bunch of games, so I don’t want to mess up nothing. Keep taking it week by week. But I hope so. …
“Bo is not your average rookie, I would say. You can just tell, like, his confidence is growing. His leadership is growing. And it’s rubbing off on a lot of people. He’s going out there executing, getting that offense going, and it’s a fun sight to see. I think everybody feeds off of it.”
At 6-5, Denver is in the AFC’s final playoff spot in the current standings.
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The Broncos play the Las Vegas Raiders at 3:05 p.m. CST Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Denver defeated the Raiders 34-18 on Oct. 6 as Nix threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the “Ferris Bueller” game. Las Vegas has a 2-8 record after its 34-19 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
The Atlanta Falcons were painfully reminded of something that has been true for nearly 20 years. Sean Payton has partial ownership in the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe they hoped things changed since Payton was no longer leading the New Orleans Saints.
However, when the Falcons visited the Denver Broncos, Payton showed the new emblem on the hat doesn’t lessen his dominance over the Falcons. Payton improved his record to 22-9 against the Falcons with a dominating 38-6 victory.
Atlanta wasn’t the only team to get this reminder. Payton swept the NFC South this year and showed them why they all felt relieved by his temporary retirement. This included Payton’s first career victory over the Saints.
The games haven’t been too close either. The Carolina Panthers kept it the closest, and they lost by 14 points. At the end of that game, Payton flat out said Carolina isn’t a good team. Maybe that was the jolt Carolina needed because they haven’t lost a game since those comments.
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During his 16-year run with New Orleans, Payton had a winning record against every team in the division. As the coach of the Denver Broncos, he’s undefeated against his former division.
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