For one night only, the Rave Motion Pictures theater at Ridgmar Mall was the newest, cleanest, and most handsome second-run movie theater in the state and probably the nation. That's because when the doors were thrown open to the public last Monday for a preview, this gigantic and well-appointed new venue was showing films such as The In-Laws and Seabiscuit and Legally Blonde 2. However, when Rave officially opens for business at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, the theater will be showing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Other first-run movies will soon follow.

Rave will provide more screens to a neighborhood that is currently served only by the mid-sized Ridgmar Movie Tavern. More importantly, Rave promises fulfill every local movie buff's dream -- to watch an art-house or independent film in an incredible space ... or at least one that isn't cramped and dilapidated.

Billboards around the city have promoted the theater's slogan, "Chic Flicks." This is not only a reference to the couturiers available at the mall, but also a promise that the venue will be carrying more than just the latest Hollywood blockbusters. "The other [Rave Motion Pictures] locations have played Bend It Like Beckham and Whale Rider and Sylvia," said Megan Harris, one of the theater's managers (who is also an independent filmmaker). "We're eventually going to be bringing in some art-house films as well as mainstream fare." There is no timetable or any word yet on which titles might be coming; moviegoers will have to keep an eye on the marquee. Here in alt-land, we're hoping that Rave will provide an alternative to the other multiplexes that play low-budget films, which show on an irregular basis at UA Hulen and faraway AMC Grapevine Mills. (The only other choice in Tarrant County is the series at the Modern Art Museum, which faces an uncertain future if attendance doesn't pick up.) The sooner the adventurous independent fare arrives, the more reason we'll have to come to this freshly unwrapped theater in west Fort Worth.

Based in Dallas, Rave Motion Pictures is a chain with 14 theaters in the Midwest and the South. The Fort Worth theater is the second one in Texas. The 13 screens at Ridgmar have comfortable auditoriums, with stadium seating, cupholders, and slightly more legroom than in other theaters. Sightlines are decent, and the digital sound quality is bright. Ticket prices are in line with those at other chains, ranging from $5.75 discount admissions to $7.75 regular. Concessions are limited to the usual staples of candy, popcorn, and hot dogs, which makes you wonder what the tables and chairs by the entrance are for. There's an odd feature in the larger auditoriums, as the wheelchair ramps run down the side of the seating area and then extend at a right angle onto the floor for a good distance under the screen. This is difficult to ignore when the lights are on, though the problem disappears once the theater goes dark and the film is running. Compared to other area multiplexes, though, the up-to-date selection of video games in the lobby is the theater's biggest improvement -- so far.