No night out complete without a movie

The city of Lodi has always had a lot of great things going for it, but for a long while, movie theaters were not among them. Sure, we had the long-standing Sunset Cinema (housing a grand total of one screening room), as well as the token tri-plex with sticky floors and torn screens, two of which weren’t much bigger than the HDTVs you can watch for free at any Circuit City.

But Lodi’s moviegoers have been living the high life since July 19, 2000, which marked the grand opening of the Stadium 12.

A cinema palace boasting no less than a dozen state-of-the-art screening rooms, it’s widely regarded as the backbone of Lodi’s revitalized downtown area, and one of the very best theaters in the valley. A staple establishment that has seen steadily increasing business since it opened almost five year ago, the Stadium 12 has become a celebrated success, catering to discriminating moviegoers of all kinds.

With so many screens, the Stadium 12 is able to show practically every film in wide release at any given time, and even a few limited-release gems as well. With such a varied selection, any movie fan is sure to find a film suitable to their tastes instead of having to settle for whatever happens to be the “movie of the week.”

And with the screening rooms being in such close proximity to each other, visiting families needn’t think twice about splitting up and allowing the kids to enjoy the latest children’s film while the grown-ups pursue more adult fare.

Like all theaters, the Stadium 12 derives the vast majority of its profits from the sale of theater concessions. And also like all other theaters, the prices of movie snacks at the Stadium 12 are more inflated than Julia Roberts’ lips — I’ll just have a cup of water, thank you very much.

But for those viewers whose movie-going experience is not complete without a bucket of hot, fresh popcorn, a box of their favorite candy and a refreshing soda by their side, the theater does offer a more than serviceable selection of concessions, ranging from the usual suspects like popcorn and candy to slightly less common treats such as nachos and Icees.

Or, if you prefer to enjoy a more complete meal before or after a screening, the theater complex houses several easily recommendable dining establishments: Downtown Pizza and Pasta, offering several pasta dishes and pizzas whole or by the slice; Scooter’s, which serves a wide variety of sandwiches, signature wraps and gourmet coffees; Quizno’s, featuring unbeatable hot sandwiches; Moo Moo’s, a burger joint that has amassed something of a cult following thanks to their beer-battered French fries; Cold Stone Creamery, which sells arguably the best, most creatively served ice cream in Lodi; and Starbucks Coffee, the one-stop shop for all your caffeine needs.

Once you’re filled up and ready to enjoy your movie, the theater’s stadium seating awaits. Due to the leveled seating, patrons need not worry about having to find that one seat that doesn’t have another viewer directly in front of it; every seat in all 12 screening rooms offers a direct, unobscured view of the movie screen, even if the person sitting in front of you has been taking hair-grooming tips from Marge Simpson. In addition to always having a clear view of the screen, viewers can also get comfortable by reclining their seats slightly and lifting up the moveable armrests, creating a loveseat-like effect.

Because of these features, awkward and uncomfortable seating has become a thing of the past for Lodi moviegoers, as have run-down screening room interiors, stale popcorn and limited movie choices.

Say what you will about the kinds of movies Hollywood has been putting out lately — at least we now have a proper establishment in which to cheer or jeer them.

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