I recently visited Schulman's Movie Bowl Grille in Corsicana with my kids to see the new Supergirl…read moremovie on a Friday evening in late June. I was genuinely excited because we have a Schulman's theater in my hometown called Film Alley, and it's absolutely beautiful, clean, and well-maintained. I was expecting a similar experience, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
The moment we walked inside, we were hit with a strong musty, stagnant smell. The air felt heavy, warm, and humid. On a Texas summer day, the last thing you expect is for a movie theater to feel warmer inside than outside.
The lobby has some nice features, including an arcade, what looked like a cornhole area, and the ticket and concession counter. However, the layout feels very cramped. As soon as you walk through the front doors, there's very little space before you're right in the middle of the ticket line and concession area. With people constantly coming in and others waiting to buy tickets, drinks, popcorn, and snacks, it quickly becomes crowded and difficult to move around comfortably.
As we looked around while waiting in line, I also noticed how dirty everything seemed. This wasn't just a few pieces of popcorn on the floor after a movie. It looked like the floors hadn't been thoroughly cleaned in quite some time, which only added to the disappointing first impression.
After getting our tickets, we waited in the hallway for our theater. The smell became even stronger, especially near the restrooms, and the warmth was even more noticeable. It was honestly unpleasant.
We decided to stay since we had already paid for our tickets. Once inside the theater, it was still very warm, and the odor hadn't improved.
One thing I did like was the QR code ordering system. It was easy to scan and browse the menu. I ordered a chicken wrap, fries, and a Diet Coke, while my son ordered popcorn and candy.
Unfortunately, the ordering system has some issues. There was no option to request basic items like ketchup, ranch, barbecue sauce, napkins, utensils, or even extra items after placing the order, despite the app saying you could. That's something that definitely needs improvement.
Our food arrived about 20 minutes later, which was perfectly reasonable. The fries were actually very good. However, we weren't given any ketchup, napkins, utensils, or condiments of any kind.
To make matters worse, my Diet Coke had been filled so full that when the employee handed it to me, it spilled all over me and my son. Since we hadn't been given any napkins, there was no way to clean it up.
Then my son was told they were out of the candy he originally ordered. He picked Reese's Peanut Butter Cups instead, but when he opened them, they were completely melted.
Throughout the movie, I kept trying to order napkins through the QR code system, but there simply wasn't an option.
One thing that also surprised me was how easily we could hear the movie playing in the theater next door during our movie's quiet scenes. I've honestly never experienced that before--not even at discount theaters.
There were definitely some positives. The movie itself was great, the fries were delicious, and spending time with my kids made the evening enjoyable despite everything else.
However, I think this theater has several areas that need immediate attention:
* Fix the air conditioning. Texas summers are too hot for a warm theater.
* Find and eliminate the musty odor, especially around the restroom area.
* Improve overall cleanliness throughout the building.
* Update the QR ordering system to allow guests to request napkins, utensils, and condiments.
* Make sure concession items are stocked and candy is stored properly.
If you plan on eating here, I'd honestly recommend bringing your own wet wipes or napkins just in case, because we weren't provided any.
I really wanted to love this theater because I've had such wonderful experiences with another Schulman's location. Sadly, this visit was disappointing from the moment we walked in until the time we left.
Overall, I'd give this location 1 out of 5 stars. The movie was great, the fries were tasty, and I enjoyed spending time with my kids, but the cleanliness, odor, lack of air conditioning, and poor food service experience made this a theater I probably won't return to unless significant improvements are made.
