Guarantor Subsidiaries - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenues:
Admissions	$ 100,173	$ 102,321	$ 312,860	$ 290,643
Concessions and other	62,459	61,858	191,682	172,344
Total operating revenues	162,632	164,179	504,542	462,987
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	54,698	56,242	172,021	160,090
Concession costs	7,318	8,283	22,414	21,895
Salaries and benefits	22,947	21,879	67,968	61,542
Theatre occupancy costs	21,782	16,951	63,097	48,187
Other theatre operating costs	31,357	27,094	89,285	74,800
General and administrative expenses	8,413	6,621	22,439	18,668
Lease termination charges				3,063
Severance agreement charges		102		102
Depreciation and amortization	12,206	10,577	35,903	31,002
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment	292	11	620	70
Impairment of long-lived assets	1,198	2,916	1,556	3,241
Total operating costs and expenses	160,211	150,676	475,303	422,660
Operating income	2,421	13,503	29,239	40,327
Interest expense	12,846	12,353	38,962	36,998
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income tax and income from unconsolidated affiliates	(10,425)	1,150	(9,723)	3,329
Income tax (benefit) expense	(2,912)	1,243	(2,530)	1,760
Income from unconsolidated affiliates	756	1,145	546	482
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(6,757)	1,052	(6,647)	2,051
(Loss) income from discontinued operations	0	(43)	(52)	(149)
Net (loss) income	(6,757)	1,009	(6,699)	1,902
Carmike Cinemas, Inc. [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	13,706	13,286	44,578	39,050
Concessions and other	17,146	17,035	54,066	48,404
Total operating revenues	30,852	30,321	98,644	87,454
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	7,573	7,570	24,728	21,666
Concession costs	1,068	1,159	3,451	3,175
Salaries and benefits	3,650	3,363	11,169	9,472
Theatre occupancy costs	3,123	2,131	9,378	5,491
Other theatre operating costs	5,652	5,231	17,483	14,884
General and administrative expenses	7,397	6,049	20,066	16,903
Lease termination charges				0
Severance agreement charges		102		102
Depreciation and amortization	2,188	1,942	6,575	5,687
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment	(203)	(2)	173	3
Impairment of long-lived assets	17	0	20	23
Total operating costs and expenses	30,465	27,545	93,043	77,406
Operating income	387	2,776	5,601	10,048
Interest expense	5,489	5,395	16,517	16,104
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries	3,334	(2,147)	(598)	(5,649)
(Loss) income before income tax and income from unconsolidated affiliates	(8,436)	(472)	(10,318)	(407)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,032)	(500)	(3,390)	(2,152)
Income from unconsolidated affiliates	647	1,025	229	191
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(6,757)	1,053	(6,699)	1,936
(Loss) income from discontinued operations	0	(44)	0	(34)
Net (loss) income	(6,757)	1,009	(6,699)	1,902
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions	86,467	89,035	268,282	251,593
Concessions and other	53,351	53,114	162,423	147,253
Total operating revenues	139,818	142,149	430,705	398,846
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	47,125	48,672	147,293	138,424
Concession costs	6,250	7,124	18,963	18,720
Salaries and benefits	19,297	18,516	56,799	52,070
Theatre occupancy costs	18,659	14,820	53,719	42,696
Other theatre operating costs	33,743	30,154	96,609	83,229
General and administrative expenses	1,016	572	2,373	1,765
Lease termination charges				3,063
Severance agreement charges		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	10,018	8,635	29,328	25,315
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment	495	13	447	67
Impairment of long-lived assets	1,181	2,916	1,536	3,218
Total operating costs and expenses	137,784	131,422	407,067	368,567
Operating income	2,034	10,727	23,638	30,279
Interest expense	7,357	6,958	22,445	20,894
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income tax and income from unconsolidated affiliates	(5,323)	3,769	1,193	9,385
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,880)	1,743	860	3,912
Income from unconsolidated affiliates	109	120	317	291
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(3,334)	2,146	650	5,764
(Loss) income from discontinued operations	0	1	(52)	(115)
Net (loss) income	(3,334)	2,147	598	5,649
Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Admissions		0	0	0
Concessions and other	(8,038)	(8,291)	(24,807)	(23,313)
Total operating revenues	(8,038)	(8,291)	(24,807)	(23,313)
Operating costs and expenses:
Film exhibition costs	0	0	0	0
Concession costs	0	0	0	0
Salaries and benefits	0	0	0	0
Theatre occupancy costs	0	0	0	0
Other theatre operating costs	(8,038)	(8,291)	(24,807)	(23,313)
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Lease termination charges				0
Severance agreement charges		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on sale of property and equipment	0	0	0	0
Impairment of long-lived assets	0	0	0	0
Total operating costs and expenses	(8,038)	(8,291)	(24,807)	(23,313)
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Equity in loss (earnings) of subsidiaries	(3,334)	2,147	598	5,649
(Loss) income before income tax and income from unconsolidated affiliates	3,334	(2,147)	(598)	(5,649)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations	3,334	(2,147)	(598)	(5,649)
(Loss) income from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income	$ 3,334	$ (2,147)	$ (598)	$ (5,649)