Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 13, 2009
Weekly Indulgence
Samara Litvack
Last Thursday, I, along with hundreds of other in-the-know Chattanoogans, attended the grand opening of the country’s first certified green movie theater. Registered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for its environmentally conscious design, Carmike Cinema’s Majestic Theater gained much national recognition before it even opened its doors.
The 100 percent digital 12-plex, with wall-to-wall screens (three of which have 3D capabilities), opened to the public in true Hollywood fashion, complete with red carpet, an array of movie characters mingling in the crowd and food from the area’s finest restaurants.
I arrived at 6:30 that evening, expecting to be right on time, and entered to find a packed house. After locating the food line (I’m telling you, there were hundreds of people packed in that place), I enjoyed an assortment of heavy hors dourves, served by volunteers from Creative Discovery Museum, McKamey Animal Shelter, Children’s Advocacy Center, Tennessee Aquarium and T.C. Thompson Hospital. (Each of these organizations also sold tickets for the event, with $5 going to Carmike and $20 going to their respective causes.)
The exceptional assortment included spicy tuna on wonton crisps with wasabi aoli and Sriracha sauce from Bluewater; pork tenderloin marinated in Big River’s Oktoberfest beer, as well as the restaurant’s signature carrot cake; curry chicken salad and Benton’s country ham sliders from Blue Plate; pickled gulf shrimp with buttered croutons and Tasmanian salmon and leek tartar with toasted potato bread from Easy Seafood Bistro & Bar; and paella stuffed mussels with crawfish and shrimp from 212 Market.
I made my way to the concession stand, passing the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Laura Croft of Tomb Raider fame, Jack Sparrow and Batman, and grabbed a Coke, some popcorn and a bag of cotton candy. Each item came served in an eco friendly container – the EcoSelect popcorn bag advertised that “up to 50 percent of the energy needed to produce the natural fiber present” in it is sourced from hydro power and renewable bio-fuels. Impressive.
A three-piece band played from the loft above the lobby as the sea of people around me moved from the food tables to concessions back toward the hallway.
As I followed, I passed a bar, serving Barefoot brand wine and Big River brews, and then I hit what has to be the coolest part of the new theater. The Ovation Club VIP Auditorium screening room, open to patrons 21 and older, is awesome for several reasons. Obvious from the age restriction, the VIP screening room serves alcohol. It also comes complete with full table service, including entrees (Asian wings, Caribbean jerk shrimp, dill crab cakes and more); desserts (cookie with ice cream sundae, key lime tart and brownie bottom pie); beverages (soda, tea, coffee and a list of beers); and concessions. The Ovation Club’s seating is also out of this world, with comfortable, stadium style, leather reclining seats with push-button controls.
Unfortunately, I did not have a gold movie ticket so it was on to the regular auditorium for me. First, I headed to the “Couples Retreat” auditorium but, as I should have expected, all those seats were taken. It all worked out for the best, though, because I’d wanted to see “Julie and Julia,” about the 30-year-old who cooks and blogs her way through Julia Childs’ cookbook, since it came out earlier this year.
I had no trouble finding a seat in there, and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the rocking, stadium style seating was, with its retractable, cup holder arm rests.
Once I secured a seat, I left the auditorium one last time to grab another
beverage and hit up the restrooms. (I hate having to get up, for any reason, during a movie.) I bring up the restroom not because I enjoy sharing too much information, but because while I was in there, I was reminded once more that I was visiting the nation’s first LEED certified theater.
“What makes this a green building?” asked a plaque beside the automatic sinks, which then explained that the theater has a 10,000 gallon cistern that collects rainwater from the building’s roof. This water is held in the cistern and piped into the bathrooms for use in the toilets and urinals. The water is colored with a special grey dye to let people know that it’s not safe to drink.
This rain water system reduces storm water runoff, as well as the amount of tap water used, and saves the theater money on monthly water bills. When full, the cistern holds enough water for 7,692 flushes. Amazing.
I returned to my seat with a Big River Oktoberfest beer and some of the best caramel corn I’ve ever tasted and settled in to watch my movie.
The previews began with a great Coke commercial about recycling, and I was reminded once more that the opening of this theater was more than just something cool to do on a Thursday night. This was the grand opening of the first-ever certified green movie theater.
I feel privileged to have been in attendance at the Majestic Theater’s grand opening. One day I’ll tell my grandkids that when I was their age, I attended the grand opening of the nation’s first eco-friendly movie theater, much like my grandparents tell me about getting their first television. Hopefully by then it will be just as common.
Contact Samara at samara@hamiltoncountyherald.
com.
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