Indie films and delicious food in one classy Japantown movie theater

Inherent in independent movie theaters are their lack of concession stands, well-worn seats, and grainy projectors -- the same plucky charm that caused you to skip The Lives of Others in favor of Evan Almighty. Get culture with blockbuster trappings at the Sundance Kabuki, open Friday.This AMC-cum-IndiePlex has undergone a complete Zen bamboo remodel, leaving it with luxe amenities that owe absolutely nothing to the hardscrabble spirit of independent filmmaking. All 8 screens sport digital projection and sound, plus modern stadium seats you can reserve ahead of time, allowing you to arrive late enough to elude all four Mountain Dew/Army commercials*. For pre/post refreshments, there'll be a full-service restaurant and two full bars, whose goodness you can also enjoy during the film from couches in the theater balconies -- enhancing your appreciation of Sidney Lumet's critically acclaimed Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Drunk.Kabuki's opening slate's highlighted by Francis Ford Coppola's wine-financed Youth Without Youth -- which, if some of the advanced critiques are true, might cause you to reflect back fondly on Steve Carell and those zany giraffes. Actually, Kabuki's promising they won't run any commercials. But reservations are still nice.