Amazing movie experience! Tucked deep inside the old AMC building--with a cute coffee shop out front--it's easy to miss that there are multiple floors of movie theaters inside. We just saw the new Avatar movie in IMAX, and the theater was almost empty. The lack of crowds is clearly because not many people know this place exists... which I secretly hope stays that way (though I do want it to stay open, hence this review!). The seats are very comfortable, and everything was clean, including the bathrooms. A friendly door greeter made the whole experience super easy and welcoming. We purchased popcorn and a soda, and instead of a staffed concession stand, you're given a container to fill at a self-serve station near your theater. Pro tip: get the small popcorn--you can refill it as many times as you want The soda fountain is also self-serve and stocked with more choices than you could possibly need, including plenty of diet options, which is great if you're watching your sugar intake. Refills are unlimited too! read more

Apple Cinemas feels like a hidden gem that is well-maintained and has a total of 7 floors. Once you walk in, there are self-serve kiosks where you can either purchase or scan your tickets for the staff to review. The concession stand is located on the 2nd floor, which has a variety of classic candies, snacks and more. Just a heads up that the staff is strict with restricting outside food, so they will hold onto anything you do bring from outside so that you can pick it up as you're leaving. The popcorn and drinks are self-serve, which is located to the left area of the concession stand once you pick up your bucket and drink cups. It's very easy to fill up your popcorn and drinks - for popcorn, there is also the butter valve option here. The escalators will take you up to your theater - my friends and I watched Project Hail Mary and were seated higher up towards to back row section. The chairs are very comfy and I felt relaxed while watching the movie (which is about 2.5 hours long!). The bathrooms are located on the 2nd floor and are well-maintained and clean. I enjoyed my experience here and highly recommend checking it out. read more

I went to an early showing of Project Hail Mary on their IMAX screen and for the first ten minutes, the screen was completely dark with loud audio only. A customer informed staff and the picture was shown a few minutes after the movie began. This is a huge multistoried theatre but two people work at the concession stand on the 2F and the rest of the place is pretty much unattended until after the movie was over, when someone comes to tidy the theatre. My seat didn't recline, some did, some didn't. read more

Apple Cinemas - Go in from here - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Sadly, the whole point of going to the cinema is to step into a secluded, cozy world of your own. This cinema, however, feels more like an open house than a sanctuary. Anyone can wander in and out of any screen without ever buying a ticket, since on both of my recent visits, nobody once asked to see ours -- leaving us wondering why we'd bothered paying at all. Twice during a film -- once during Avatar, once during Scream 7 -- a stranger wandered in, watched for a few minutes, then left without a word. It doesn't feel safe. It doesn't feel cozy. It doesn't feel like anywhere special. What makes this all the more frustrating is the potential staring you in the face. This is a vast, impressive space that could host all manner of events and experiences. Instead, it feels utterly neglected -- a place that has simply given up on itself. It's a real shame, and I'll be honest: I don't give it much longer. read more

Attending during less busy/off hours is highly recommended. Film palace architecture shld return to pre-Covid attendance levels read more

Apple Cinemas - Lobbys historical artwork - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A wonderful landmark to revel in the beauty of. Walking past the building I'd never have guessed a theatre was inside. They have so many screening rooms & I happened to be watching a movie in one of the smaller screening rooms. It was cozy to say the least. Isles weee pretty narrow & the seat didn't recline but the sound was amazing & service throughout was good. Would definitely go back for the landmark alone. read more

They painted everything black. They really remodeled. Popcorn outside the second floor. Went to see "Michael" on IMAX. Definitely AMC is triple their size. Apple is still big. Chairs in leather? You can buy tickets or scan tickets at the kiosk on first floor. One attendant monitoring. He was helpful. This is a sad building since the theater is the only tenant. The coffee shop did not survive. Paid parking is still available. Bathrooms were clean with hand dryer at the sink where water comes out. read more

