Woman exposes the stomach-turning state of a premier California AMC, and local moviegoers say they have been seeing this for years
'Do better.'
A viral video has brought the poor state of a premier California movie theater into the spotlight. Arta Gee, @artagee on Instagram, recently posted a video showing filthy, stained seats at the AMC location in The Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale. The footage shows an entire row of chairs covered in black stains and layers of dirt. It is a frustrating sight for anyone who just wants to enjoy a movie in a clean environment.
According to the New York Post, Gee mentioned that she walked out as soon as she saw the condition of the theater. She noted that she first saw these dirty seats a year and a half ago. Returning to the location, she found that the furniture was in even worse shape than before. Her caption expressed deep frustration with the lack of maintenance at the high-end shopping center. “I’m so disgusted I really walked in and walked right back out,” she wrote.
The post racked up over 789,000 views and 1,800 comments from other locals. Many shared stories of their own negative experiences at the same theater. One commenter wrote, “The Americana and the Grove have the dirtiest AMCs I’ve been to despite being such fancy malls.” Another person added, “I knew EXACTLY where this was before reading the caption! I sent in a complaint and nothing. So sick.” A third user stated, “I rage about this every time I go there.”
Gee also shared her interaction with the management at the Glendale site
Gee, an actor and model, claimed that staff members told her they were working on fixing the seats. She pushed back against this explanation in her post. She wrote, “HARD POSTING @amctheatres at the @americanabrand LETS DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS: manager said they’re working on fixing it it’s been like this for 2+ years though so maybe shut this s— down until it’s fully clean and ready for the people to use again! #dobetter”
AMC eventually responded to the viral post in the comments section. “We hear you, and appreciate the feedback. The good news is that this location has already started construction on a seat replacement project, with upgraded AMC Club Rockers – wider and more comfortable seats – coming soon. We hope you’ll come back to experience the improvements!” AMC wrote.
People weren’t happy though. One commenter named urmomma_247 said, “@amctheatres Renovate your theaters and get rid of the woven fabric chairs. There are anti microbial, microban, healthcare and contract vinyls that can be used instead. Keep your staff and customers safe. Otherwise they’ll just stream and the movie theater business takes a hit.”
Many voiced out pricing concerns too. Roxibyebabe said, “This and the audacity to charge $25/seat.” Others praised Gee for calling AMC out. One commenter, Monisantanaa, said, “Thank you for doing the Lord’s work in calling this out.
The case mirrors maintenance issues popping up at other AMC locations too
In September 2026, the Montgomery County Health Department forced the temporary closure of an AMC theater in Crawfordsville, Indiana. According to Fox59, officials took action after finding “visible mold blooms” inside the building. The health department found the mold in every single screening room at the facility. They determined that the presence of the mold posed a legitimate public health risk.
Health inspectors visited the Indiana theater on August 24. They conducted the inspection after receiving numerous complaints from the public regarding the facility. The department issued an Order to Comply to the theater on that same day. This order detailed the specific steps the company needed to take before they could reopen the doors to the public.
The theater remained closed as of September 9, 2026. The AMC website simply displayed a notice about the status of the venue. It stated, “we apologize for the inconvenience, but this theatre is temporarily closed for unforeseen maintenance. Please continue to check back here for updates.” The company did not provide a specific timeline for when the theater might open again. The health department did not specify the exact type of mold found during their visit.
The cleanliness of local theaters is a growing concern
These two incidents highlight how moviegoers are done putting up with unhygienic and unclean local theaters. Whether it is stained seating in a busy California mall or mold issues in Indiana, customers expect a certain level of hygiene when paying for a premium experience. When theaters fail to meet these basic standards, it can ruin the entire outing for the audience.
The reliance on social media to call out these issues shows that customers are tired of waiting for management to act on their own. It remains to be seen if the promised upgrades in Glendale will satisfy those who have been complaining about the location for years. For now, movie fans are paying closer attention to the state of their seats before they settle in for a show.
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