All was fine purchasing tickets on the main level. After taking the escalator up to the theatre, we were met by a ticket taker slouched into an old office chair. She was not particularly friendly either. Not a good first impression. Then, the concession area. Absolutely disgusting. The rest rooms as well. Who's managing this place? read more

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IF I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS I WOULD!! Saw Black Panther here, wish I had gone elsewhere. Many seats seemed to have been sold twice, which caused seat problem for at least 20 mins into the movie. 1 of 3 ticket kiosks ran out of paper and staff was MIA. This theater is inexplicability and unacceptably dirty. Won't come here again... until others post improvements read more

AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 - The carpet is hiding a lot of dirt - Cinema Near Me - New York, New York

I have no complaints here .....the theaters are a decent size and when you are in upper Manhattan it's the closest choice... I also like that it has Buffalo Wild Wings in the building which makes for a good snack to start then movie read more

I am so disappointed with how this theater is being run. I remember when it first opened and it was such an iconic staple in the Harlem community. It's actually an embarrassment to Magic Johnson and Harlem. Firstly let me say that I work for an organization that is in close proximity to the theater. I often bring large groups of people to the theater and purchase movie tickets by the 100's. I include popcorn and soda with every pre ordered invoice. This can cost my organization between 3K - 6K annually. With that said last week we went to see Captain Marvel. The concession area was filthy and dingy. When I went to fill up my beverage cup a mouse came running out from underneath the beverage area. I brought this to the workers attention and all they said was, "we know". All of the soda machines were filthy and there were puddles of spilled sodas and beverages on the floor and on the surface of the soda machines. They were very sticky and I didn't even really want to put my cup next to it. When I took my popcorn over to put some butter on it that surface was even worse and had salt, butter and God knows what else all over the surface. Filthy is an understatement. It was grotesque and offensive to the public to say the least. Fast forward to this evening, I tried again with another 35 people. We arrived and they informed us that they did not have any popcorn. I had to go speak with a manger when they finally decided to pop some more popcorn. Again the beverage area was filthy and this time most of the fountains were out of service because they did not have any more beverages. The slushy machines were covered using napkins and the place just looked like an overall mess. There was actually what appeared to be hair dripping out of the inky working beverage dispenser. Finally got into the move after being totally grossed out and realized that there was a huge dent in the movie screen that actually affected my ability to fully enjoy the movie. I am beyond disappointed with what this place has become. read more

Highly disorganized line. The theater itself smells as if it was doused in stale beer before hosting a free screening to a theater full of the foulest smelling homeless people with a hint of fake butter mixed in... No wonder they are so much cheaper. I will may full price elsewhere next time. read more

I stopped coming here with my family long ago but I wanted to give it another chance. I d ok t need to go into detail just to say it was a BIG MISTAKE and I'm sticking to the amc on 84th street. "Manager" Tiffany was very nasty and unprofessional and was arguing with other customers. To some it up my family didn't get to see the movie, and neither did those other customers she was arguing with. Oo yea and I didn't get a refund. Never again!! read more

Easily accessible by mass transit and usually isn't really crowded but NO PARKING SO THATS A BUMMER . Pop corn was cold and the drink machines and bathrooms were super DIRTY and when I told the staff about it they gave me an attitude . it gets a thumbs down from me read more

Besssst AMC Theater In New York I am here at least once a week the customer service is always great. It literally feels like home I love having the option of the Dolby cinema. Popcorn is always warm and served with a smile the butter is excellent and you can never go wrong with a small slushy lol thank you so much Magic Johnson Theater! read more

My attempts to organize a school trip were continually made challenging by an unyielding, unhelpful, and rude manager. I was not allowed to use my AMC premiere membership to help my students get their lunch quickly before the show, even when I was going to order for them all at once and pay myself. What a disappointment that this trip in celebration of Martin Luther King Day was almost spoiled. read more

