For movie lovers in and around Edina, there’s now an extra special place to indulge in the magic of movies. What used to be the dated Edina Theatre, showing mostly independent art movies, was acquired by Mann Theatres and underwent a total renovation.
“We upgraded everything,” says Michelle Mann, whose grandfather Marvin started the business in 1936 with his brother Ted. The auditoriums have brand new screens, new sound, sound panels, and for a truly luxurious experience, heated recliners.
Today, Mann Theatres has nine locations in Minnesota, including its newest in Edina. Michelle and Michael’s father, Steve, actually owned the theater in the late seventies and early eighties. When the venue had to shut its doors during COVID, and the then-owners decided not to reopen, it was a great opportunity to bring it back into the family.
For fans of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the upstairs bar area may look very familiar. “We walked upstairs and thought, wow, the way the structure and architecture is, it would work perfectly to recreate The Gold Room,” says Michelle.
Most of the patrons recognize it, but for those who don’t, they’re just wowed by its beauty. The Manns also created Instagrammable physical installations such as the ghost twins holding hands at the end of the hallway, and an old typewriter just like the one Jack Nicholson uses to type his novel on in the movie.
The full-service bar has popular beers on tap and a variety of wines. “We also have six crafted cocktails that are specific to The Shining, such as the Red Rum,” she says.
You can also watch the iconic movie on one of the theater’s four screens, but there are also plenty of other choices. They are still deciphering what is going to be most popular, so they’ve started to dabble into different genres such as romantic comedies, family movies, independent films and fantasy.
What most people don’t know is that movie theaters cannot just get access to any movie they want. “We have a film buyer who has relationships with all the studios,” says Michelle. “He negotiates with them as far as what films we play and where they're placed. If a film company doesn’t feel that it will play well here, the answer is no. He then negotiates for us.”
Of course, the ability to stream movies changed the theater industry even before COVID hit, but since then, watching films at home has become much more common. But, says Michelle, small screens just don’t do movies, especially cinematic movies, justice.
“The new Top Gun movie is a great example. It was made two years ago and Tom Cruise could have put it to streaming, but he decided not to since this is a film that has to be seen in a movie theater where the community comes together and watches it together.
“It just shows now that it’s still amazing to come to a movie theater, and there's nothing like seeing a movie in an actual theater. Sitting in an auditorium with a screen bigger than life along with incredible sound - you cannot get that at home.” Also, when you're in a movie theater, there are no distractions like there are at home. It's a real escape from reality, at least for a couple of hours.
With everything being digital now, viewers get a crisp, clear picture and that amazing surround sound. And don’t forget the popcorn. “In Edina, I'd say we go through about 40 or 50 bags of popcorn seed a week, and these bags are massive. In some of our theaters, that goes up to a hundred bags during the holidays.” Most of Mann’s locations, including Edina, also offer hot food items such as chicken, pizza, and pretzel bites.
In addition to working in the family business, Michelle is a single mom of a toddler whom she calls the light of her life. Although she doesn’t allow him any screen time yet, Michelle does have her own favorite movies. “Because I'm a singer, I love musical films such as What’s Love Got To Do With It and Selena. I also love when Harry Met Sally and Man on Fire.”
To learn more, visit manntheatres.com/theatre/89/Edina-4. 3911 W 50th St., Edina. (952) 926-1575.