In this day and age, I have spent too much time watching movies on the phone or laptop devices Doesn't suffice watching movies at the movie theater since the late 1980s Nice renovation..new seats ..elevators were always here ..4 floors or so ..lounge sofas and a view of mid city SF near Van ness Watched David the animated Bible story .. around Christmas coming back today Visited years ago and happy to be back ..feels like home the movie theater read more

Apple Cinemas - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

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So happy there's once again a theatre close to me and very accessible via public transit! Seats are large, comfy, and recline. First this was open pre-pandemic and I went here to see an early screening of Crazy Rich Asians with my mom that I won online! It was the AMC Van Ness theatre. She used to live and work in San Francisco (before she had kids and moved to the suburbs) and had fond memories of this theatre. Then, it closed for a bit during the pandemic. Recently, it opened again. The SF Chronicle wrote about the historic building and how there's this new coffee shop inside, helping revitalize the building and area. I went for the first time to see Tron:Ares when it premiered. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Seats are lush and comfy and clean (the whole theatre is very clean--it's impeccable!) There's a large variety of snacks. Lots of candy and drinks. Again, the employees are wonderful. The screens are large. There were a few commercials but honestly it felt like much less than other theatres. I don't drive in SF, but they do validate parking! Will be back! read more

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Well I just checked it out tonight . I was sad when the AMC here closed cause it was my favorite AMC. Watched the Oscar's once and it was great . This place is in the original Cadillac building lot of history and a fabulous building. So the place had no person visible to sell you a ticket . You could buy on line or thru their machine . It's nice in side but no human touch at all concession s on the second and fourth floor but no warmth here . Movie is a movie but a place is still a place with no people it's a cold experience. Hopefully that's not where we are headed but it looks like it . They have good movies nice building just not welcoming. The security guard was very helpful and friendly the other only two closed concessions on a Saturday at 7:30 pm ? Really They are offering Senior special every Monday. read more

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I watched Together, a unique and thrilling horror flick, on a quiet Saturday night. Going to this theater was nostalgic, as I used to frequent the former AMC 1000 Van Ness back in the day, with the endless escalators and floors to climb. But Apple Cinema is definitely not the same. There were hardly any floors I needed to go up, to reach auditorium 4. I did have to climb up to that first level of auditoriums though, as the escalators are currently out of order. The red seats in auditorium 4 don't recline at all, but at least they're in brand new condition. Sound and picture quality were fine, and there was only 10 minutes of previews before the feature film. Temperature control was terrible or nonexistent and it was uncomfortably cold inside (outside temperature was in the 50's in SF on this evening). The theater looks like some parts are still under construction, an eyesore and inconvenience, but strangely other parts are really nice, like the lobby seating in the first level with auditoriums. Also, the concession stands are bright and colorful, and they offer the self-serve customizable soda machines. On street level inside the building, there are ticket kiosks at the bottom of the non-working escalators. But service was nonsensical down here. I had pre-purchased my ticket, but the staff said I had to print it out at the kiosk. There was apparently a single kiosk to do this at in which he would check the ticket for entry. And the single staff member was just taking his time, one by one, doing this for each guest. What kind of stupid system is this?!? I could have been sitting in the auditorium watching my movie already by the time he helped me (seriously, I was tempted to just head up the steps without him scanning my ticket). I wouldn't mind this process if staff was competent in checking/printing tickets and not going to make me late for my film, but this service was ridiculously slow and unprofessional, and the guy was a bit rude too. FYI, there were what appeared to be model seats in the lobby that looked comfier and had swivel tray tables, with a sign saying "coming soon", so maybe they will be updating the seating options in some of the auditoriums. But as of August 2025, I'm giving this place 2 stars as my overall experience presented more cons than pros. read more

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I always walk by this theatre and decided to watch a movie on Tuesday night. Little did I know Tuesday is their bargain days! Tickets after fees were only $8 each. When you enter you can scan your QR code at the machines and then a staff member will mark your ticket and you can go upstairs to buy snacks or go find your seats. My friend and I were pleasantly surprised by how nice everything was. The theatres seemed pretty clean and the seats were new. Also surprising was that there are only 5-10 minutes of previews before the movies start. We will be back! read more

