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The Academy Theater

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7818 SE Stark St (at Southeast 78th Avenue)
Portland, OR 97215

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(503) 821-7849
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The Academy Theater - Portland, OR
The Academy Theater - Portland, OR
The Academy Theater - Portland, OR
The Academy Theater - Portland, OR
The Academy Theater - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 48 )
( 5 )
( 1 )
( 1 )
( 0 )

Best

This place is adorable- its blue lights jump out at you while you drive down Stark. The theatres are small, and the prices are more than reasonable- recently went up to $4. The mo...

Worst

We enjoy the Academy Theater for our cheep movies & beer but the last 3 visits we have noticed how unwanted our business is. The staff seems very annoyed that we are there, and t...

Editorial review from Citysearch 7/16/2013

Here, should also be a list of showings. Maybe what is showing, and how long for. Then what and when the next movie is showing. Thanks! more
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Cool atmosphere and family friendly 9/15/2010

Very cool atmosphere! It's so wonderful that finally a business takes to heart "family friendly" - providing babysitting, reasonable ticket prices, comfortable seats (movies kids dig, as well as movies for more mature audiences without all the sound-effects of restless kiddos. The best pizza and a beer just top off the experience. Can't wait to try out the kids birthday party! One place that truly is family friendly without simply catering to children alone. more
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Have Pizza and a Movie for Cheap! 8/20/2010

This is a fun experience! Right next door to the Flying Pie Pizzeria, they offer individual slices at their concession and inexpensive movies that have been in the theatres for a while. If you go on Tuesday, you can buy one ticket, get one free or Monday's you can watch two movies back to back for the same price. Their site says babysitting is available too. Their chairs are comfy, the theatres are cozy and best yet NO PREVIEWS so definitely be on time! more
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Disappointing 3/11/2010

We enjoy the Academy Theater for our cheep movies & beer but the last 3 visits we have noticed how unwanted our business is. The staff seems very annoyed that we are there, and that they are there. I can understand the staff being stressed or having a bad day but after 3 times of being treated so poorly, I don't plan to go back. Simple customer service would do wonders. I see that this is the first review in 2 years....hope things can improve soon. Pros: movies & beer Cons: unfriendly staff, no customer service more
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Food, Beer and Movies! 2/18/2010

This place is great! It's super cheap to come see the movies and they have yummy food...pizza and beer you can eat while watching! ...best of both worlds! ...food is a bit expensive, but drinks are reasonable. more
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A cute theatre! 1/15/2009

This place is adorable- its blue lights jump out at you while you drive down Stark. The theatres are small, and the prices are more than reasonable- recently went up to $4. The movies are the same ones playing at the more popular pub theatres, but far less crowded. You can get beer and pizza here, too. Not bad at all! The inside lobby is beautiful, as well. more
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My favorite movie theater 4/9/2008

Portland has such great cheap entertainment and the Academy is a great addition to the list but definitely stands out because its not only cheap, but its clean, modern yet retro styled, has good beer and food and plays a good variety of shows. They also offer babysitting although I haven't tried it. In comparison to the some of hte McMenamins theatres, this place has modernized seating that is tiered so you can actually see the movie and people are generally quieter during the film because if feels like a real theater. I love this place and wish it were closer to my house! more
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best theater in portland 1/9/2008

i love this place. good selection of movies, super-friendly people, great food and beverages, reasonably prices, comfy seats, never crowded, not too loud (most theaters try to make you deaf, i think). Pros: food, service Cons: parking more
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movie house 9/29/2007

This is a nice addition to the Montavilla neighborhood. It's not quite up to par with other theater/pubs. It just doesn't have the greatest atmosphere. more
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Best 2/8/2007

This 'second run' theatre is the best, better than the Laurelhurst. The only reason I gave it a 9.5 instead of a 10 is because of the parking, which is street parking. There is nothing I don't love about this place. Not only can you get pizza from Flying Pie Pizzeria but you can get tasty salads.....for those watching their waist. They not only have beer on tap, but hard cider on tap (being a non beer drinker, this I love). The theater's are very comfortable and easy to access. The whole place is extremely clean and well kept. The ambience is warm and inviting. Oh, there are no trailers before the movie. How much better can you get, other than the price being awesome. Pros: Everything, except street parking Cons: Only Street Parking more
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They do everything right. 1/24/2007

