The Bridge: Cinema de Lux

Let’s talk language here for a minute. The business name The Bridge: Cinema de Lux evokes the cushy seats, superior sightlines and general you-​get-​what-​you-​pay-​for niceness of this movie theater at 40^th & Walnut on the edge of West Philly.
Thus I was confounded when searching for tickets to a movie here, since its address was continuously attached to a theater named Rave Motion Pictures University City 6. I also saw Rave Penn 6.
I suspect the authors of this fluctuating moniker are doing so against their will (there is a Bridge Cinema Deluxe in LA; I don’t know if they are affiliated) so I won’t hold this bastardy of marketing against them personally. I just wanted to let everyone know not to be put off by the dumb name — it’s actually a great place to see a movie, especially on a weeknight, and it’s easy to park, something you can’t say about the Ritzes.

I’m not sure if what happened was just a fluke because the girl I was dealing with at Bridge happened to be an idiot, or if this is truly the case all the time; if it is indeed something that will work all the time, I am very happy because the gift certificates that I purchased with my student ID at Drexel University (for $ 7.75/each) got me into the 3D showing of the newest Shrek movie (3D movies running something like $ 15/​each). I’ll test this out soon enough, but for now I’m pretty psyched at the possibility of getting to watch 3D movies for so little.
By the way, I have found it impossible to find showtimes for this place. Whenever you Google the place, it takes you to a website that tells you about the showtimes for the Bridge in California. And Yahoo! Movies apparently doesn’t even consider this place to be a movie theater, because it doesn’t even show up on there. So I’ve usually found myself just walking past this place at a time when I’m free with friends and we just decide on a whim to watch a movie.
edit: I figured out why I couldn’t find The Bridge on Yahoo! movies… It’s because it’s now referred to as Rave Motion Pictures University City. The more you know. You’re welcome.

The Bridge’s slick aesthetic is enough to hoodwink you into thinking this is an exceptional theater. This is before you get to the prices, service, and actual quality of the presentation. Since this place doesn’t offer much in the way of a quality experience, I can only name three reasons it’s still around: location, location, location.
For a theater as busy as this one, you’d think they’d know how to keep simple things like lines and crowds managed (especially at an event screening, like say a new Harry Potter). It seems like whenever I go for something with a fairly big audience the management gets befuddled.
The ticket prices are high (though par for the course), the food overpriced (I’ve never liked their popcorn). The stadium seating is a good touch, but what does it matter when you have poor projection and sound quality? (It’s happened more than once)
The bathrooms are nice, though.

They just got bought and became Rave something something but it’s still very much the same. Awesome seats, really upscale for a random movie theatre in UCity/​West Philly that caters largely to students and locals. Tickets are like $ 10 but it’s a really nice theatre, and there’s nowhere else close by. There’s a bar too and they’re renovating it. Penn holds lots of free advanced screenings here, so be on the lookout for those!

This would be a really great theater if it were elsewhere, not jammed right in the epicenter of college town meets locals.
I’ve consistently been underwhelmed with my experiences at this theater. The assigned seating is nice and so is the stadium seating but the price is just a bit much.
The worst part? The crowd is the worst thing ever. I’ve never gone here without having some sort of typical ignorant behavior go on during my movie: talking to the screen, un-​silenced cell phones (or even phone conversations), just loud obnoxious people. For that, I might as well save myself the trip to West Philly and go to The Riverview. The theater isn’t as nice overall but the movie selection is usually better and the ticket prices from what I recall still beat it out.
If you’re stuck in West Philly and want to see some sort of major release, then this may be your only feasible option. However, if it’s some movie that so happens to also be playing at the Ritz — hop on the El or in a cab to Old City and treat yourself to lower admission, a way better crowd and seats that I’d say are just as nice.

Wow. I was impressed the first time I went to The Bridge. My bf REALLY wanted to go see a particular movie on its opening night, and once I saw the tickets available online for this theatre we immediately bought some. Seat reservation included? HELLS YEAH! That is such an awesome feature, and it makes buying tickets early really worth the extra effort. That way, I don’t have to show up mad early, possibly wait in a line, make a dash for the seats and have to submit myself to medieval torture by stretching over all the seats I need to reserve for my group. Only to be seated a wee bit too close to the screen for comfort.
When we got to The Bridge, I was a little surprised by how nice the exterior and interior are — and that they have a bar/​restaurant there too! In addition to the typical movie snacks, of course — which they also serve from a cart inside each theatre. The seats are nice and comfy, nothing special though. There was a huge line at the ticket counter when we arrived, I’m amazed anyone just shows up instead of going online but the extra fee might be the issue. Of course the theatre only filled up in the five minutes right before the scheduled start time — the beauty of reserved seats — so there’s no point in trying to score better seating until the movie has actually begun.
I can’t get over the reserved seats! I love it!