Was super-excited to get the movie theaters at 1000 Van NESs back open. Unfortunately they are very disorganized, not user friendly, so just a bit disappointing. Escalators out, elevator buttons don't work, and they fail to mention on the second floor that you can just buy concessions on the fourth floor (once you figure out how to get up there). Auditorium pretty nice, but they did run over ten minutes of flat out commercials (not previews) before feature. Fingers crossed they hit their stride. read more

PROS: Clean. Organized. Super friendly and accommodating staff. Food and drinks on every level. Diagrams of the seats outside the theaters. Good, self service popcorn. Even though their seats are comfy and well spaced, they are about to get new, upgraded seats! Cherry on top is the beautiful lobby with The Emerald Lounge coffee shop in the entrance. BEST PART: Timely start and no commercials! Before the movie starts, the screen is black and the sound is off. At the advertised start time, movie trailers begin. Eight minutes later, the movie starts. No coke commercials, no repetitive animations reminding you what theater you're in, no Nicole Kidman, no BS. Just 8 minutes of trailers, then your movie. CONS: Even with a digital ticket, you have to print out a paper ticket at a kiosk, which wouldn't print. Luckily there is still a human there who quickly stepped in. The IMAX is not a dome and is not as big and "IMAXy" as we expected. But it's still an impressive screen. read more

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Very big theater! Like 4-6 floors of theaters. We were on the top floor. Didn't get 5 stars because the seats don't recline. :/ I did see though that they are "coming soon" ‍ Also, not sure if it's my older eyes or if the screen actually was a tiny bit blurry for the entire movie. We sat in the very back... bathrooms were very clean!! read more

I used to come here all the time when it was AMC, but haven't been back since it has been reopened. It looks fabulous! Very clean. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Comfortable. I will definitely be coming back regularly! Had a wonderful experience. Happy this theater is back! read more

Gross, everything in the common spaces was dirty. Self serve concessions were disgusting and there was trash everywhere. Also, popcorn all over the ground at every escalator and half of the escalators weren't working. Has been like this the last 2 times I've been here read more

Apple Cinemas - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

I want to give some props to whoever reopened this place up. Really sad when we saw this theatre shut down and glad this is a new version is open. They had some renovations and place looks better from last time when it was under AMC. They closed the elevators off at the bottom level so looks like you'll have to take the escalators which is fine. Also - you buy your food and drinks when you get your tickets which is cool. Just go to the upper levels to get your stuff. There is a small fee for refills. Other than that, place looks great. Oh, the chairs don't recline (theatre 5). Not sure if that goes for all? But would like for a reclining theatre chair. read more

Very happy to have another nice cinema in the city! It was a loss when the AMC left this site and I'm really happy to see how well they've renovated the place. Good sound and screens - plenty of seats now while people are still figuring out the movies are back. Btw, the building is gorgeous on the inside, the theaters were all clean and comfortable and the seats were great. Best bet is to take transit or an uber to the place so you don't have to worry about parking. They had someone helping to work the self serve kiosks in the bottom floor. As an FYI, if you order tickets ahead of time (as we did) you'll still need to print them at the self service kiosks but that's not a big deal. read more

I'm glad this historical building is back to being movie theaters again. This was my favorite place to watch movies when it was under AMC and it's now my favorite again under Apple Cinemas. I'm glad both the interior and exterior hasn't changed at all since the architecture is wonderful. I saw Fantastic Four in one of the IMAX theaters and it was excellent. IMAX was never really meant to be experienced in fully reclining seats so no complaints from me on that and the sound was perfect. Sad to see you can only purchase tickets inside via kiosks versus at a cash register but I only see that as a minor complaint. One last thing to add, I loved that I didn't have to sit through a ton of commercials unlike in big chains like Regal or AMC! read more

