AMC Uptown 1

The Uptown theater is THE PLACE to see a movie with outdoor or wide-scope scenery. I saw Star Wars there five times, once laying on the floor! Platoon and Apocolypse Now would not have been the same in any other theater. If only I could have seen Crimson Tide there. *sigh* I have seen the Harry Potter movies there with my son, who at 17 is now an Uptown addict. I've never been disappointed with a balcony seat. The only thing missing is IMAX, but I can go to the Air & Space museum or out to the 'burbs for that if I must. I love the Uptown!!! more

Uptown may not be among DC's most up-to-date theaters (without stadium seating, 3D-capable screen, and other modern additions), but what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in character. This historic single-screen venue has hosted Hollywood premiers such as "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Dances with Wolves" and today generally plays action/sci-fiction type films. Despite its small lobby and sometimes long lines, it still draws a considerable crowd that cheers and claps and creates a congenial / communal atmosphere often absent from large, anonymous theaters. Take the metro and arrive early enough to secure a good seat. If you're short, the ones in wheel-chair accessible row (with more leg room) near the back are a good choice. more

There are good things about the Uptown - great sound, nice balcony. But none of this makes up for the terrible screen. Yes, it is huge, but huge screens are easy to find in the age of IMAX. The Uptown's screen is an Panavision screen from the 1960's, and there hasn't been a film released in Panavision for decades. Panavision films were meant to be projected on large, curved screens to produce an immersive experience, but when you project modern films, which are meant to be shown on flat screens, the picture becomes distorted, with all objects comically stretched the further they are from the center of the picture. The theater also has no light baffles - when the door to the lobby is opened, the light from outside washes out the screen. more