What is the best movie theater in your Hometown, USA?

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Were there only two screens? Did they show movies that came out six weeks before? Did First Blood II run for three months?

If so, I am familiar with that kind of theater, giboyeux.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not my hometown, but the only American Small town I have spent an extended period of time in. I used to enjoy going to The Little Art Theater in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

BEST smalltown movie theater I have ever been to - the Rio Theater, a theater in a quonset hut right on the banks of the Russian River in Monte Rio, CA.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

Check the NorCal-style hotrod out in front too!

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh that is wicked.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

are new yorkers allowed to answer this?

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

okay, go on then.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

fine. fine!

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

hmph. this isnt USA but i dont care, its still the best cinema in my (now) hometown:

but this really is the best movie theatre (interior) in my real hometown:

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ambrose, where are you from?

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

St Albans?

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Either The Arlington (for movies where stuff blowed up)

or the Riviera (for movies with emotional center), which I can't find a picture of, but is also very cuet.

― The Original Jimmy Mod: A Negro (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm reminded of Mugs and Movies, which obviously served beer and was a really neat place to watch mainstream films. That place ws pretty spiffy but like almost every small theatre in town it closed after the AMC 20 and the Governor's Square 12 opened in 1996. The only old ones that still remain are Movies 8 (which was expanded to include two more theatres but it still goes by 8 -- but it's a second-run theatre) and Miracle 5 (which used to show mainstream films before '96 and now it shows independent flicks galore -- it's not really a nice-looking theatre and the sound can be a bit dodgy, but they're cool enough that they supported the massive local demand for seeing Bubba Ho-Tep and managed to obtain one of the 20 copies of it in the country at that time and showed it for three weeks straight, and if I'm not mistaken almost every showing sold-out!).

― Ian Riese-Moraine: a casualty of social estrangement. (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

The South Coast in Laguna Beach isn't all that great (it's the only theater in town), but other nearby ones I like a lot are the Lido in Newport Beach

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

And the Bay Theatre in Seal Beach

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

The fanciest and most advanced theater in Los Angeles is the Arclight in Hollywood (which incorporates the old Cinerama Dome). However, certain theaters at the Bridge in Westchester have enormous leather seats with their "Director's Hall" screens (I think there's another Bridge in Philly which I've not been to).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ragtag Cinema/Cafe is easily the best theater in Mid-Missouri and is probably my favorite movie theater in the country, although this thread has shown me plenty of spots that look just as interesting.

― Tripmaker (SDWitzm), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

okay okay, the best movie theater in brooklyn would be the bam rose at the brooklyn academy of music:

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

come to think of it, it's brooklyn's version of the arclight!

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 16:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Farmington Civic, tickets cost $1.50 until very recently, and, as you can see from this Halloween-time photo, they've got special programs every once and again.

And, I saw Gallagher II there as a boy.

― son_of_scrimshaw (son_of_scrimshaw), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 17:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

There's only one, and it's haunted!

― luna (luna.c), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 17:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

hi adam! im from the same town as simonr reynolds, graham greene, william cowper and beverley craven (!?!) - berkhamsted in hertfordshire. st albans is only 20-30 mins away though.

to be honest i dont think i will see another cinema like that cinema, the rex, which has only just been restored with all its original art deco fittings. it is so spacious and sumptous.

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

I love the Grand Lake and the Paramount theaters in Oakland!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

awwwww, Beverly Craven's my girl!

I know Berkhamsted. I'm not from Herts but close enough. Actually, Stanmore IS in Herts and I lived there for a while.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

Wait, no it's not! Never mind.

I meant Bushey.

― Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

gallagher II!!!!

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've seen a couple jazz shows at the Arlington, Jimmy the Mod. I went to UCSB in the late 70s.

And this was the theater I went to most as a kid. It is on the Navy (SeaBee) base in Port Hueneme, and the admission was 50 cents (my father had been in the service 20 years, so his dependents could get on the base til we turned 21). There was another theater in Oxnard I liked, but it was turned into a dental complex a long time ago.

ihttp://www.nbvc.navy.mil/mwr/images/theaterNeedham.jpg

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 20:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Adjacent to the beautiful square in downtown Woodstock is the 1927 Woodstock Theater. One of the highlights of the theatre's history was a part in the filming of Groundhog Day (starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell). The theatre was used as the Alpine where Bill Murray 's character attended a movie. Each year the theatre celebrates Groundhog Day with free screenings of the movie. Newly expanded and updated, the Woodstock Theatre shows new releases using digital sound and HPS-4000(r) sound systems.

