Exhibit10.17(a)

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**FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT SEPARATION**

**AND GENERAL RELEASE AGREEMENT**

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT SEPARATION AND GENERAL RELEASE AGREEMENT(the “Amendment”) is made as of the 4th day of April 2007, byand among Marquee Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation, AMC Entertainment Inc.,a Delaware corporation, and American Multi-Cinema, Inc., a Missouri corporation(collectively, the “Company”), and Philip M. Singleton (“Employee”).

WHEREAS, the Company and Employee entered into that certain Employment Separationand General Release Agreement dated March 20, 2007 (the “SeparationAgreement”); and

WHEREAS, the Company and Employee mutually desire to amend the SeparationAgreement, in a manner consistent with U.S. Treasury Regulation § 1.424-1(e)(4)(viii),so as to clarify the vesting and exercisability terms applicable to certainstock options granted to Employee under the 2004 Stock Option Plan of MarqueeHoldings Inc., as amended on December 23, 2004;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other good andvaluable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by theparties, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.             SectionIX.A. of the Separation Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and thefollowing substituted in lieu thereof:

“**A.** Holdings granted options to purchase shares of Holdings common stock toEmployee under the 2004 Stock Option Plan of Marquee Holdings Inc., as amended(the “Plan”) on December 23, 2004 (the “Options”), pursuant tothe agreements set forth on Exhibit D. By action of the committee that administers the Plan, all outstandingOptions that had not vested and become exercisable prior to the date hereofshall be vested and immediately exercisable as of the Separation Date and each outstandingOption granted pursuant to the Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement listed onExhibit D (each such Option, a “Nonqualified Option”) shall remainexercisable until the earlier of (x) December 31, 2007 or such later date asmay then (as of December 31, 2007) be expressly permitted without theimposition of tax under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, asamended (“Section 409A”) and (y) the date on which such Nonqualified Optionis exercised.  Except as expresslyprovided in this Section IX, the Options shall continue to be subject to theirterms as set forth in the Plan and the applicable option agreement thereunder.”

2.             Exceptas amended above, the remaining terms, conditions and restrictions of the SeparationAgreement shall remain unmodified and in full force and effect.  No further amendment, alteration ormodification of the Separation Agreement shall be valid unless made in writingand executed by the Company and Employee.

[*Signature page to follow.*]

 

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                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the partieshereto have caused this Amendment to be executed as of the day and year firstabove written.
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|   |  /s/ Philip M. Singleton                                                                                                         |                           |
|   | Philip  M. Singleton                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   | MARQUEE HOLDINGS INC.,                                                                                                                |                           |
|   | and  its divisions, subsidiaries, parents, and affiliated companies, past and  present, and each of them                              |                           |
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   | By:                                                                                                                              | /s/  Peter C. Brown            |
|   | Name:                                                                                                                                 | Peter  C. Brown                |
|   | Title:                                                                                                                                | Chairman,  CEO & President |
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   | AMC ENTERTAINMENT INC., and its divisions, subsidiaries, parents, and  affiliated companies, past and present, and each of them       |                           |
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   | By:                                                                                                                              | /s/  Peter C. Brown            |
|   | Name:                                                                                                                                 | Peter  C. Brown                |
|   | Title:                                                                                                                                | Chairman,  CEO & President |
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   | AMERICAN  MULTI-CINEMA, INC., and its divisions, subsidiaries, parents, and affiliated  companies, past and present, and each of them |                           |
|   |                                                                                                                                  |                           |
|   | By:                                                                                                                              | /s/  Peter C. Brown            |
|   | Name:                                                                                                                                 | Peter C. Brown                 |
|   | Title:                                                                                                                                | Chairman, CEO & President  |
|        |                                                                                                                                       |                                |  |

 

 

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