Sundance Cinemas

Easily my least favorite theater in Seattle. Tiny screens, aloof staff, and insane prices.
When I pay $ 6 for a soda, I expect either a large soda or at least free refills, not just 24 ounces, mostly ice.
When I pay $ 6 for a small popcorn, I expect it to at least be fresh.
And when I smile and say ‘thanks’ to the concessionaire, I expect more than a hair flip and a grunt in return.
Also, what is up with the confusing as hell concessions area? And can we get more than, like, 6 candy choices?
The new seats look nice (and the little tables are handy), but they are not very comfortable.
All things considered, I’d rather go to an AMC. At least there, the people are usually friendly, the atmosphere less pretentious, and when I buy a large soda, I get enough to finish my small popcorn with (and a refill just in case). Oh, and I’m not asked to leave while the end credits are still running.
I honestly don’t think I’d be so irritated if they weren’t so smug and self-​congratulatory. So if you’re looking for pretentiousness, then five stars!

If you don’t mind a smaller screen and a bit of a weaker sound system, this place is 21 and up, has food and cocktails and reserved seating. Give yourself more than ample time before your movie, even if you have your tickets and simply need to walk the 30 ft from the main entrance to your theater. Add more if you plan to purchase any food. Lines seem to form here easily and don’t move quickly. For reasons which baffle me, the main entry person who checks IDs & deals with parking forces everyone into one line, so people who are dealing with theater parking and the payment and validation clog the entire line for people who have paid for parking directly across the street and simply need to flash their ID and get inside. Simple common sense shows up as people naturally attempt to form two lines or bypass the line when they realize they don’t need to deal with the parking aspect of the process. I think they put the rudest employee on the front door here because each time I’ve seen a movie here, I’ve seen every employee stationed here snap «I need you to go to the end of the line!» as people approach, IDs in hand.
If the employee would allow for two lines, right side parking/​ID, left side «no parking» it would allow people to get in, get their food, take a restroom trip and get to their seats at a different rate since some people would breeze in and others would take a bit longer because they’re dealing with parking related things before they come in. It would do a lot of get rid of the lines and congestion since the lobby is a pretty small place.
With that fix, this would be a 4 star place.
Pro: no kids, alcohol, reserved seating, relatively easy to secure tickets even on a block buster opening weekend.
Cons: lines, wait times, confusing parking rules, snappy staff, poor planning for customer flow.

Bar closed as soon as the movie started. I wanted to go out and grab another beer part way through the movie and the bar was already closed. Why even bother with a bar if it doesn’t stay open past 10pm?
Also, a $ 3 «amenity fee»? Really? Just add it to the price and be done with it. I don’t need your righteous little justification for three bucks.
Won’t be going back to this dump.

Used to love coming here to see a movie. But it has gone downhill.
They charge an «amenity» fee of $ 3.00 per ticket on top of their already higher rates.
Peking used to be $ 2.00 and now it is $ 7.50 in their validated lot.
Last time ever going now. They are ripping people off with stupid hidden charges.
Ordered two soda waters and paid $ 12.00 — for carbonated water!
Pure Greed now!

This cinema is wicked cool. The décor is au natural with wooden branches lining the hallways, there are leather couches in the upstairs lounge, the food looks amazeballs and seating is assigned and super comfortable and clean. Love that the couple next to us had an entire bottle of wine in their cup holder (that actually fit!) and the hallways were like a small art gallery for local artists. They card everyone so yes you need your ID. It’s thoughtful that they offer free parking but geez it’s like 4 – 5 blocks walk away, might as well just find street parking when u go. If you’re ok with smaller screens but theatre rooms with only 25 people, a wicked bar and lounge setup then this is the cinema for you.

Mondays are the best days if you have a UPass or Orca card, as tickets are $ 6.
Tuesdays are best if you have at least 2 ladies, as tickets are $ 6.
They have a full bar and food available. You can relax in the upstairs lounge before or after your movie and the seats are chosen when you purchase your tickets. There is space for your drink and food if you choose to bring it in to the movie with you. It is a very intimate theatre and good if you are not looking to be around children, as it is 21+.
I did try to go to Ladies Night by myself, but was rejected because I didn’t have at least a plus one female. Was kind of disappointed that they didn’t even just let me go by myself.
PRO: They serve alcohol & food
CON: Tickets are expensive all other days besides Mon & Tues
TRY: Monday — UPASS or ORCA card night, Tuesday — Ladies night with 2+

It was date night and we went here for a movie and some booze (great combo, btw). Anyway, we stopped in this place and our first impression was better than I expected. First, parking sucks unless you pay I forget the price but I thought it to be extremely reasonable IF I read the sign correctly. Upon entering, there is someone there to check ID so you have to be 21+, which I can’t express how much I have come to love this rule — sorry, not sorry. After getting your ID checked you walk up some stairs and either choose to go to the left (to purchase movie tickets) or the right (to purchase the goods, like food and happy drinks). We purchased our tickets first and were excited to actually pick our seats right then and there, so the seats are definitely guaranteed! The food was pretty decent but the prices were kinda pricey, it’s pretty easy to spend over $ 50 for 2. There’s also a 2 drink maximum per person so don’t expect to get schknockered ladies & gentlemen. Downstairs was extremely busy so we sat upstairs and people watched. Yes, there is more seating upstairs and I would recommend it because they actually have good sized couches up there.
I think the only downside to this experience was that the actual viewing rooms aren’t as big as the cashier explained them to be. It’s literally 3 fully rows of seats and an ADA row. If a movie is extremely popular I could imagine it’d be hard to get any seats during a decent hour.
Would I return? Hell yes but with my purse full of food lol. but it’s definitely worth at least one visit!

