Star Theater offers more than just latest Hollywood features

The Star Southfield movie theater is like the garden of Eden to movie fans, a place where nearly every movie in release is playing on one of its 20 screens (soon to be expanded to a whopping 30), and it's no coincidence that this massive building has had the highest attendance of any theatre in the nation since it opened in June 1997.

The huge lobby of the the Star Southfield is packed with movie memorabilia (as are the halls leading to the actual screening rooms), video games, big screen TVs on which trailers play and various stands where salespeople hock jewelry and designer coffee.

ADRIANA YUGOVICH/Daily The Star Theater in Southfield, Mich., is a bright and shinning example of the latest trend in theater-building: Bigger is much, much better. Wether sitting in the theater's stadium-style seats or just soaking in the always-vibrant atmosphere in the lobby - the Star has something for everyone. Just don't forget to actually watch the movie.

As a special nod to the Motor City, a classic car stands on a pedestal at the back entrance. The teeming masses create long lines for tickets - although the automatic ticketing machines provide a speedy alternative for credit card holders - and snacks. The actual screening rooms flank both sides of the lobby away from the noise of the main drag.

One restaurant, Johnny Rocket's, finally opened several months ago after many delays. Several other restaurants are slated to be a part of the main lobby, though nobody is holding her breath. The Johnny Rocket's burger joint serves up burgers and other semi-fast food treats that taste much better than anything coming off the scary hotdog cooking mechanisms at most other theatres.

Then again, there's always the centrally located snack barn run by slower-than-molasses Star Southfield employees, who sometimes also operate the smaller snack bars on either side of the screening room halls. Standing in line for these and still getting back to the seat before the movie starts - regardless of the 15 minutes of trailers that precede each screening - is something of a crapshoot, so it is best to get food early.

But nobody really goes to the movies to play arcade games or snarf down pathetically garnished chicken tenders, despite what the Star Southfield management would have us think. As one would expect, the actual movie-going experience inside the screening room is where the Southfield proves itself as the Cadillac of movieplexes.

Beautiful plush rocking chairs with room for the most ample derriere make up row upon row of stadium seating. Crystal-clean floors that shine without unpleasant stickiness flow between aisles of red carpet. Dozens of speakers line the walls, offering the very finest sound standards in THX certification (the special sounds-the-same-from-anywhere-you-sit setup pioneered by George Lucas), SDDS and Dolby Digital.

Most importantly, the screens are mammoth. No matter where the seat is located, the view is unhindered by heads or other appendages that block line of sight at non-stadium theatres.

There are rarely problems with projection - a nice treat in this day of laissez-faire movie theaters - and when there are, Star Southfield's policy is to offer free passes to disgruntled customers in order to keep them coming back again and again. A simple complaint at the customer service desk can solve any problem.

The Star Southfield stands as much more than an experience - it's an addiction. Whatever the reason for the journey, the best place for catching mainstream movies in southeastern Michigan is provided only at the Star Southfield. The tickets are cheaper than Showcase and matinee prices are available until 6 p.m. A mere 30-minute drive from campus, it's worth the time to hop in the car and experience movies as they were meant to be seen: In style.

Feb. 4: Theater thrill-ride

3 What: The Star Southfield Theater

3 Where: Southfield, Mich.

3 How to get there: Take U.S.-23 North to M-14 East to I-275 North. Follow that to I-696 East to the Lodge. Get off at the Telegraph Road exit going East. From Telegraph turn left on 12 Mile Road. The theater is about a half-mile up the road on the left.

3 How long: 30-45 minutes depending on traffic

3 How Much: $5.50 for matinee shows, $7.50 for all seats after 6 p.m.

3 What's There: 20 stadium-seating screens all with cockpit-style bucket rocking chairs. Lots of candy, popcorn and over-priced soft-drinks waiting to be bought. Johnny Rocket's '50s era diner, where if you're not killed by Brando and some of his "wild" biker friends, the grease will get you in the end.

02-04-99