Haven't seen any homeless people or been scared to use the bthroom like another reviewer alleges. Letting children go to the bathroom alone is bad parenting in ANY neighborhood but that's just me. I think this theater is adequate. Not the best but certainly not the worst. I usually either go to a matinee with my husband and kids (super cheap at less than $7 a ticket) or a 9-10 pm Saturday night movie (prime time) with just the hubby and I haven't seen any homeless people congregating or felt like my safety was in jeopardy. The theaters could be a bit cleaner but I think that may be partially due to age. The other factor I think is the carpets and chairs, they smell like they haven't been shampooed in years. I think if they did that the perception of the cleanliness of this theater would greatly improve. read more

UPDATE: Dropping this to one star after our experience last night and will be following this review with a strongly-worded email to AMC Corporate. This place is so filthy that I wouldn't take my worst enemy here. The hallway carpets smell like urine because of the drunk homeless people who use it as their toilet. Disgusting! How can management think these are acceptable conditions under which to operate a business? We had the misfortune of coming here last night, and for once we did not order our tickets in advance. We got there about 20 minutes before our movie, and there was a line wrapped almost out the door for tickets. Two out of three of the virtual ticketing kiosks were down (See video) and when we managed to access the one available -- it wouldn't print our tickets! Thankfully we were able to print them upstairs, but it still doesn't compensate for the God-awful management of this location Not to mention the screening rooms themselves are nothing but deplorable. Smelly, broken seats, popcorn ground into the floors, sticky stuff all over the floor. And don't even get me started on the bathrooms with sticky floors and overflowing trash. Gross! Unfortunately, this location also attracts some of the rudest customers who don't understand how to act in public. People who were apparently born in a barn -- who bring their crying babies, their ringing phones, and their running commentary to the movies with them. No thanks. I'll go to the Orpheum on the UES from now on instead. ------------------------------------------------------ It's walking distance to my apartment, which is why I'm giving it two stars. Otherwise, I would not give this place more than one star. I hope another theater opens eventually in the neighborhood. (Something that shows both independent and mainstream films would be great.) This cinema attracts a lot of sketchy characters and management does nothing about the homeless people and addicts that wander in off the street. Several times when I've gotten up to use the bathroom, I've been catcalled and harassed by shelter-dwellers who loiter in the hallways. They are clearly not there to watch a movie, so I'm not sure how the Hell they even got in in the first place without a ticket! Sometimes I get nervous that someone will follow me into the restroom I'm not careful. If you are female and need to use the bathroom, I recommend you use the buddy system or tell your companion to come get you if you're not back in X amount of time. PARENTS: DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN USE THE BATHROOMS UNATTENDED. Yes, it is that shady. Once, ushers had to come in to drag someone out who was using the theater as a crash pad and snoring loudly. It was very disruptive, and if they would enforce the ticket policy and keep the filth out in the first place, they wouldn't have to boot them out when they inevitably cause trouble. read more

I'm not sure why it was so disgusting, but the women's restroom had no toilet without urine or dirty toilet paper on the seats. Then the movie theater seats, for the price we had to pay, were still stuck in the 80s/90s -- no option to even lift the sticky elbow bar. I don't necessarily need the fancy recliner seats. I just don't want to feel like I'm spending $17-20 per ticket to go back in time. They get points for having had enough trailers for the movie that we came in at exactly the right time, plus no hiccups during the movie (that's happened to me before). read more

I was very disappointed recently when visiting this theatre. The staff was very friendly and helpful. However, upon entering the theatre it was very dirty. I understand that it was a Sunday and there were not many people there but it was unacceptable. I go to the movies often around the city and I have never been so disgusted. There was popcorn all over the floor, drinks and food left from the last movie. We didn't even sit in our preferred seats because it was so dirty in the row we chose. When paying for a movie you expect the movie going experience with a clean environment read more

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If I could, I'd give this AMC zero starts. This is THE worst movie theater I've ever been to. The whole theater smells like a giant bathroom. Every corner and every rooms smell of pee. Disgusting and filthy. I was there for a free screening but won't be coming back even if the movie is free. No thanks. read more

