Huntsville-based Monaco Pictures operates 18 screens at two locally owned theaters---at 370 The Bridge St. and at the corner of Old Madison Pike NW and Research Park Boulevard. In addition to its regular theaters, Monaco has an on-site restaurant and Prive VIP, a high-end lounge for moviegoers ages 21 and up. The lounge features a wine-tasting bar and luxury seating.
Rave Motion Pictures is a Dallas-based company that has seven theaters in Alabama, including the Valley Bend 18 in Huntsville (1485 Four Mile Road SE). Rave has made a specialty out of leg room, with all rows of seats set 4 feet apart. Private screenings are available 24 hours a day. Book a child's birthday party for 10 or more children at a Rave theater and you'll get the help of a "personal Rave attendant," the company says on its website. Rave primarily shows mainstream movies but also specializes in sports events and opera performances.
Huntsville is larger than most of the communities where Carmike Cinemas Inc. establishes theaters. The company bills itself as "America's Hometown Theater," specializing in communities with populations under 100,000. Huntsville is almost twice that big. Carmike operates the Carmike Huntsville 10, at 1359 Old Monrovia Road. Across the United States, the Georgia-based corporation has 2,277 screens in 244 theaters, including 13 in Alabama.
Regal Entertainment Group is one of the largest theater chains in the U.S., operating 6,705 screens in 540 theaters. In Huntsville, it runs the Regal Hollywood Stadium 18 at 3312 South Memorial Parkway, and the Madison Square 12 at 5905 University Drive. The Regal corporation supports five national charities, including the Boys and Girls Club of America and Make-a-Wish Foundation. It also stages the Free Family Film Festival every summer in hundreds of its theaters, providing nine weeks of free movies for children and their parents.
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center at One Tranquility Base features an IMAX dome theater. The specialized theater's single screen provides a 180-degree view for moviegoers. The fare features more science-themed movies than theaters typically offer. Movies playing as of January 2011 include "Hubble 3D" and "Sanctum," the latter billed as an action thriller following cave divers on a dangerous expedition through the most inaccessible cave system on the planet. Shows change approximately every two weeks at the theater.