Don't believe whatever you hear about this "luxury theatre" on social media! It's far from it. They advertise recliner seats but the seats do NOT recline. Sure they move back 2 inches if you lean against them. I specifically choose theaters with recliners so this was a total scam. Paid $40 for two tickets + $10 parking for an uncomfortable show. Additionally, the theaters are on the 3rd and 4th floors and the escalators weren't even working. Would not return. read more

Saw Project Hail Mary, in their imax theater. They had comfortable leather seats and self serve concessions. I had a great time and will likely consider them when seeing movies in SF moving forward. read more

Good: price good. IMAX screen good. No human Beings around. Broken toilet, running constantly. Soap dispensers broken. Felt abandoned. read more

Great new theater that recently opened! Very clean and welcoming employees who care! Came for the Tuesday deals of $7.50 / movie. Maria at the entrance was kind and gave us 50% off concessions and tickets up to 10/31! Lucy was very helpful to us in helping us as we booked tickets online but didn't get the discount. She was kind and patient in helping us. Habeeb the manager was able to assist us as well and was very kind and they both definitely had customer service first attitudes! There were a lot of theaters and I appreciated the maps outside of them guiding you onto the seats. I appreciated the self serve popcorn and you could set your own butter. Everything was clean and new. The seats themselves were new. Not reclining so not as comfy as they didn't go back as much. The aisles were also not too wide so not the most spacious leg room but doable for a movie. Sound was great as well and screen was clear! Overall a great experience, cheap, clean and great employees! read more

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Amazing location glad it is open again wonderful to see great places like this resume operations

Good theater. Looks like they did a little bit of remodeling from the old place. The staff was super friendly and helpful. During the movie an even help me adjust the volume so that it wasn't as loud as it gets these days. Glad there is another theater in town. Check it out. read more

This place looks impeccable! I watched tron here and loved it! It was imax! The facilities were extremely clean, everyone was friendly and helpful, the seats were comfortable, and we enjoyed our movie! I will be coming back for sure! read more

Apple Cinemas - Movie theater - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

clean, comfortable.. great sound The building itself is wonderful, love the cafe on the lobby floor read more

Habib Miguel and terrell were amazing at this location. Very customer oriented and appreciated the first time visit at this theater. I will come again definitely . read more

Amazing experience. Loved it They don't recline but the theater is otherwise amazing read more

This was our first visit to 1000 Van Ness since this was an AMC theater back in 2018 or so. The space and the cinemas themselves have been significantly upgraded since then - because we didn't visit the theater in its most recent previous incarnation, I'm not sure if the changes were made by Apple Cinemas or by the previous operator - but the whole place was spotless and new, including the restrooms. The theater seats were comfortable although they don't recline. And they were spotless, I didn't see a speck of popcorn or a sticky surface anywhere. That was really impressive. The online ticketing worked well and we were able to print the tickets at one of the kiosks in the lobby. I'm still a little confused on whether printing the tickets was necessary or whether we could have just shown the email we received. It would be nice if Apple Cinemas would support saving online tickets to your Apple Wallet (or Android wallet.) The concession situation was a little confusing and I think they need some explanatory signage. You buy your concessions from the stand at the top of the first landing (on the second floor) but then you have to take the popcorn bag or bucket and empty drink cup down the hallway where they have self-service dispensing of popcorn and drinks. They only have one of the drink dispensing machines which can dispense a whole bunch of different drinks. But disappointingly, every single sugar free soda was unavailable. So the only choice for a sugar-free beverage was iced tea, which is what we chose. It wasn't bad, but I'd been kind of looking forward to the rare pleasure of a carbonated drink, but for medical reasons I can't take a sugary one. So this was a major miss for me and is the reason I did not give them five stars. For now, they do not have most of the items that their website says that they have - so be warned that none of the hot food items are available. It seems to be basically popcorn, soda (but no diet!) and a few candy items. The popcorn was good though. I also have questions about the parking which I couldn't find answers to at the theater or on their website. When this was an AMC, they had a validation system which got theater-goers a somewhat reasonable parking rate. That validation system doesn't seem to exist any more, or I couldn't find evidence of it, and I couldn't find anything that told me how much parking was going to cost. When I looked at the website for the company which operates the parking garage in the building, it indicated it was going to be $30! That's an insane price. We ended up finding street parking so it wasn't an issue, but I'd still like to know how much the parking costs as this will impact whether or not we come to this venue in the future. The price for the tickets themselves were at least a couple of bucks less than AMC, which seems reasonable given fewer amenities and the lack of a comparable rewards program. As we were leaving the theater and walking down the hallway, we passed a staff member (they seem to operate with pretty lean staffing) who asked us if everything had been good with our experience. I thought that was nice and rather unexpected these days. All in all a good experience but I think they need to keep up with changing out the soda syrups when they run out and especially not letting an entire category of drinks (diet sodas) be completely unavailable. I hope they can continue to keep the facility as clean and nice as it was for our visit today. read more