Smells horrible and everything is gross. This is by far the worst AMC I've been too and wish they would make an effort for the experience to be better since it's the main movie theater in Harlem. read more

They have gotten a lot better lately and the theatre seems to be much cleaner than it was in the past! They've replaced all the chairs which was my biggest gripe. I also love that they have DOLBY and that theater is super nice and always really clean! read more

Magic Johnson has large theatres and cheaper ticket prices, but it was a bummer that it was such a let down. We arrived for our movie today and only one kiosk was working and the line for tickets was long and slow moving due there only being one person selling tickets. The upstairs lobby was nice enough, but all four drink stations were out of drinks. The concession stand was aware of this, but didn't tell people. One guy was trying to change the cartages but it took him 10 minutes to do one. The seats had a faint odor and the theatre wasn't cleaned. They were old and had lost a lot of their fluff. I don't think I'll be returning, which is a bummer since it's the closest theatre to home. read more

Shame on you, AMC. Please tell me what other movie theater in Manhattan is this unkept? There isn't any toilet paper in the restrooms (not to mention water all over the floor),  there's popcorn all over the halls, the theatre is old and dingy--my seat was partly broken and the posters in the hallways are crooked and falling off the wall. Although I'm tempted to blame this on the management team of this particular theater, I know it's a larger, more systemic issue of race and poverty. Plainly put--you think this level of service is ok because the theater is located in an area populated predominantly by folks of color. Last I heard, an AMC movie costs the same amount whether in Harlem or Union Square. We experience this poor treatment in schools, jobs, and yup--movie theaters too except the fact that of the aforementioned, running a movie theater is the least complicated. AMC--Use your power and $$ for good. Be an example for fair treatment in our society. Clean the movie theater. Ensure professional interactions.  Make sure you have enough TP for the day. Fix the broken seats. Double check your wall posters. Treat us with dignity and respect. Please. read more

As a Laker's fan, it saddens me that Magic Johnson's name is associated with this theatre. This Theatre basically only gets a two because it literally right across the street from my apartment. Since I keep going back because of the connivence, I guess it gets a 2. Here's why this theatre is awful. 1) It's often really loud. I mean a lot of people keep their cell phones on. One dude next to me had a blue tooth headset on during the movie that was flashing a blue light. I politely asked him to turn it off during the movie and he rudely refused. This is not an isolated experience. Many patrons are obnoxiously loud in the movies on a regular basis. 2) Good movies seem to leave quite quickly 3) The sign in front is always broken and showing random digits and letters instead of the actual screenings. Why isn't this fixed? 4) Everything is super expensive. I guess that's NYC, but you feel even more ripped off when they don't even keep the theatre nice (floors are sticky, broken sign out front, etc) I will come out and say that part of my dislike for this AMC Magic Johnson 9 stems from my general dislike of the AMC franchise. It just kinda sucks paying way too much for movies (especially 3D movies that are low quality) and doing it in a tacky, unclean theatre. Pros (limited) Bathroom has always been clean in my experience. Typically a short line to buy tickets. Very close to the 125th express stop on the ABCD line. Service has typically been friendly (if a little slow at times) read more

I'm sure everyone in Harlem knows about this theater, but if you live on the UWS especially the U-UWS you should really consider checking it out. Early matinees (i.e. first show of the day, sometimes before 11 am) are 6 bucks like all the AMCs, but this place has additional matinees at a somewhat reduced price as well! I went to a 1:35 showing of Knocked Up and it was only $8! And I noticed the full price is only 10 bucks, so less than the usual AMC 11. Some sound issues during the previews, but they were fine during the show. Stadium seats were nice and clean (though maybe a bit narrower than avg), and the ticket-takers were the most intelligible I've encountered in months! And if you grew up in the 80's like me you may find just going to a theater owned by Magic is a little exciting. A mural of Magic is high on one of the walls bringing thoughts of Three-peats that might have been. Pat Riley come and get your nickel! read more

