Stadium-Seating Venues Make a Presence in Area By Matt Slovick Washingtonpost.com Staff August 2001

The Uptown Theater in Washington is still one of the best places to see a movie. Its curved screen is the biggest in the region. (Courtesy Cineplex Odeon)

Now, 14 stadium-seating venues exist in the region, and many older movie houses have closed.

So, we've updated our list for the third time. The two areas, again, that we considered the most important were screen size and sound. We also looked at access, amenities and ambiance.

The 14 newest theaters obviously made the cut – for good reason. These venues have set the standard with their aforementioned features as well as comfortable seats, drink holders, plenty of free parking (the one in the District validates) and acceptance of credit cards. Most of the new facilities also offer cafes with gourmet coffees and freshly baked treats.

Thus, this list has 25 theaters – the 14 stadium-seating multiplexes and the top 11 among the remaining 57 movie houses in the area.