It is a very stylish building and interior, so, um, it has that going for it…
Otherwise, it is as generic as it can get, which is upsetting. I read somewhere that it is called the Bridge because it is supposed to «bridge» art-​house with conventional film. No way. It never shows indie/​art films. Not ever. It shows the same films that all of the other generic theaters show, but it looks cute doing it. If it wasn’t marketed as such a tease, I’d give it 2 stars, since it does look very nice inside, but I feel as if they were toying with my emotions with such a statement. (Kind of seriously.)
For over two years I’ve walked by this place daily, I see films over twice a month, and I have visited the Bridge twice. Play some indie films!

Eh. I’m happy there’s a movie theater available to students from the three neighboring colleges, but I’m not a huge fan of The Bridge. It’s more out of convenience than it is by choice.
The interiors when you walk in are pretty neat — sort of futuristic and whatnot. But that’s as far as it goes.
They definitely need more people selling tickets because the lines can get unbelievably long. The theaters and seats themselves are nothing to rave about. And the crowd that comes in — a mix of students and West Philadelphia residents — can be really rowdy and annoying. You know how there’s always that group of people that talks throughout the movie that you wanna throw out? That’s maybe a third of the crowd at the Bridge.
I’ve never gotten food here, but movie tickets are never cheap.

I think I got off on the wrong foot with the Bridge because it was originally billed as an alternative to the Ritzes, with a mix of blockbuster and indie movies, and it ended up just being all mainstream all the time. So mainstream that they won’t hire people with tattoos and/​or piercings… I mean, seriously? In 2009?
I find the assigned seating to be unnecessary and thoroughly annoying, and I can generally count on seeing or hearing other people’s cell phones during the movie.
When I want to see an expensive movie in a crowded theater, I drive to New Jersey.

I“ve been here twice now to see movies. The décor for this place is nice although a little retro 70’s for my taste. Still I like polished wood and nice carpet and they have plenty of that. I didn’t visit the bar but it is nice to know there is one there.
There were plenty of seats with the standard stadium seats. What was annoying was the assigned seating. Having to find my assigned seat and have someone guide me to it was annoying. I’m not in high school anymore. We also had people coming up 10−15minutes into the start of the movie and asking where the seats are (Even though there were PLENTY of open seats the last time I was there). The crowd the last time I was here wasn’t too terribly bad for a Philly movie crowd (ie. There were only periodic chatters), but your experience may vary depending on the time and day.
Overall it wasn’t a bad place to see a movie. However it wasn’t worth the 2+ surcharge on a normal movie price.

Prices aside, the Bridge is pretty awesome and luxurious when it comes to catching the latest blockbuster. Where else can you reserve a seat, drink a pre-​movie cocktail, and snuggle with your friend or lover in cushy leather seats (with movable arm rests)?
If at all possible, avoid this place on a Friday or Saturday night. All my memories involve gratuitous commentary from nearby movie-​watchers, which can sometimes add or detract from the movie at hand. There’s a time and place for everything though, and if anyone’s seen M. Night Shyamalan’s, The Happening, you’d understand why vociferousness was appreciated.

What a surprise to discover this movie theater, 5 years after moving in Philadelphia… Shame on me. To see Hollywood releases it’s now my destination of choice. Sitting is awesome, screen and sound quality totally acceptable, and price is similar to what you’d pay on Delaware Avenue for the worst movie experience ever.
I’m digging the Bridge!

Considering how few theatres there are in Center City, this one would be the obvious choice to go to. I would definitely not go here for a regular viewing ($ 12) but it was worth it for matinée ($ 9). It is one of the few that is reachable by subway so just that alone makes me give them 4 stars. :) I don’t really care for a glitzy theatre so going to matinée was just the perfect low key movie experience. The seats were also quite comfy!

The one major bane to Philadelphia cinema viewing is the fact that when it comes to seeing a blockbuster there really isn’t a good place to go. For a lot of films this ended up being the go to spot just because of the fact that it wasn’t the Riverview. But I have to rethink my first review and dub this spot pretty damn horrible.
For $ 12 a ticket it should deliver some benefits. And it does hook up stadium seating, the chance to drink an adult beverage while you view, and the other frills that most mega-​plexes offer. But it also seems to have total disregard for the movie viewer.
When a couple friends and I went to see Indiana Jones (which was total crap) over the summer they had the audacity to air the movie in a theater that was next door to a bumping club room with dance music. The club was so bumping that the sound of the music carried over the sound of the atom bomb explosion that was in the movie. When you expect people to pay $ 12+ for your movie things like that are just wrong. Never again!