Ok, a little ghetto. But ohmigod, the curly fries & chicken!! Delish!! Best theater food if you ask me. If you can make it past the ghetto aspect, nice theater. Eat the food, all the rest will fade away read more

No! Popcorn all on the floor by the Concession stand. Unorganized staff, since it's a chain I was expecting the same level of service I get at the AMC in downtown Chicago where I'm from, but I found out that's not the case. I know the theater is in the hood, but just because you live in the hood doesn't mean you should receive poor service. The worst part was the people IN the movie were just as bad. Talking throughout the whole film, and little kids running up and down the aisle, while the movie Concussion was playing. Never going back. Magic Johnson should take his name off the building. read more

I would recommend searching for other AMC locations. This specific location, has shockingly rude staff & seems as if it hasn't been cleaned in months. The bathrooms are filthy, and smell terribly. Not to mention you most likely won't enjoy your movie. Staff has absolutely no consideration for disruptive people. Spend your money elsewhere! read more

TL;DR- D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G. Go downtown! PROS- -It's convenient if you live uptown -It's cheaper than the other options in the city CONS- -LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE. Read on for details. I've been here a handful of times since I moved to Washington Heights 7 years ago because it's semi-close by. Every time I go I remember why I hate it so much and vow to never go again, but then some months pass and I forget how bad it really is. Not this time! I went on a Wednesday night for my boyfriend's birthday to see X-men 3D. When we walked in the ticket window looked abandoned. There was no one there, lights out, no sign. Ok, we'll go to the self-serve machine. Nope. None of them were in working order, yet again, NO SIGN! We went to the third floor to investigate whether the theater was even open. It was. I found that out after I asked a woman if I could buy tickets at the guest service desk and and she replied "What you think?". Ok, great. Tickets in hand, we walked over to get some drinks and look at the food. The first thing I noticed was I was sticking to the floor. Every step made such a loud sound I literally began to tip toe. My boyfriend wanted pretzels and I wanted an icee. The person behind the counter pulled us close and told us we do not want the pretzels. They were all that was left but had been there since he began his shift at 2pm. It was 930pm. When we said we would take milk duds instead, he said he would "check the back", despite there being a ton in the display window. "You don't want those", he said. Point taken. We'll pass on the food. I walked over to the icee machine and as I was pushing the button to dispense it, A WATERBUG CAME OUT FROM BEHIND THE MACHINE. I had a heart attack. Screamed. Began shaking imaginary bugs off of myself. I wanted a refund on the icee. No go. Apparently, the concession guy didn't know how to void a transaction and couldn't just give me something of equal value because it would mess up the inventory. Just kill me. We headed to the theater when the smell hit us. Anything past the ticket taker REEKS of urine. Gross. The bathrooms are "open" with no doors separating them from the hall. You just walk in, and around a small bend to the stalls. You can imagine how disgusting the bathrooms were if the hallways smelled like urine. I went to wash my hands after the movie and couldn't because there was no soap! Of course. Inside the theater wasn't any better as the smell was still lingering. The seats are small. The cushions are an itchy cloth. There's no leg room. The floors are sticky. It feels dirty. And the icing on the cake, no one shuts up during the movie. During this particular movie, every time Jennifer Lawrence came on the screen a gentlemen described what he would have her do to him, sexually. It was really fantastic. Especially when everyone complained and the staff said they couldn't help us or give us a refund because the movie had been running longer than 10 minutes. GREAT! Final thoughts? Pay the extra $5 a ticket and go downtown. Avoid this place like the plague, which I'm sure you could catch there if you stayed long enough. read more

