More than a show
12/4/2024
The Flix Brewhouse experience includes dining in and enjoying the offerings of the taproom.
Catching the latest flick at the movie theater has been a pastime for people of all ages, but with the advent of streaming services and the growing number of options for watching movies at home, many opt for a “movie night” while curled up on the couch. This holiday season may have people flocking to theaters for big releases such as “Moana 2,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” but many will be looking for more than just a good movie. These days, theaters are increasingly offering more than just the show; they are offering an experience.
Films and a mission
The Varsity Cinema, 1207 25th St., Des Moines, is a nonprofit theater operated by Des Moines Film. With two screens supplying 32 and 231 seats, this theater provides an intimate vibe while showing not only blockbuster movies but indie and arthouse films, too.
Des Moines Film has been around since 2015 providing community events revolving around movies in the Des Moines area. However, when the Varsity Cinema property became available to purchase, the board of directors saw it as an opportunity to create a homebase for the nonprofit.
When it comes to keeping audiences engaged with programming, Regen Kuker, director of operations and engagement for the Varsity, said, “Events are required…. We have our core audience coming consistently to our movies, but we have to raise the bar if we want people beyond that.”
As a nonprofit, Varsity Cinema offers events that go along with its movie offerings. Many are educational in nature and include Q&A sessions such as the one offered with Ben Godar, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, directors and writers, following the showing of their movie, “Heretic.”
Scrolling down the “Coming Soon” section on Varsity’s website, it is apparent that events are what make the Varsity stand out. With the anticipated release of “Wicked,” the screen adaptation of the 2003 musical of the same name, a Pre-Screening Singalong was held on Nov. 22. In December, Santa appearances are planned in conjunction with showings of the Christmas movie, “Elf.”
Another main component of the Varsity programming is education. Many of the Varsity events are community partnerships. On Dec. 11, the Varsity will be showing “Maria,” a biopic based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas, with a pre-screening Q&A with opera scholar Roger Pines. Just recently, the Varsity hosted another Q&A with the writers and directors, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, of the film “Heretic.” Audiences came to see a screening of the film and were able to ask questions afterward.
“What distinguishes us from for-profit places is our mission-driven programming,” Ben Godar, executive director of the Varsity said. “We’re looking at things like artistic value and highlighting diverse voices.”
Films and hospitality
Flix Brewhouse is a movie theater chain based in Rock Round, Texas. Located at 3800 Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, the business offers a variety of amenities to satisfy customers, such as the Maximum Experience Theaters that feature 204 seats. Flix Brewhouse opened its doors in Des Moines in 2014, becoming the first dine-in cinema in the Des Moines area.
Emily Verke, general manager at Flix Brewhouse, says that hospitality is Flix Brewhouse’s specialty and a key to meeting customer expectations.
“We have servers who come up to you, so it is like you are in a traditional restaurant…everything is brought to your seat so you never have to leave if you do not want to. That way, you are here for the entire experience,” Verke said.
At B&B Theatres, patrons can enjoy bowling, arcade games, a meal at Sterling’s, Uno tournaments and trivia events along with the latest releases.
Flix offers numerous ways to place your order. Traditionally, people order from Flix’s QR code system by scanning to receive a digital menu. Additionally, Flix has a light system where patrons can press a button located in front of them that will notify a server. Thirty minutes before the movie begins, Flix has a pre-show that plays funny clips the Flix staff put together. During that time, people usually place their orders but can call on a server at any point during the movie.
Events are also popular among Flix Brewhouse movie-goers. Flix is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Dec. 14 with cake provided alongside a special glass created for the event. This is a tradition that Flix started for any special event. The unique glasses go along with the movie being shown. Often, audience members will pair their new glass with Flix’s beer.
“We brew all of our beer on site,” Verke said. “We have a tap room, so even if you are not here for a movie, you can still enjoy food or drinks.”
With so many streaming services available, Verke is confident Flix can compete by drawing people to enjoy the experience of a dine-in movie theater instead of sitting at home. The marketing team at Flix reports they are expecting pre-pandemic sized audiences in 2025 and 2026. Increasingly, people are excited with studios like Disney that are producing $1 billion movies this year like “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.”
The theater is gearing up for the busy holiday season.
“It’s a lot of preparing, making sure that we have the right amount of team members here to take care of all of our guests’ needs, making sure that we put the right show times at the right times for our guests,” Verke said. “We’re just making sure that we provide 100% hospitality to our guests to bring them back to Flix.”
Films, fun and games
B&B Theatres is one of the largest theaters in the Des Moines area. Located at 1580 S.W. Market St. in Ankeny, it offers 12 screens with the smallest one having 37 seats and the largest 201. The movie theater chain is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, with it being the largest family-owned theater in America.
Since opening its doors in 2018, B&B Theatres has offered much more in its complex than movies. Bradley Butin, B&B Theatres marketing and special events manager at the Ankeny location, said patrons can spend the entire day at B&B. Not only does it have its own restaurant (Sterling’s), it also has a play area for kids, bowling alleys and an arcade.
Overseeing the events held, Butin plays a big part in the community engagement that happens at B&B.
“I do Uno tournaments every other week,” Butin said. “We do a variety of events here plus our three party rooms for birthday parties.”
On top of that, during the weeks where there are no Uno tournaments, Butin holds trivia contests, which often have a theme. Recently, B&B hosted Disney trivia to get people excited for the release of “Moana 2.” Butin reports that audiences at B&B are excited for blockbuster movies, but there isn’t a demand for the independent or indie movies.
“Everybody is going to go see the action movies like ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ and ‘Wicked’…but they’re not the artsy movies,” Butin said. “A lot of times [indie films] are really good movies, but we’ll only get them for a week or two.”
Most of the production for these blockbuster movies was halted due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes happening in Los Angeles from July 14 to Nov. 9 of 2023. Despite that, Butin says trivia nights at B&B and the return of regular releases are bringing back core audiences.
“We really focus on that experience, and nowhere else here in the Des Moines area can you bowl and go to an arcade,” Butin said. “You can be here all day with all the amenities we have.” ♦
