AMC Fork & Screen replaces Buckhead Backlot

In my “Film as spectacle” story this week, I included a passing mention of how the AMC Fork & Screen Buckhead cinema opens today, July 11, as a revamped, swanked-up, first-run version of the AMC Buckhead Backlot. (In my default memory, I actually still think of that moviehouse as “AMC Tower Place 6,” where I saw many movies in my high school days.)

Earlier this week I attended a press screening at the AMC Fork & Screen of a film that’s opening in August. It makes a great first impression and boasts a sleek, brightly-lit Art Deco-style bar. Perhaps the most distinctive amenity is the call-button (I believe one for every two seats) that summons a server whenever you push it. In an upgrade of the “cinema ‘n’ drafthouse” experience, the Fork & Screen provides full table service and a surprisingly extensive menu that includes the likes of spring rolls, flatbread pizzettas, beer-batter shrimp and quesadillas along with more familiar items like cheeseburgers and popcorn. I haven’t eaten any of the food yet, but everything I’ve heard about it has been positive. The downside?