Even though I've been going to this movie theater since it first opened in the late nineties, I sometimes have mixed feelings about it now. I remember when it was probably the crown jewel in the Magic Johnson theater chain and the pride of everyone uptown. It was the weekend night destination if you were heading to 125th Street. It once housed a bookstore on its ground floor, a Hip Hop Cultural Center on its second, and was the home to many film festivals over the years. Although I'm not sure if Magic Johnson is still actively involved in the actual day-to-day operations of the chain of theaters that bear his name, his Harlem AMC Theater is still a fairly good deal for your dollar. The thing I like most about it is that unlike some downtown theaters, you're pretty much assured that they'll be a seat available for any movie show time you choose--and that includes the more popular films too. It's also worth mentioning that movie ticket prices are a few bucks lower than at downtown theaters and its location is a real convenience if you live uptown and decide at the last minute to take in a movie. It's a fairly large theater complex with nine theaters-- all with stadium seating. And the theaters, restrooms, and concession stands are usually kept pretty clean. There's also a pretty busy arcade games area before you get to the concession stands. On the other hand though, the odd thing about this theater to me is that it is laid out kind of strangely. They don't take your ticket until after you've bought your food at the concession stand, which can be cumbersome if you're reaching in your pocket for your tickets and trying to balance a tray of food at the same time. And if you go back out later to buy more food, you'll need to show your ticket stub again to re-enter the theater area. Also, AMC Magic Johnson is really more of a family movie house than a place you would go to make an impression on a first date. And the teenagers (and some of the adults too) can get a little too noisy at times. But for the price and the uptown convenience, I'd tell anyone to give this place a try. read more

When this movie theatre first opened years ago. I was so happy to get a movie theatre close to where I lived. Unfortunately fast forward to today and things have changed. I now go to the AMC theatre on West 84th Street. Why do you ask? Well let me count the ways. AMC Magic Johnson Theatre is dirty, smells, ticket counter is slow and just a general sense that no one cares about the customer. It is truly sad because it started off so right. Also I do not like the ghetto element that comes here. Yes, I said ghetto. You cannot watch a movie without some fool yapping during the movie. I did not pay admission and the overpriced cost to buy food, just so that in the end I cannot hear most of the movie. If Magic Johnson or an AMC executive is reading this. I advise you to shut down the theatre for a month while you clean house. Fire everyone from the management to the bottom. Clean house and get people who actually want to be there. Also give the place a good scrubbing. read more

This place is so HOOD. I love watching the families with like 8 kids who stroll through and are able to afford tickets for all them kids and buy soda, popcorn, and candy. Really? You ballin' like that? Anyway, the tickets are priced just like AMC but they have more options for food than in most places I have been to. In addition to the classic popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, and a soda, you can get you some curly fries, chicken wings, ice cream, all kinds of sh*t. I swear, these theaters make more money off their concession stands than their movie tickets. The only downside to this theater is that you can't sneak around to see other movies. #LAME read more

Went during the week to see the new Madea movie (I really wanted my money back after watching that crap). We chose to go during the week cause its quiet and fairly empty. The snacks are over priced (as usual) and the staff is practically nonexistent. The seats were comfortable, although a little close for my liking (but this is a good thing when on a date) and more importantly, my feet didn't stick to the ground. We didn't hear any babies crying (although they were there) and there weren't any loud person yelling at the screen. There were no homeless people wandering around the theater (as some reviews stated) nor were there annoying kids trying to sell you candy by the front door. I'm not sure what theater some of those reviewers were at, but I didn't experience anything like that (not saying it couldn't / didn't happen). Overall: Will be return? Yup! read more

Many people that I know try to avoid this movie theater because "it's in harlem, it's probably ghetto". I on the other hand, love this theater. It's always clean, the tickets are $13 (cheaper than most places in the city), it keeps the money in the community and they have funnel cake ($5). My only reservation is how expensive the combos are but I suppose all movie places are expensive. read more

Seriously!! I am embarrassed! I took one of my friends from out of town to the Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem. We went to see The Avengers. Great movie but for the price of $32 for 2 tickets was not worth us walking a couple of flights on a broken escalator. Come on people this is a opening weekend for a major movie for the kids. They said it was 3D, where are the bells and whistle. It was not cool witnessing 5 girls sitting on the floor eating Chinese food while waiting in line. How ghetto can you get??? I was also disappointed that once we sat down the floors were very sticky. The only pros the bathrooms had plenty of stalls and the line went very quickly. I always like to support the businesses in my neighborhood but act like you care about your customers. read more

