Guarantor Subsidiaries (Details 4) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Revenues:
Admissions	$ 81,522	$ 82,690
Concessions and other	48,571	47,276
Total operating revenues	130,093	129,966
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	43,264	43,243
Concession costs	5,969	5,566
Other theatre operating costs	57,959	52,132
General and administrative expenses	6,015	5,000
Lease termination charges	3,063
Depreciation and amortization	10,234	7,767
Loss on sale of property and equipment	80	248
Impairment of long-lived assets	204	1,486
Total operating costs and expenses	126,788	115,442
Operating income	3,305	14,524
Interest expense	12,298	8,263
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(8,993)	6,261
Income tax (benefit) expense	(4,297)	2,407
(Loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(1,015)	(543)
Loss from continuing operations	(5,711)	3,311
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(72)	(79)
Net loss	(5,783)	3,232
Carmike Cinemas, Inc. [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	11,244	13,721
Concessions and other	13,977	14,798
Total operating revenues	25,221	28,519
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	6,037	7,204
Concession costs	901	1,010
Other theatre operating costs	9,849	11,106
General and administrative expenses	5,429	4,428
Depreciation and amortization	1,879	1,707
Loss on sale of property and equipment	5	21
Impairment of long-lived assets		9
Total operating costs and expenses	24,100	25,485
Operating income	1,121	3,034
Interest expense	2,025	2,519
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	4,801	(3,372)
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(5,705)	3,887
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,008)	(97)
(Loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(1,088)	(654)
Loss from continuing operations	(5,785)	3,330
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2	(98)
Net loss	(5,783)	3,232
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	58,172	68,969
Concessions and other	34,808	38,791
Total operating revenues	93,520	107,760
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	30,901	36,039
Concession costs	4,278	4,556
Other theatre operating costs	46,079	47,339
General and administrative expenses	570	572
Lease termination charges	3,063
Depreciation and amortization	6,262	6,060
Loss on sale of property and equipment	75	227
Impairment of long-lived assets	204	1,477
Total operating costs and expenses	91,432	96,270
Operating income	2,088	11,490
Interest expense	6,157	5,744
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(4,069)	5,746
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,654)	2,504
(Loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	73	111
Loss from continuing operations	(2,342)	3,353
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(74)	19
Net loss	(2,416)	3,372
Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Concessions and other	(6,470)	(6,313)
Total operating revenues	(6,470)	(6,313)
Operating costs and expenses:
Other theatre operating costs	(6,470)	(6,313)
Loss on sale of property and equipment
Total operating costs and expenses	(6,470)	(6,313)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	(4,801)	3,372
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	4,801	(3,372)
Loss from continuing operations	4,801	(3,372)
Net loss	4,801	(3,372)
Senior secured notes [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	81,522
Concessions and other	48,571
Total operating revenues	130,093
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	43,264
Concession costs	5,969
Other theatre operating costs	57,959
General and administrative expenses	6,015
Lease termination charges	3,063
Depreciation and amortization	10,234
Loss on sale of property and equipment	80
Impairment of long-lived assets	204
Total operating costs and expenses	126,788
Operating income	3,305
Interest expense	12,298
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(8,993)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(4,297)
(Loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(1,015)
Loss from continuing operations	(5,711)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(72)
Net loss	(5,783)
Senior secured notes [Member] | Carmike Cinemas, Inc. [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	11,244
Concessions and other	13,977
Total operating revenues	25,221
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	6,037
Concession costs	901
Other theatre operating costs	9,849
General and administrative expenses	5,429
Depreciation and amortization	1,879
Loss on sale of property and equipment	5
Total operating costs and expenses	24,100
Operating income	1,121
Interest expense	2,025
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	4,801
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(5,705)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,008)
(Loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(1,088)
Loss from continuing operations	(5,785)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2
Net loss	(5,783)
Senior secured notes [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	70,278
Concessions and other	41,064
Total operating revenues	111,342
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	37,227
Concession costs	5,068
Other theatre operating costs	54,580
General and administrative expenses	586
Lease termination charges	3,063
Depreciation and amortization	8,355
Loss on sale of property and equipment	75
Impairment of long-lived assets	204
Total operating costs and expenses	109,158
Operating income	2,184
Interest expense	10,273
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	(8,089)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(3,289)
(Loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	73
Loss from continuing operations	(4,727)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(74)
Net loss	(4,801)
Senior secured notes [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Concessions and other	(6,470)
Total operating revenues	(6,470)
Operating costs and expenses:
Other theatre operating costs	(6,470)
Total operating costs and expenses	(6,470)
Equity in loss of subsidiaries	(4,801)
(Loss) income before income tax and (loss) income from unconsolidated affiliates	4,801
Loss from continuing operations	4,801
Net loss	$ 4,801