Guarantor Subsidiaries - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 96,239	$ 143,867	$ 150,602	$ 68,531
Restricted cash	451	352
Accounts receivable	12,967	8,513
Inventories	3,377	3,691
Deferred income tax asset	3,996	3,838
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	18,062	14,645
Total current assets	135,092	174,906
Property and equipment:
Land	53,563	53,982
Buildings and building improvements	344,467	340,959
Leasehold improvements	177,471	164,075
Assets under capital leases	50,398	49,670
Equipment	278,544	253,890
Construction in progress	16,418	7,201
Total property and equipment	920,861	869,777
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(429,274)	(402,022)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	491,587	467,755
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	128,209	74,377
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	3,146	957
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	5,863	7,073
Deferred income tax asset	105,273	100,043
Other	19,131	19,510
Total assets	888,301	844,621
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	31,784	43,321
Accrued expenses	55,889	42,579
Current maturities of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	9,029	6,870
Total current liabilities	96,702	92,770
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt	209,672	209,619
Capital leases and long-term financing obligations, less current maturities	232,571	238,763
Intercompany liabilities	0	0
Deferred revenue	30,959	31,827
Other	31,034	25,831
Total long-term liabilities	504,236	506,040
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	744	698
Treasury stock	(13,397)	(11,914)
Paid-in capital	489,994	440,306
Accumulated deficit	(189,978)	(183,279)
Total stockholders' equity	287,363	245,811
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	888,301	844,621
Carmike Cinemas, Inc. [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	72,765	99,153	129,098	49,093
Restricted cash	451	352
Accounts receivable	12,031	7,282
Inventories	656	766
Deferred income tax asset	4,693	4,162
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	25,748	9,071
Total current assets	116,344	120,786
Property and equipment:
Land	11,534	12,080
Buildings and building improvements	46,315	48,104
Leasehold improvements	23,055	22,040
Assets under capital leases	8,675	8,675
Equipment	71,646	70,045
Construction in progress	7,179	3,613
Total property and equipment	168,404	164,557
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(89,280)	(84,861)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	79,124	79,696
Intercompany receivables	123,890	112,209
Investments in subsidiaries	185,034	175,042
Goodwill	46,946	6,912
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	75	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	4,947	6,188
Deferred income tax asset	54,784	56,858
Other	11,868	12,922
Total assets	623,012	570,613
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	27,935	34,766
Accrued expenses	31,096	9,731
Current maturities of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	1,077	836
Total current liabilities	60,108	45,333
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt	209,673	209,619
Capital leases and long-term financing obligations, less current maturities	31,739	32,497
Intercompany liabilities	0	0
Deferred revenue	30,959	31,827
Other	3,170	5,526
Total long-term liabilities	275,541	279,469
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	744	698
Treasury stock	(13,397)	(11,914)
Paid-in capital	489,994	440,306
Accumulated deficit	(189,978)	(183,279)
Total stockholders' equity	287,363	245,811
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	623,012	570,613
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	23,474	44,714	21,504	19,438
Restricted cash	0	0
Accounts receivable	6,214	9,138
Inventories	2,721	2,925
Deferred income tax asset	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	10,252	9,314
Total current assets	42,661	66,091
Property and equipment:
Land	42,029	41,902
Buildings and building improvements	298,152	292,855
Leasehold improvements	154,416	142,035
Assets under capital leases	41,723	40,995
Equipment	206,898	183,845
Construction in progress	9,239	3,588
Total property and equipment	752,457	705,220
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(339,994)	(317,161)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	412,463	388,059
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	81,263	67,465
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	3,071	957
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	916	885
Deferred income tax asset	50,489	43,185
Other	7,263	6,588
Total assets	598,126	573,230
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	9,127	16,462
Accrued expenses	43,428	36,912
Current maturities of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	7,952	6,034
Total current liabilities	60,507	59,408
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt	(1)	0
Capital leases and long-term financing obligations, less current maturities	200,832	206,266
Intercompany liabilities	123,890	112,209
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other	27,864	20,305
Total long-term liabilities	352,585	338,780
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	1	1
Treasury stock	0	0
Paid-in capital	269,635	260,013
Accumulated deficit	(84,602)	(84,972)
Total stockholders' equity	185,034	175,042
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	598,126	573,230
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Accounts receivable	(5,278)	(7,907)
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income tax asset	(697)	(324)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(17,938)	(3,740)
Total current assets	(23,913)	(11,971)
Property and equipment:
Land	0	0
Buildings and building improvements	0	0
Leasehold improvements	0	0
Assets under capital leases	0	0
Equipment	0	0
Construction in progress	0	0
Total property and equipment	0	0
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	0	0
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(123,890)	(112,209)
Investments in subsidiaries	(185,034)	(175,042)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	0	0
Investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Deferred income tax asset	0	0
Other	0	0
Total assets	(332,837)	(299,222)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(5,278)	(7,907)
Accrued expenses	(18,635)	(4,064)
Current maturities of capital leases and long-term financing obligations	0	0
Total current liabilities	(23,913)	(11,971)
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt	0	0
Capital leases and long-term financing obligations, less current maturities	0	0
Intercompany liabilities	(123,890)	(112,209)
Deferred revenue	0	0
Other	0	0
Total long-term liabilities	(123,890)	(112,209)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	(1)	(1)
Treasury stock	0	0
Paid-in capital	(269,635)	(260,013)
Accumulated deficit	84,602	84,972
Total stockholders' equity	(185,034)	(175,042)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (332,837)	$ (299,222)