Even as we mourn the local downtown Cinemark Century Riverside, movie theaters aren’t totally dead. For now, at least.
After Reno lost one of the most affordable and convenient movie experiences last year, this made many of us explore other options in northern Nevada.
Watching a movie in theaters isn’t cheap anymore, with reclined seating, IMAX screenings, and popcorn that costs just as much as your ticket.
That means moviegoers have to do extra research to see what discounts are available. After contacting four movie theaters in Reno and Sparks, here is my personal ranking based on price, cinematic experience, and the discounts offered for the public but specifically for a college student like myself. But first, let’s get some basics down:
Galaxy IMAX vs. Cinemark XD
Every movie theater has its own cinema experiences and benefits, and these are more similar than many would think. Galaxy theaters offer IMAX, which provides heightened video quality on a larger screen with greater sound systems. IMAX provides some of the largest screens and highest clarity pictures in the cinema world, but it comes with a higher price. Cinemark XD is very similar, and was created to compete with IMAX experiences. It replicates many of the same qualities but with slight differences. Many XD screens can be slightly smaller than IMAX and tend to not provide the same 3D quality options as their counterpart, which could be a reason as to why their average price is usually cheaper than for IMAX. Cinemark XD does offer an additional option to the XD experience that IMAX does not, and that’s D-BOX seating. Moviegoers can upgrade their general luxury loungers to immersive, real-time motion seats. These seats replicate movements and vibrations from films to enhance the movie experience. Each cinema upgrade has its pros and cons, but XD and IMAX are relatively similar and enhance the standard movie experience in both sound and visuals.
Below are my top four local theatres, with my favorite at the ending of this list.
Photo from Google Maps
4. Cinemark Century Summit Sierra
Even though it is one of the nicest theaters in Reno, for students like myself, it is also the farthest from campus. The theater is almost 10 miles south of downtown Reno and does not offer any college student discounts like Galaxy in Legends. But Summit Sierra does have its perks. All Cinemark Century theaters offer $6 standard tickets to any moviegoer all day every Tuesday for non reward members. What’s even better is that Cinemark docks down tickets to $5.50 if someone signs up for rewards through their mobile app, which is the cheapest offer out of all the Reno theaters. The price would be enough to boost its ranking, but for the fact that it does not have any XD or D-box seating options while also being the farthest theater, it’s going in my fourth slot.
1170 Scheels Dr Sparks, NV 89434 United States | Photo by Samantha Wagner
3. Galaxy Theatres Legends IMAX, Sparks
Like the Cinemark Sierra, the Sparks Galaxy does not offer any student discounts, but they do offer Tuesday discount rewards, $6 on Tuesday anytime for a standard movie.
Unlike Summit Sierra, though, moviegoers MUST be a member and sign up for their rewards in order to receive the discount. The only reason it is third for me is because of its proximity to campus, being a little bit more convenient while also offering the IMAX experience. As someone who watched Deadpool & Wolverine in an IMAX, it could make a world of a difference in creating the perfect immersive movie experience, so it really comes down to preference.
2040 Century Way Reno, NV 89502 United States | Photo by Samantha Wagner
2. Cinemark Century Park Lane 16 and XD
There are only two movie theaters that offer student discounts all week, Park Lane 16 being one of them. Just like Summit Sierra, $6 Tuesday discounts are available for everybody, rewards member or otherwise, along with the extra $0.50 discount for those with the Cinemark app. On top of the discounted Tuesdays, this location offers student discounts every weekday after 6 p.m. and after 4 p.m. on weekends. Apart from the $6 Tuesday deal, college students can show their ID and receive a matinee ticket for the same price as a regular day ticket ($7.50 instead of $11.50 for standard matinee). This location also has D-BOX seats available and XD screenings, which come at a cheaper price than Galaxy’s IMAX.
1250 Victorian Ave Sparks, NV 89431 United States | Photo by Samantha Wagner
Galaxy Theatres Victorian, Sparks
After much deliberation and calls to movie theater executives, there was only one theater that was the most accommodating to college students, proximity-wise and financially; the Galaxy Theatres Victorian in Sparks. It is the closest movie theater to campus, beating Cinemark Century Park Lane 16 by a mere three to four minutes. They provide all of the Tuesday $6.00 discounts, for members only, but they also offer the best student discount in town. At any time or any day, matinee or otherwise, college students can purchase a ticket for $6.00 flat when they present their student ID. Even though they do not offer any IMAX experiences like the location in Legends, there are no time or day restrictions on student discounts, which makes it arguably the most convenient and affordable movie theater for college students in Reno.
Regardless of how I ranked Reno and Sparks theaters is not necessarily important, every movie theater here provides great benefits and amazing upgrades. It just depends on what students are looking for in making their ideal movie experience. Do motioned seats or IMAX screenings make or break a movie? Does proximity matter and does a dollar or two off a ticket really make that big of a difference? That’s going to be up to you, but at least now, you have the right information to make that kind of decision.