I came here to see the Dark Knight Rises, the theater wasn't too badly packed if you came at a decent time, especially for a hit like this. However, I was extremely disappointed that the security guards did not remove the guy who was purposely snoring throughout the movie. It's unfair that others have to suffer from an obnoxious snore because he felt there was too much talking. Please remove people like this. Cheers read more

Believe it or not one of the first choices for a theater if they are playing something I want to see. You don't even have to eat first because they serve full course meals in that joint -- not just stale nachos and dried out hot dogs. They sell "real" food up in there! Granted it is expensive but trust me, you won't go hungry. Not only is the location convenient but they actually keep it up nicely. I can't think of a negative experience that I've had there. As noted, Harlemites believe that entertainment should be an interactive activity (who needs Wii) so it can get noisy depending on the movie you are watching. And folks...please turn your daggone cell phone off BEFORE you get in the theater. Also, it is never appropriate to answer the phone while you are watching a movie...even when you've set the ringer to vibrate. I'm just saying! read more

I wish I could've given this zero stars, but I'll just give that one star because the movie itself was good. The WORST experience I've ever had in a theatre. If the movie wasn't incredibly loud and action packed, it wouldn't have been able to drown out the hollers and screams of inappropriate and inconsiderate audience members. I live in Harlem and will never return to this theatre. I'll be going to the UWS or midtown. (Yes it's ghetto) read more

went to the movie theater last Saturday and saw Ant man. Movie wasn't bad however the people there are just ghetto and rude. : Non stop talking throughout the movie : The theater itself was dirty, floors were sticky. : food is over priced... Extremely over priced but good. : movie started a hour later then what it was supposed to. : escalators weren't working though I opted for the stairs anyway. : people coming in and out of the seats not even using the word "excuse me" : the people at the ticket booth having a full blown conversation about what they're doing when she gets off. That's nice however your at work. : very inattentive workers downstairs and up stairs. Only good thing I guess is that it's near the train station. I will not be back. read more

Typical theatre. Not too crowded. Greatest thing about this spot is that it's cheap

Went on a Friday night, wasn't too crowded. Place was decent. Seems like they're understaffed as the concession line barely moves with only two/three employees behind the counter. But other that that read more

Not bad... The trick to enjoying ANY movie theater..whether in the hood or nice areas is to go during off peak week nights where there are no kids and a low percent of annoying people. With that said, theater was clean, staff were friendly, seats were comfy, and nothing was stolen from me by the end of the night.. CON: Madea's twin sister was in my theater, loud, added her own soundtrack, and expressed her opinions to everyone during the movie..'nuff said. Still a good experience..amazing historic pictures on the wall read more

This is one of the most filthiest and dirty movie theaters in the US. Located in the most historic places in the world. Once a nice place to catch a movie, now it's a great place to catch bug bites, poor service and filth! Please do not go! read more

The great thing about this theater is that it's never crowded - you can show up 5 minutes before the movie opens, get your ticket, and enter the theater with no fuss or mess. The theater is relatively clean and the concession stand is as slow as every other major chain but, well, that's what we get for being in love with economies of scale. The theater embraces the wonderful invention that is stadium seating, allowing the little people (ie. me) an opportunity to view movies not in large-hair-blocking-vision. Because of this, I can actually enjoy movies again. It's a pleasant experience. The only negative thing about the theater is the bathrooms. They're large but only semi-maintained. They could be cleaned more often but, whatchagonnado. Oh. And, just so you know, Magic Johnson doesn't actually work there. I know. I was disappointed when I found out that too. read more

I took my daughter to see, The Hate You Give last Saturday, 12/1/18. I will NEVER go there again! The theater reeks of urine, feces, and general funk. We were getting hit with different fragrances at different times during the showing. It was relentless! I can not believe that this theater is open to the public. It's really disgraceful. read more