I don’t know why it took so long to get here?!
It’s a 21+ location, so no minors and kids allowed AND you can park so close!
I really like that they offer much more drinks and food besides your usual cinema snacks (that doesn’t mean that I don’t want my Milkduts and some Popcorn ;)).
On the inside you can take a seat in one of their really comfy chairs and relax during the film while you have enough space for all your items you can put on one of the little tables between the seats.
Plus: Everyone was fun and super friendly, I can’t wait to come here again!
On my way out I saw a poster telling me about their «ladies night», so I’m curious about that and might try that! :)

Went here to watch Starwars with the roomie when we both got back from winter break. We went on a Tuesday (ladies night) and got our tickets at half price! The money we saved went to drinks ($ 9−10ish/drink).
I bought a margarita & it was pleasantly sweet with a well balanced kick of citrus.
TIP: I would recommend arriving at least a half an hour before your movie starts because closer to movie time we noticed the line for the bar grew.
The night we went to the theater was pretty chilly and I was grateful for the warm ambiance of the theater. It was especially nice being able to lounge by the fire place, in their upper lounge room, for a little bit before our movie started.

This theater is terrible — really bad old smell, small screen, bad sound, chairs not very comfortable after about 40 min, food quality and service is terrible.
The chairs seemed pretty nasty and old. When I got home I noticed I got a big rash on my right arm. This is very strange as never happened to me before.
Also, even though they show movies late, you cannot get a drink after 10pm or so. They should either sell drinks until later or just close the theater earlier instead of having this half-​ass experience where they are still showing a movie but you can no longer buy popcorn or a beer.
Do not waste your time here, go to iPic in Redmond instead.

Went here on Christmas night to watch Star Wars! I’m very much appreciative to all the people that had to work on Christmas night since that’s not the most desired time to work. The environment was chill and I really liked the fact that you could order food and alcoholic beverages to enjoy your movie =)
Prices are a bit high for concessions, but that’s usually expected for any sort of movie theater. I kind of wish the seats were a little higher or staggered higher than the rows in front since the the top of the guy’s head in front of me kind of got in my way so I had to lean a bit at times. Other than that, I had a great time at the theater and loved the movie!

Secured seats, of your choice, upon purchasing your ticket.
No lines, no kids (21+) $ 2 pkg, friendly staff & competitive ticket prices.
Cpl min from parking your car to settling in your seat.
Huge comfortable chairs, tables, small theaters so no crowds.
Seating is so spread, one has a clear view over other’s heads.
Concession bar, eliminating servers interrupting one’s viewing, as well as high priced tickets.
As a concession, over qualified bartenders don’t preside here. You’ll find affable kids, learning their cocktails & happy to make sure yours is to your liking.
Food & snack options are solid, with most all (just not the m&m’s) standard theater pricing.
Enjoy!

Intimate theater for your art house types. Kinda pricey across the board and limited parking so you know you’ll be breaking out the AMEX card for the visual experience your about to take.
The lobby very well laid out and has everything you’ll want. A fully stocked bar with, liqueur, micro brews, local wines and cider to coat your palate with. Many food choices beside the basic candy & popcorn route for you to munch on. I saw veggie wraps, black bean burgers for you granola types and even gyro if your going Greek.
The theater itself was about 7 rows with 8 seats wide. Very much like home theater experience with uninvited guests talking and looking at cell phones. My only wish is they elevated the seating more for a better site lines.
Overall come to the theater and enjoy the experience of the cinema. But bring the damn AMEX card cause just the movie, parking, Coke & popcorn for one was $ 30.

I suggest not coming here for big budget action films you want to see in HD or 3D as theres a fair amount of food crunching and the screen and sound are just «ok».
I do suggest coming here hungry and with friends. The food is better than you would think as are the drinks and portions for each.

I really love how they’ve remodeled this place! Comfy seats, clean venue, nice staff. Plus you can go early for a cocktail and lounge before your movie! The food menu is pretty limited and they have a limited booze selection, and you have to pay $ 2 for parking, but it’s a nice alternative to the stadium seating joints that lack personality.