Everything in this theater is brand new. Very clean everywhere, no lines, impeccable bathrooms, refillable soda and self serve popcorn where you can add butter yourself, even at the bottom of the container. Went to see Prince in IMAX and there was room to dance in back. Leather seats were very nice. Look forward to more movies here! read more

Apple Cinemas - Grand Mezzanine - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My husband and I saw Weapons at the new Apple Cinemas and this is officially our new favorite movie theater! It's in a beautiful historic building, feels brand new, and is spotless. The staff were incredibly kind, the snack selection was great (including a super fun automatic popcorn station), and everything was fresh and well-stocked. The whole experience felt elevated and welcoming -- we can't wait to come back! read more

Apple Cinemas - Cinema Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Okay, I'll admit I was skeptical when Apple Cinemas took over the old AMC on Van Ness. We've all been burned by "new and improved" theaters that somehow manage to be worse than what came before. But damn, they actually pulled it off. First time walking in, I was genuinely surprised. The lobby doesn't feel like the usual sticky-floor movie theater vibe. It's got this cool industrial thing going with the brick walls, and the escalator setup is actually pretty slick. My friend made fun of me for taking a photo, but whatever - it looks good. The IMAX theater is insane. Look, it's spread across 7 floors which sounds like a pain, but the escalators work and there are signs everywhere. I'm directionally challenged and even I figured it out. The whole place just feels... maintained? Clean bathrooms, no weird smells, screens that aren't covered in mysterious stains. Basic stuff that somehow a lot of theaters can't manage. read more

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So exciting to have the old theater on Van Ness open again! They've got the classic food, snacks, and drinks to go with their IMAX. currently showing all the usual latest movies. Hopefully they'll add a few old classics occasionally. read more

Had the theater almost all to ourselves. Sound system is loud. The movie started promptly on time. There is still a LOT of 'This is just a soft opening' vibe - the seats don't recline (I guess they'll be replaced?) and the food choices are ... minimalistic. Popcorn you serve yourself. Energy drinks. Fountain coke. Inexplicably three employees at the register to hand you a paper cup for your drink. I liked the theater though and hope it manages to stay in business. read more

Visited the newly reopened Apple Cinemas, formerly the AMC 1000 Van Ness, and was most impressed. The digital projection was flawless, and the sound for SUPERMAN, was superb! I saw it on a Tuesday when all seats, all day are only $5.75. Movies shown in the Imax theater are slightly higher. It is also never that crowded, to put it mildly, as apparently many people are not aware it has reopened. I will be going there frequently, as the sound is far better than at the AMC Kabuki theater, where when I saw OPPENHEIMER in 70mm, there was no surround sound, whatsoever! read more

Saw Wicked 2. It was HOT. Uncomfortable. Not a good experience. Probably won't be back.

Friendly staff and very clean. Will come on back! Previews are around 5-10 minutes. They are putting in a lot of effort and it may help me come back to IRL movies read more

Amazing theater. The building looks stunning. Great seats, great staff, great concessions. Will definitely be coming back here and making it my regular theater over the many other theaters to pick from in SF. read more