Did you know that there are only 3 «The Bridge» movie theaters in the country? Now, I have been to two of the 3 (LA being the other). Lets compare the two that I have been to now.
First, my roommates and I went here to catch the Watchmen (no I am not a comic book dork!). I found the ticket area to be somewhat cramped and a little crowded-​hence the reason that I bought my tickets for Friday night opening. An added perk of buying tickets online also allowed me to get assigned seats, which worked out well.
I was wondering how assigned seats would be enforced, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had someone actually take us to our seats. I think that this has to be only for the major openings as this wasn’t done when I saw «Gran Torino» in LA.
One thing that both the LA and Philly ones have in common is that they are both overrun by rambunctious high school kids (wait, am I really turning into a crotchy old man now?). I expected this, as what are you going to do on Friday night if you are under 21? Go to the movies duh. For the most part, they seemed to be fairly well behaved during the movie.
Overall, its nice to have a movie theater close by. This place tries to sell itself as «upscale» movie theatre, but it never quite seems to nail that mark despite charging $ 12.50/ticket. Still, its not a bad option for a Friday night movie as long as you can tolerate having an younger crowd around.

After reading the negative reviews on this place I expected to spew nothing but vitriol, but I actually had a pretty fine experience. To be fair, I didn’t have to wait in any lines, because when I walked into the theatre, a friend had already purchased our tickets ($ 9 for a Sunday matinée– not cheap but not outrageous, either).
I didn’t hit up the concession stand but a friend who went down for a coffee said the lines were short but the workers themselves were extremely slow-​moving.
There was no assigned seating for our particular movie. The seats were comfortable and the theatre itself was relatively clean. No one in the crowd was annoying and cell phones were silent through the duration– always a plus.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to see a movie here, but the location can’t be beat for a dinner and movie night in University City.

I’ve never quite understood why one would want assigned seating. But it is useful if you’re not one to procrastinate and want to watch a new movie the first weekend. Regular movies here aren’t too strict on seating, though, and there are also various free movie specials for classes from Penn or local events.
The theater itself is usually clean, and filled with college students. This replaced the «Ghetto-​magic» that was Cinemagic from a while ago along 39^th/​40^th & Walnut. There’s ice cream and a regular candy/​popcorn counter, and a waiting room space with random films and spaces to wait for your movies to start. A bar to the back serves some light food and drinks for those interested.
Garage across the street is validated for up to four hours of parking with purchase of a movie ticket.

Dan is right. I have been soured on the movie going experience because of this place. F the Bridge.
F their ri-​dick-​ulous prices.
F their assigned seating.
F their rude, incompetent staff.
And especially, F their dumb, DUMB clientele. If you enjoy people talking, chatting on their cell phones, kicking seats, running around like musical chairs and letting their babies cry without consoling them or simply leaving the theater, then this is your place.
Cinema de SUX. Go eat a dick, Bridge.

rave

I hadn’t been to a major studio film since I moved to Philly (I used to watch them on DVD when I had netflix and stuck to the Ritz theaters when I went out). But I wanted to see a certain major studio film on the big screen. I’d been to the Bridge when I lived in LA, so I was excited to check out the Philly version.
Like the West Coast Bridge, this theater is stylish, clean and has stadium seating. You can grab a drink before/​after the film, and you get an assigned seat. Unlike the West Coast, this theater is affordable – this Bridge is much cheaper here. I LOVED that.
I settled on 3 stars because the theater was about a 4 and the crowd was about a 1. In the «media immersion room,» where you can text your name and see it on a big screen, clever kids send in names like «cockmaster» and «_​_​_​_​is a homo» and other things about people enjoying sex with animals. Classy.
In the theater, two young women (apparently about 16 – too young for rated R – because they were at a family movie) talked, kicked each other, wrestled, squealed, and watched stuff on their cellphones. They were in my row and kept running to different seats as they played around. They got up to leave (loudly) only to come back and start again. One girl made a phone call. No hushed voice, no indoor voice, but the voice you use when you are on a cell phone in a wind storm while standing next to a moving train. «I’m at a movie. I’m with _​_​_​_​_​! Blah Blah Bah!»
Behind me, kids screamed, cried, kicked my seat (they had four adults with them), and loudly opened the bags of food they’d sneaked in. One moved to sit next to me after his family/​friends picked on him. Kids reached between us to punch him. They threw popcorn so that I had it in my hair. People talked out loud to each other and to the screen.
Since it was a family film, I expected a bit of chatter and understood when I little girl had a freakout when the villain entered the scene. But this was out of control. I considered complaining, but I knew the manager couldn’t throw out the entire audience for my moviewatching enjoyment.
I tried to watch the credits to find out the name of a song in the film and was annoyed when the house lights went up and employees began sweeping around me. I understand that our ill-​behaved audience left a mess and they had another screening, but the film wasn’t really over for me yet.
In all, I’ll go back to netflix for my Center City moviegoing unless it’s a film a the Ritz. I can’t blame the theater for most of my negative experience. I think it’s just the behavior in Philly theaters that bothers me. Sorry, Bridge… it’s a nice building but I just can’t handle the other patrons.