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The Guild 45th in the Wallingford neighborhood is like the anti-Cineplex. There are 2 screens...
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The Guild 45th in the Wallingford neighborhood is like the anti-Cineplex. There are 2 screens located through seperate entrances. The seats are nothing like the cushy ones you find in bigger theaters. But the Guild runs great movies and is worth a visit. My only complaint is that the seats are so close together that during a recent sold-out show, I felt like I was getting the plague from a gentleman coughing directly into my ear.
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AMC Cinerama 1
Category:
Movie Theaters
2100 4th Ave
Seattle,
Washington 98121
(206) 441-3080
What a treasure! About 6-7 years ago it looked like the last shows to be played at Cinerama would...
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What a treasure! About 6-7 years ago it looked like the last shows to be played at Cinerama would be the original Star Wars trilogy. The manager came to the front of the theater before each show and asked the audience to call the owners to see what they could do to keep this landmark open. WHo knew that movie buff Paul Allen would finance the restoration and update of the theater. It is on of the largest screens in the country, and one of the few theaters ever built to show epics such as Lawrence of Arabia (which you haven't see until you've seen it here). It was state-of-the-art in the 1960s, and with Allen's investment it is state-of-the-art again today, with the most sophisticated film and digital projection systems and audio systems available. Best of all, it still has that funky 60s feel, with a brilliantly executed splash of 21st century added. Whenever there's a big movie to be seen, Cinerama is the only place to see it.
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The Egyptian
Category:
Movie Theaters
Seattle,
Washington 98101
(206) 323-4978
Is it 11:45 on a Friday night, you're wide awake and feel like doing something low key? Ok, it's...
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Is it 11:45 on a Friday night, you're wide awake and feel like doing something low key? Ok, it's Saturday night and you're feeling the same way. Well, you're in luck because the Egyptian Theater is there for you. They screen a different classic 80's and 90's cult movie every weekend. And sometimes, if you're lucky, you may get into a special event evening. My favorite so far has to be the "Sing Along Purple Rain".
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Ok, this is not exactly the kind of music you were asking about, but it is what I equate to...
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Ok, this is not exactly the kind of music you were asking about, but it is what I equate to summer: picnic on the lawn, chamber music, summer nights...
Ahhhh.
Here is the link: http://www.seattlechambermusic.org/index_flash.html
Consider taking a picnic and listening (for free) from the lawn, or supporting the arts and buying tickets for the season. Also, there is an incredible evening of young artists that will amaze you.
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Grand Illusion Cinema
Category:
Movie Theaters
403 NE 50th Street
Seattle,
Washington 98105
(206) 523-3935
Run by a private non-profit organization, the Grand Illusion is located (unfortunately) in the...
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Run by a private non-profit organization, the Grand Illusion is located (unfortunately) in the University District.
They host obscure independent and retro films and many late night reprisals of old noir.
A lot of work has been put into the Grand Illusion to make it a unique and inviting atmosphere, and there is an adjoining privately owned cafe connected to the theatre. Have a nice relaxing time on the patio or inside before and after your film.
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Seven Gables Theater
Category:
Movie Theaters
911 NE 50th St
Seattle,
Washington 98105
(206) 632-8820
If you don't know what you're looking for, you might just walk right past the Seven Gables - it...
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If you don't know what you're looking for, you might just walk right past the Seven Gables - it looks like a large house from the outside. They've shown a number of good mainstream and independent films here over the years. The seats are pretty comfortable; the screen is small, but then again, so is the room. Prices are on par with the movie theater industry (i.e., awful). They have big signs warning you not to take outside food or drink into the theater - but nobody's watching.
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Crest Cinema Center
Category:
Movie Theaters
16505 5th Ave NE Shoreline, WA 98155
Seattle,
Washington 98155
(206) 363-6338
OK, let's say it together. Movies in a theater for $3. Even on a Friday or Saturday night. To the...
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OK, let's say it together. Movies in a theater for $3. Even on a Friday or Saturday night. To the guy who gave it one star, get real! No, it's not the Cinerama, but you can see a movie AND get a bucket of popcorn for under $10. Sure, it's even cheaper to rent a DVD and make microwave popcorn at home, but when you want to see a movie on a real movie screen with a theater full of people laughing and/or sniffling around you, the Crest is a great value.
