Do you still have neighborhood movie theaters in your area ?

Yes, the Boston area has lots of them. Many have strong arthouse/rep programs, like the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline (both nonprofits), and Somerville Theater in Somerville.

Even deeper into the Boston suburbs, they’re pretty common: the Capitol in Arlington, West Newton Cinema, the Dedham Community Theater, Lexington Venue, the Embassy in Waltham, the Maynard Fine Arts, the Cinema Salem, the Newburyport Screening Room. It’s a miracle so many of them survived the pandemic.

R1 Our local live rep theaters survived, but not the movie cinemas. I might be wrong, but it sound like you combined the two in your reply.

Sorry, I meant “rep” as in repertory cinema, as in they show old movies along with new releases. Everything I listed is a movie theater.

Ahhhhhhh - thanks for the clarification. I was thinking live theater.

Two, and both specialize in depressing movies I really should see because they are important. Glenn Close shitting in a trailer is not my movie thrill.

I should point out another movie theater in my neighborhood which opened on my birthday in 1925 (a five minute walk from my house) was a great second-run movie theater - they used to play Disney movies for us kids in the summer on Saturday matinees. my friends and I always sat up in the balcony to watch the movies on the huge screen. They closed in 2004, when they couldn't afford to update their projector and sound system to what was 'required' back then. The building lay dormant for over a decade (so sad to drive by) with hundreds of proposals, but nothing happened (one of the private colleges wanted to use it for its theater program, but then pulled out when they realized it would be taxed.) About five years ago, it was sold cheaply at a property tax sale to a local religious group. It's now a Haitian church (off the tax rolls) and the outside is falling apart. It's a sign of the times, I guess.

No, not since COVID. They went bankrupt.

Yes one in my town and four others within a 20 minute drive. The are all nonprofit organizations funded by wealthy donors. Many special events. I’m going to see The Wizard of Oz on 8/23. I’ve never seen it on a big screen.

R8 You're going to love it on the big screen ! I saw it in August, 1989 when a local theater showed it on the big screen for the 50th anniversary. If the theater you're going to has a balcony, sit up there - trust me ! Nothing like seeing it from the balcony view.

That same theater (this is the one that is now a CVS / TD Bank) also showed 'Gone With the Wind' in December, 1989 for its 50th Anniversary. To watch the 'burning of Tara' on the big screen will take your breath away - I hope your theater does that one, as well (and again - sit in the balcony).

You mean the burning of Atlanta

Yes. The city center where I live has a population of just about 650,000 and about 75 cinemas. The largest cinema center has 20 screens, but many cinemas have just one or two screens. About half feature big international productions; the other half are small productions and art house fare.

We have the Esquire in Clifton (Cincinnati). The last time I went, two patrons behind me snarfled down some Chinese garlic chicken

One historic old theatre from the 1920s and we are lucky to have 3 drive in movie theaters nearby.

All our drive-ins were sold and knocked down in the late 80s to make room for the invasion of 'the big box stores'. The properties were deemed more valuable then the movie business. The most popular drive-in when I was growing up is now a 'Super WalMart'.

I'm in Seattle and we still have a few but not nearly as many as we used to. Landmark was started here and many of their old cinemas are gone now.

Interesting bit of trivia, OP. Judi Dench starred in a movie called Philomena and, in London, a play called Filomena. Completely different properties. Unrelated.