The following are things I really like about the Academy: No commercials before the film, just quiet music. Movies start right on time. All new amenities - sound system and video quality are great, and the seating is comfy - plus nice food trays that fit into the cup holders. Friendly staff. Pleasant neighborhood atmosphere. Good selection of food and drink at reasonable prices. My kids are too old to need babysitting, but even though I don't take advantage of this service, the Academy is my theater of choice for all the other reasons. I have pretty much given up on the megaplexes, now the only place that keeps me from seeing everything on DVD is the Academy. Pros: Friendly, comfortable, new technology in a pleasant older space. Cons: Parking is easy in the heating company lot behind the theater. I wish it were clearly posted in the lot that theater parking is ok. more
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Great pizza, very nice staff! Overall AAA+++ 1/2/2007

I love the Academy! What could be better than a great slice of pizza, a cheap movie, and a good beer? The customer service is excellent! Pros: Child Care, Beer, Pizza Cons: None more
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Perfect for families 12/19/2006

The Academy Theater is a great place for families. We can take our 3 year old to see a movie and have babysitting for our 1 year old in the same place. The babysitting area is great and the staff are wonderful. I can also go see a movie by myself and leave the kids in the babysitting area. I love it!! Pros: they usually have kids movies, they have babysitting, they are family friendly Cons: the babysitting fills up fast on weekends more
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Best option for a family with young kids 12/14/2006

Love. Love. Love. That is all we have for the Academy. With a baby, we thought we would never go out again. Then we found this! Movies! Food! Beer! BABYSITTING! Heathy kids snacks! We want to come here every day. We are so grateful that this exists and tell everyone about it! Pros: BABYSITTING! Clean, inexpensive, good food! more
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Wow! Old-timey atmosphere and super friendly staff 10/17/2006

What a great little neighborhood find. Pros: Cheap, clean, friendly and great old theater atmosphere too. Cons: None that I can think of. more
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Great theater 10/12/2006

wonderful seats, good pizza, delicious chocolates. The only thing I'd like to see is better beer selections- it would be great to have laurelwood or big sky or rogue or lucky lab beer. more
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Thanks Goodness 9/29/2006

First off, I'm really happy about the rebirth of the Academy Theatre. I went here when I was in high school. The restoration (lobby) is wonderful. The price is amazingly inexpensive (they could raise it to $5 and it would still be a steal). The babysitting is a terrific idea (tho the original theatre had a great cry room with a glass wall). Now...the disappointment--i realize the financial need to have mulitple auditoriums just to turn a profit. However, this practice of taking a beautiful one-screen showhouse and chopping it up into bland, shoebox auditoriums was a bad idea in the 70s. I wish they had really "restored" the place with the one screen. They could have done just as well with innovative bookings and other features (using it for corporate rentals, concerts, jazz offerings, student film showing daily, etc.). All of the nit picking aside, they've done a terrific job, multiple screens and all. At least it's not a Nickel Ads warehouse anymore. more
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Best Pizza and best price anywhere in town! 9/15/2006

This is easily the best money for your dollar in Portland if you want to see a movie. I used to like going to Bagdad and Keneddy School, but this theatre has everything those theatres have but BRAND NEW! Pros: EVERYTHING Cons: Parking, Beer Prices more
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Nice Atmosphere 9/13/2006

I was very impressed by the Academy. The employees were pleasant, the facility clean, and the theater comfortable. I was suprised by the variety of food items available, which included juice, salads and fresh fruit for purchase. Very nice! We ordered a large popcorn which was the largest size I've ever seen, and it only cost $4.50. I will definitely be back. Pros: wide variety of snacks, cheap prices, friendly people Cons: not a thing more
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Great theater 8/24/2006

Excellent staff, cute interior, clean, and you can watch a movie with your beer or hard cider! The snack bar had a great seletion of huge organic chocolate bars! Loved it. Pros: it's only three bucks to see a movie Cons: kind of small screens... more
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Restored 1940s movie theater features re-released films inside 3 theaters with Dolby digital sound & stadium seating; baby-sitting available

Owner Message

  • Originally launched in 1948, the Academy Theater was a popular Montavilla destination until its closure in the 1970s. Over the following years, it fell into disrepair, but a full-scale $1m renovation was completed in 2006, including careful restoration of the glittering rounded lobby with its soaring, metallic two-story dome. Great attention was paid to every detail of the project. Using vintage photos from the original opening night, even the theater's signature marquee has been recreated to imbue the building with authentic 1940s charm.

    They also have babysitting for children 6mos to 7yrs! Call ahead and reserve.

Editorial

  • Restored 1940s movie theater features re-released films inside three theaters with Dolby digital sound and stadium seating; baby-sitting available

  • 7/6/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Vary
  • Payments: Master Card, American Express, Visa, Discover
  • Neighborhoods: Montavilla, Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Program
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