A majestic opening

On opening night at the Majestic, business starts to trickle in; moviegoers tilt their heads up to gape at the grandeur of the place, temporarily taken aback by reverence usually reserved for cathedrals. There's no denying the new Majestic theater is gorgeous; and due to its luster, polish and large-scale appeal, it has the most powerful presence on Fenton and Ellsworth, bringing a new meaning to the phrase "summer blockbuster."

An expansion of the Consolidated Theaters movie chain, the Majestic theater opened on May 7, pumping even more pizzazz into the place-to-be vicinity. Boasting 20 movie screens, the Majestic may attract more metropolitan flick-seekers downtown than even the AFI Silver theater, which was part of the Downtown Silver Spring revitalization effort. And with a new Borders, Chipotle Mexican Grill and plenty of popular attractions already nearby, the Majestic will no doubt get a taste of the Silver Spring spotlight.

Inside the Majestic, pastel greens, blues and oranges neatly smear the ceiling. Two flat screens are on the walls near the concession stand, playing movie trailers above dozens of snack tables. Near the entrance, movie posters are up for Spider-Man 2, Harry Potter and more. Almost as an afterthought, a small arcade is thrown in on the side, as if the Majestic hasn't already outdone just about every other theater around.

One of those outclassed theaters is Rockville's Regal Cinema, which is known for its comfy-cozy seating. The seats in the Majestic are closer to mini-mattresses in comfort. Boasting high-padded headrests and retractable armrests, the seats are also fluffed with special foam that forms around the contours of your body. For the deaf, a "rear window captioning" function projects text onto cup-holder mirrors for an individual view of superimposed screen subtitles. The Majestic arranges its seating stadium-style for easy viewing of its wall-to-wall movie screens, while enhancing the audio experience with a classy Dolby Digital surround sound system. Even Dale Coleman, Vice President of Operations at Consolidated Theaters, is impressed. "We think this is as fine a movie theater as there is in the D.C. Market," Coleman says.

Reel-ing in the rest

Tucked neatly away the next block over on the fourth floor of City Place mall is City Place AMC, the theater that has been the center for Silver Spring movies for twelve years. The Majestic may change that, but the City Place staff isn't worried: The Majestic costs more money to attend. According to City Place AMC manager Nestor Melgar, the Majestic's elevated prices may be the reason City Place business hasn't suffered since the Majestic opened.

The Majestic: $8.75 for adult tickets, $6.75 for students, $6.00 for seniors and $6.00 for children. City Place: $7.50 for adults, $5.50 for students, $5.50 for seniors and $4.50 for children.

In any case, the Majestic is celebrating itself—the decorations say everything.

Dozens of silver balloons are loosely tethered to the stairway railings, a train of electric star shapes glow on the largest wall, colored lights near a movie entrance shift through shades of the rainbow and even a carpet with various ribbon and glitter patterns tell you where the party's at—right here, especially with the Majestic's Shrek-powered grand opening last Friday, and the upcoming U.S. premiere of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is sure to turn Silver Spring into something of a temporary Tinseltown. Because of its grandiose allure and old fashioned charm, big-buck events like the Prisoner of Azkaban premiere could be a regular occurrence Downtown. And with the classic criss-crossing searchlights, the Majestic has already become nothing short of a spectacle.