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<< Previous   of   Next >> Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Server Livia Perkins of Edmonds takes a dinner order from Michele and Aaron Wubbenhorst of Shoreline before they watched "The Hangover" earlier this month at Cinebarre in Mountlake Terrace. Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) The lobby area of Cinebarre has a bar and seating for those waiting for the next movie. Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Server Sarah Schwartz of Snohomish carries pizzas into a theater at Cinebarre. (click to enlarge) A red carpet leads to the bar and lobby area at Cinebarre. (click to enlarge) Fresh ground-beef burgers and pizzas await pick-up and delivery to theater patrons.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Say 'I do' 6/14/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, June 14, 2009 Swanky cinemas cater to grown-up audiences By Andy Rathbun Herald Writer With a dozen draft beers, the bar at Cinebarre acts as the second reminder that this theater caters to the 21-and-older crowd. The first reminder? The attendant checking IDs. The eight-screen theater in Mountlake Terrace opened May 29 in place of the old Regal Mountlake 9. The spot employs a wait staff to bring food from the in-house kitchen directly into the auditoriums. "We're not trying to replace the movie theater," said Terrell Braly, chief executive of the South Carolina-based chain. "This is an augmentation." It's not alone. Along with Gold Class Cinemas in Redmond, Cinebarre joins a growing number of theaters tempting audiences with different options. Cinebarre and Gold Class Cinemas, which opened in October, have some overlap. Both serve food to patrons at their seats and both enforce an age policy to keep crying babies and gabby teens to a minimum. Cinebarre is strictly 21 or older. Gold Class Cinemas -- a posh theater with a fireplace in its lobby and recliners in its auditoriums -- requires most patrons to be 21, but has one all-ages, alcohol-free auditorium. Older theaters are filling seats in new ways, too. Many now use at least one screen for 3-D films, a format gaining fresh appeal. "Up" and "Monsters vs. Aliens," so far the highest-grossing animated movies of 2009, received 3-D releases, and "Titanic" director James Cameron will return in December with a highly touted 3-D action film, "Avatar." Existing theaters also are screening live events. Fathom Events beams performances into hundreds of otherwise ordinary theaters, letting audiences see a show by the Metropolitan Opera or a taping of Chicago Public Radio's "This American Life." Participating theaters include local Regal Cinemas locations. Most of the new experiences have new prices. 3-D films add about $4 to a ticket, Fathom Events runs about $18 per show and a visit to Gold Class Cinemas costs $32, Friday through Sunday. Cinebarre, however, keeps tickets at a competitive $10 for evening shows. Given the recession, gilded theaters and expensive tickets may seem poorly timed. However, theaters have proved to be recession proof, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Ticket sales are up this year. With that in mind, high-concept theaters may prove that a dark auditorium always has a chance of becoming a bright spot. Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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