Fayette County and surrounding areas responded enthusiastically to Cinemark USA Inc.'s new 17-theater Tinseltown USA complex during opening weekend, said a company official.

But Randy Hester, vice president for marketing, wouldn't disclose how many patrons filed into the 3,100-seat facility on a weekend that was slow for theaters nationwide.

"The newest film this past weekend, Knock Off, was fourth at the box office whereas new movies usually are the number one grosser," said Hester. The top grossing movie for the weekend, Something About Mary, has been around for two weeks, said Hester. And two of the top movies, Blade and Private Ryan, were showing at Cinemark's older theaters in Fayetteville, Movies 10.

With all of that in mind, he said company officials were pleased with Tinseltown's first weekend in Fayetteville. "September is always slow," he said. "As the new movies start coming out, things will pick up again."

New movies that will show this weekend include Simon Birch, Slums of Beverly Hills and two prints of Rounders, said Hester.

Two prints means more availability and more time slots, a plus for movie goers, he said.

With theaters ranging in size from 120 to 275 seats, Tinseltown brings the latest in movie watching to Fayetteville with rocking stadium seats.

Stadium seats provide a 16-inch height difference between each row, so patrons don't have to peer over big hair or big hats to see a movie, and extra wide aisles allow watchers to come and go without stepping on each other's feet. The concept is rapidly replacing old style movie theaters nationwide, said Hester.

During pre-opening press tours last week, Hester said the company is "extremely pleased" with its Fayetteville facility, which cost $15 million to build. Although the company usually builds flashier buildings using its trademark purple color, Fayetteville's design standards muted the building somewhat, but Hester said the building is aesthetically pleasing and fits in nicely with surrounding buildings in Fayette Pavilion shopping center.

"I think this works," he said. "This [Pavilion] is a major retail draw. Not many places do you see Wal-Mart and Target in the same shopping center. That tells me there is population here... you just can't see it for the trees."

Though the outside of the building is muted by Cinemark standards, the inside is brightly decorated. The trademark purple color adorns the interior of each theater. "We like purple," said Hester with a smile.

Fayetteville is Cinemark's second location in Georgia, though it is the 49th nationwide with stadium seating. The Movies 10 complex, also in Fayetteville, is its first in the state. Hester said the future of Movies 10 is uncertain, but for now the theaters will remain open and continue charging full price, though they'll show different movies than the ones showing at Tinseltown.

"That way you get plenty of choices. There won't be anything you can't see in Fayetteville," said Hester.

Ticket prices at Tinseltown are $6.25 for evening adult admission, $4.25 for children or for any show before 6 p.m. Movies and show times will be listed in The Citizen.

In addition to stadium seating, the facility features three full-service concession areas that serve traditional movie snacks plus hot dogs and nachos. "What matters there is speed," said Hester, so prices have the tax already factored in and are rounded to the nearest quarter to speed up the change making.

The stadium seats lack one feature that some similar theaters have: chair arms that raise up for more elbow room. Current technology allows either rocking chairs or arms that lift, and most of Cinemark's customers like the rocking chairs, said Hester.

Cinemark USA Inc. is the sixth largest motion picture exhibitor in North America, with 2,080 screens in 31 states. The firm also operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru and Mexico.