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Harvard Exit
Category:
Movie Theaters
89 East Rooy
Seattle,
Washington 98102
(206) 781-5755
This former Women's Century Club was the first or second art film house to open in Seattle, a...
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This former Women's Century Club was the first or second art film house to open in Seattle, a distinction it shares with the Grand Illusion in the U. District). (My sister was one of the first ushers here before she matriculated at Brown; she loved working there).
The Harvard Exit opened in ca. 1970. It was purchased eventually by the Landmark Theatre group but still operates mostly the way it has since its inception, with the addition of another movie screen.
In some ways comparable is the Seven Gables (also in the U. District), but I find the screen similar to a long train car: viewing movies there is like sitting in a tunnel and watching images flickering at the far end,,,
It is probably my favorite movie theater in Seattle for several reasons:
(1) the wonderful "living-room" style lobby with its early-mid 20th c. furniture and furnishings, all comfy; large windows with Venetian blinds, looking out across Roy to the the D.A.R. and Anhalt cottages.
Most movie theaters do NOT have a lobby/parlor of this kind. Once the movie gets out, YOU get out, too, simply because there is NOWHERE to linger--unless your idea of a good place to talk about the movie and to relax is to be next or across from a wall of pinball machines.
(2) the quality programming (which currently includes the film version of "The History Boys" and "The Queen," both outstanding British releases.
One of the first and most memorable movie moments when I saw Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Conformist" with Jean Louis-Trintignant and Dominque Sanda when it opened the flood of art house, foreign film that began at that time (at least for me) and led to the independent films that seem to carved a large niche of movie-going today.
I can't count the number of fine films I have seen here that would never have been shown at the multiplex.
The only regret that I have is that the refreshment stand has been moved from the entrance lobby into the living room, as the staff tends to be pretty obstreperous (loud) and not really aware of the space. That said, I enjoy spending a half an hour after a movie is over on a rainy afternoon and enjoying some moments of serenity--it sure beats Starbuck's in my opinion.
Let's hope, perhaps against all odds, that the building is not demolished soon and a 6-story retail-with-condos-above or a multiplex cinema doesn't take its place.
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One of my favorite yet kind of old fashioned things to do on certain weekends is go to Fremont...
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One of my favorite yet kind of old fashioned things to do on certain weekends is go to Fremont Outdoor Cinema. You can't really find many out door cinemas out there these days, so this is one of the few in the Seattle area. Its a fun way to kick back and relax in your car as you are parked outside of a huge screen. Its a lot cheaper too because you can bring your own food with you, be as loud as you want in your car, have your cell phone on, or whatever things you can't do in an indoor cinema, you can pretty much do here. Its really fun to do especially on those hot summer nights in a drop top vehicle.
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Columbia City Cinema
Category:
Movie Theaters
4816 Rainier Ave S
Seattle,
Washington 98118
(206) 721-3156
Why see a movie at a megaplex when you can have a real movie experience?
The Columbia City...
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Why see a movie at a megaplex when you can have a real movie experience?
The Columbia City Cinema is a wonderfully renovated neighborhood cinema (4816 Rainier Avenue South). The neighborhood has great restaurants and a wonderful Wednesday farmers market.
The Harvard Exit always shows great films and is also a wonderful space. (Capitol Hill)
The Egyptian was originally built in 1915 as a Masonic Temple and got an Egyptian decor in the 1980s.
801 East Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 323-4978
The Big Picture has a nice environment - not just another night at the movies. Belltown Pizza is nearby.
The Cinerama still shows only one movie on a huge screen. (downtown at 4th & Lenora)
The IMAX cinemas at the Seattle Center and Aquarium are not to be overlooked. The Boeing IMAX at the Seattle Center (Pacific Science Center) is particularly impressive.
The Bay is a new, state-of-the-art tribute to the original Bay (1915) with one huge screen and two normal ones. Great neighborhood cinema in Ballard (Market Street). Than Bros Pho is right across the street and Ben & Jerry's is next door - perfect for those who like to eat before and after a movie. Than Brothers makes dinner and a movie an affordable concept still – even with a family.
This is just a beginning. Don't settle for always going to the movies in a mall.
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