We’ve been going here for nearly six years — when The Metro shut down, we panicked and were so relieved when it reopened as Sundance. As per my previous review, we continue to love this place. I do t really go to regular movie theaters anymore (the «blockbuster» kind) but when we did, all the food that people brought in irritated the H-​E– Double Hockeysticks out of me. But I guess I’ve gotten over it because I even got a Greek veggie wrap last time we went here. (We hadn’t had time for dinner before the movie and I was staaaaaaarving.) I don’t drink much, either, but occasionally it’s fun to get a cocktail.
There are two main things I love about this place though: One, the theaters generally aren’t packed, ever. I’ll put up with just about anything to avoid crowds. (When there is a crowd, it’s rarely there in the theater to see the same movie I’m seeing.) Two: I love the Euro style «choose your own seats» ticket buying. LOVE IT. Honestly, that gives me a peek into how packed it is and if it looks packed, I can opt out. (Hasn’t happened yet, though — see point #1).
Lastly — since people always seem to gripe about parking — meh. The parking situation has never bothered us but we’re both used to living in big, big cities where parking is an expensive, huge hassle. We ALWAYS forget about the parking validation option and have just paid a few bucks to park in the lot outside the front door. That lot has NEVER been full and there’s there’s always been plenty of spots available.

What a find! We came here, not having read any of the reviews, but rather because Fandango showed they were the only place around us with show times we were looking for. Keep in mind, they don’t allow Fandango to actually sell any tickets for them. I initially thought this was really weird, you know? Are they old fashioned? Are they against pre-​pay? But upon arriving, I discovered something magical, and it all made sense…
The only qualm I had about this whole experience is that one has to pay for parking, though it’s only two dollars with a validation from the cinema. You can actually pay for the parking IN the cinema. Anyway. Onwards and upwards!
As one enters at the base of the stairs, you are greeted by staff who CHECK YOUR ID.
Huh?
There was music, and fellow patrons dressed rather nice. Did I misread the show details? Did we mistaken the movie for a musical or a community orchestral concert? There really were a few seconds where we weren’t sure. Once inside, the inviting ambiance is highlighted by the main floor’s centerpiece: this GIANT curvy bar. Yes, bar! You know, the type with an assortment of ‘adult beverages’. Obviously there’s beer and wine, but. Pineapple margaritas? Cocktails? Okay, wait a minute, where are we? And there’s freshly prepared food too? Yeah, real food with healthy options, like the veggie wrap I stuffed down my face with a side of carrots and celery… Yes, my friend. Yes, indeed.
Looking for a place to sit while you chill and wait (or eat if you’re there early enough)? Cool. Look up! See that expansive balcony above the bar? It’s a lounge area. With reeeally comfy leather seating. Go ahead! Take a load off.
As for the movie itself: when you purchase your tickets, you also get to pick WHERE YOU SIT before you even go in! Like at a concert, or game, or plane, or… or… Do I really need to elaborate? Your tickets have your seat number printed on it. It’s awesome! Oh, and yes, you CAN take your beverages and food with you. They have mini tables and cup/​glass holders waiting at your seat.
It was quite the pleasantly surprising outing, and holy cow, I most definitely plan on coming back.

I always forget to get the discounted parking while I’m here — you have to ask at the ID station for an envelope to put in the parking station, and that’s hard to remember to do — I think the discount should be done some other way, like on the way out…
However, I *love* that I can drink in a theater! They have great drink selections and such. I come here at least every month or two. :)

Great to have the old Metro theater ripped out and replaced with a much nicer theater! We came here on a Friday night to catch the Entourage movie. We ended up eating dinner nearby (Mamma Melina) so got snacks and cocktails with our movie.
Get there with plenty of time to spare, the cocktail line takes forever! They do have classic theater snacks and some unique ones too. Cocktails were heavy on the hand, but tasty.

Perfect rainy day solution! Which apparently, is every day in Seattle. ;D
We killed some time at Sundance before a flight, and found it was pretty freakin sweet! We wanted to see Chappie, and since it wasn’t playing back in Maui yet, we decided it would be perfect.
What we loved about the theater: very warm and cozy… Even with second level bar and fireplace! Theater seats were recliners, and had plenty of arm room. Also had a little side table to get your grind on during the movie. I especially liked that you could pick your seating… For last minute people like me, it’s awesome to know I am not going to have shhty seats, even if I get there as the credits are rolling.
Any place with a bar and soft baked pretzels alright by me.

Sundance cinemas upgrades your movie going experience!
I really like this place for several reasons!
1) they have discounted parking! this is a boon in the hard to find parking area of the U. district. You have to tell them which spot your in and its a $ 2 charge you can pay as you enter theater or when you buy ticket
2) they have half off prices every Monday if you have an Orca transit card! score!
3) they have assigned seating which you can choose at box office or on-​line! no more fighting over seats in the dark!
4) they show mix of major studio films to indie movies!
they also serve food, beer and wine. The food is definitely above regular cinema fare with things like personal pizzas, sandwiches and salads. Above all they have tater tots! This sells it for me. The tots are baked so a little healthier albeit less crunchy. They have a nice lounge area upstairs with faux fireplace to warm up and snack. Staff is always very super friendly. My new go to place for flicks!