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 20:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Groundhog Day (starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell)

That's who that was?! WOW!!!

― giboyeux (skowly), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 20:30 (7 years ago) Permalink

How come this thread's only about US movie theatres? We have some wonderful old art deco ones in Melbourne! :(

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 23:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

i wanna see some melbourne art deco porn! who cares what the thread title says, post it anyway.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 23:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm trying to look for photos of the Bijou at Crossroads, which is a small theater located inside a dying mall that has gotten popular by focusing on non-blockbuster films. Then there are the Regal Cinema chain theaters I like, i.e. the Fiesta 16 and Cielo Vista -- I forget which number, but it's about as big. The AMC Huebner Oaks 24 is the neatest, though. I wish Tep were still here because he might be able to describe better why it's so cool, but it's great just being in that building.

― The Edge Of America (Dee the Lurker), Thursday, 18 August 2005 01:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm trying to look for photos of the Bijou at Crossroads

It's listed on Cinematour (a site I really like)

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 18 August 2005 02:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 18 August 2005 02:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

ROCKIN THA PARADISE TONIGHT

TONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 02:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Astor Theatre, St Kilda. A lovely and well kept example of classic Art Deco single screen theatre. They show arthouse, re-runs, all kinds of things, 2 shows a night and 2-4 on weekends. They do marathons of things like LOTR and Cremaster.

The sign:

The magnificent entrance lobby:

The theatre itself:

(I hope all these pics work)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 02:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

The previously mentioned Ragtag Cinemacafe...

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Thursday, 18 August 2005 02:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

I only went to college there, but I worked at and really liked the Fargo Theatre.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 02:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

The Uptown Theater in my original hometown of Washington, DC was pretty great:

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 18 August 2005 03:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

But the Loews Jersey City, which is currently being restored, is truly majestic:

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 18 August 2005 03:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

That Jersey City one reminds me of the one I visited in Syracuse. I think it was the Palace Theatre?

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 03:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh wow that Loews one is amazing!

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 04:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

fuck jersey haters, that thing is glorious.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

Tis a sad thing that no one makes buildings like this anymore. Such care and attention to detail and glorious elaboration.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 06:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

and all that height and open space -- not like a flat, sprawling multiplex where you're vacuum-packed into one of 24 tiny theaters.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 06:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

I hear that! Its why I love the Astor - they had a proper 70mm widescreen installed some years back, amazing the difference it is to see 70mm films in their full glory. I am very fond of going there to see "Withnail and I" - you know the cinema is packed with fans, and people chanting the lines aloud and cackling, lovely sense of community spirit.

The Astor has a resident cat too! Funny when it rubs up against someones legs in the middle of a dramatic/horror moment, heh.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 06:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

In comparison, as you say, sitting in a tiny cramped low roofed ciniplex with such poor soundproofing you can hear the trams outside and the picture is piss and the "surround sound" is crap. Sad. A pox on you, Cinema Nova! You ruined Donnie Darko.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 18 August 2005 06:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

well, i've gotta mention the loft, it's virtually the only movie theater in tucson i go to!

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 18 August 2005 06:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

because you can't in good conscience post about the loft to a thread like this without posting the sign:

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 18 August 2005 06:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

6 years pass...

Toronto's Cumberland Four is closing after 30 years.

Its programming was kind of half arthouse, half leftfield-mainstream. I saw many great films there, although I'm not really associating it right now with specific titles (the way I can tell you where I first saw Mean Streets, The Deer Hunter, Rushmore, and many others). It was sometimes like a ghost town the past year. One night and friend and I were leaving a late show around 11:00 p.m., and there wasn't a single person on staff to be seen anywhere. We started wondering if we were supposed to lock up.

― clemenza, Saturday, 12 May 2012 15:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

i went with a friend to see the third man at a little theater in seattle years ago and the lobby was totally deserted when we got there but there was a sign on the counter that said PLEASE WAIT -- YOUR TICKET SELLER IS ALSO YOUR PROJECTIONIST. i hope that place is still there.

― their private gesture for bison (difficult listening hour), Saturday, 12 May 2012 16:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

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