When I reserve the seats online, I hate they charge the "fee"…read more I think this Cineplex theater has more lively atmosphere and youth gathered.

a few months ago, my girlfriend asked if i wanted to join her and some friends to watch bts in a…read moretheatre. i said yes immediately, i'm in my "say yes to everything" era. i'm no army. more of a hangers on, i barely know all their names, mostly there for the popcorn and to experience it all. we went to cineplex cinemas metropolis on a crowded saturday, 12:30 pm meetup for a 1:00 pm showing. the escalator up was out of order, so we had to hike up the stairs, already slightly winded before even getting inside. the theatre itself is standard. no automatic recliners, heated seats or vip seating, just basic rock back seats that do the job but not much more. dynamic pricing brought it to $23, which feels a bit steep. i got a large popcorn, which is tradition. so apparently, the event was a live stream from goyang. the theatre was packed, every seat filled. when the lights dimmed, the room didn't go quiet so much as tense up in anticipation. and then it started. the screen filled, but the room filled faster. people brought their army bomb light sticks (not included in the price of the ticket). when bts appeared, people were screaming, and they started to sing, and dance in their seats, waving their arms and glow sticks. the energy hit before you even fully processed what was happening on screen. at some point, it stops feeling like you're just watching a concert. the theatre becomes part of it. it's loud, a bit chaotic, and pretty stuffy at times (people were even coughing between songs). this isn't a fancy cinema experience, no vip, no comfort upgrades, no footrests, but the crowd completely transforms it. not the most comfortable theatre, but honestly one of the most unexpectedly fun and memorable experiences i've had there.

Friendly staff directed me to the cashiers for a ticket when I was in a hurry to catch the 4pm -…read moreThe Conjuring: Last Rite. The ticket was $10.25 inc. on a Tuesday. Seats were wide and leather, clean and smelling fresh. The toilets were well maintained. It's a small cinema but comfortable. The sky train was just 3 feet away within the building. Many eateries nearby before and after the show.

This Landmark Cinemas is located very conveniently by a skytrain station which makes it an easy…read moredestination for those without a vehicle. We headed here on a Sunday morning and it was very quiet. We ended up upgrading our tickets for a few bucks each to "premiere" seats. These seats had adjustable head rests, wider arm rests, and seat warmers. There were dividers to the sides of the seat for added privacy, a coat hanger, and a little spot for storing bags. I thoroughly enjoyed these seats and would happily get the upgrades again in the future. I had no complaints about the picture or sound quality of the movie and the theater was at a good temperature.

The Rio Theatre, located on Broadway at Commercial Drive (which is extremely transit convenient),…read moreis a fixture of the Commercial Drive neighbourhood. I don't know the entire history of the theatre, but apparently it was built in 1938. The Rio is known for screening cult classic movies and live shows, and in 2012, it fought the outdated BC Liquor board so that movie theatres could serve alcohol -- a big win! In the past, I have gone to a handful of shows (mostly movies showing at the Vancouver International Film Festival), but I didn't go often for two reasons: many of the movies I was interested in started way too late for me (such as at 9:30pm or 11pm), and years ago, I had a really negative experience. I don't recall when the incident happened -- perhaps it was after they had acquired a liquor licence -- but you had to be 19+ to go (that's the legal drinking age here), and while I was much older than 19, apparently I looked young, so I used to get so much shit for my appearance. Shortly before the event, my ID had expired and I was waiting for a new one to come in the mail. In the meantime, I was using my passport as ID. The person at the door was extremely rude and aggressive and made a big deal of specifically asking ME for ID -- from his tone, I think he didn't expect me to be of age. I pulled out my wallet from my purse to grab my ID, then remembered that I didn't have it as it was being renewed, so put it back into my purse and reached for my passport. As I was reaching for my passport, the rude and aggressive employee sneered, "Oh, you forgot your ID, I see, huh?" Yes, even thought this was nearly 15 years ago, I still remember this incident, and it always upset me. The guy was so fucking rude. Also, they used to insist on stamping your hand, and I hate having the inside of my wrist stamped because the ink rubs off on the side of my shirt, so prefer to have the top of my hand stamped. This guy was also rude about this. Anyway, due to events not working with my schedule and my encounter with the rude employee, I had little interest in going to the Rio unless it was for the film festival. However, recently, there have been several events I have been interested in: a screening of The Shawshank Redemption with a Q&A with Gil Bellows in July; a screening of The Room presented by Greg Sestero in August; a screening of Clue in October; a screening of the original Carrie presented by Mike Flanagan in October; and a film festival movie in October. And each time I had a great experience -- no more rude and aggressive employees! The most recent event I went to was John Waters live on December 3. My husband is a huge John Waters fan, so I bought tickets for his show. However, I had only bought the regular tickets, and my husband then told me he would have liked the VIP tickets (better seats, a signed poster, a post-show Q&A). On the Rio website, they clearly state that all sales are final and that tickets cannot be returned or exchanged. So what did I do? Emailed them asking if I could exchange the regular tickets for the more expensive VIP tickets, despite their policy. Their answer was an enthusiastic "absolutely!" and it was easy to exchange the tickets. Amazing customer service! I am a fan of the Rio and I look forward to seeing more shows and events! [Yelp collections: Theaters]

One of my favourite classic theatres for classics and oddball films! They do shows too but I mostly…read morehere for the movies! Theatre is old but very maintained. Definitely a visit if you are looking for a good classic movie to watch!

I gotta say I have a bit of a soft-spot for the Vaneast Theatre. Charming in its cheapness, it's…read morethe the antithesis of a Silver City or a Tinseltown. Just an old nothing-special-single-screen-cinema with an enviable location. And it's that "nothing special" aspect that, weirdly enough, makes it kinda special. Food: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Price: 3/5 They usually play mainstream movies but they will occasionally have some kinda interesting nights too. Less so now that The Rio and Vancity Theatre are on the scene. Not bad.

Cheaper seats, cheaper eats, and vintagey movie going experience - I really appreciate the Vaneast…read moreTheatre. First run movies for a few bucks cheaper than the bigger theatres and decent popcorn that doesn't break the bank are definitely elements to a winning combination in my book. While the seats aren't as roomy or comfortable as those in the newer theatres, Vaneast has a home grown charm that always leaves me feeling good that i want there instead of somewhere else.

Lumière is an annual art event that's been going on since 2016, although this is the first year I…read morehad heard of it. It consists of several interactive light up art installations, as well as various performances, and it's all absolutely free! This year Lumière runs from November 1 to 3, from 5pm to 10pm at four different locations -- šxnq Xwtl'e7én Square behind the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Jim Deva Plaza on Davie Street, Morton Park at English Bay, and Lot 19 on Hornby Street (near the Salvador Dali Space Venus sculpture). There is also a free shuttle to take people between the locations which depart approximately every 15 minutes. I went with Nancy H. last night, and had a great (and inexpensive!) time. We took advantage of the free shuttle, which were trolleys from the Vancouver Trolley Company, and it took us just under two hours to make the rounds. We started off at the art gallery, where we saw the following installations: -Steely T: a large light-up, flame spewing turtle that people could enter or climb up top -Daisy: a large solar powered tricycle (unfortunately we didn't see it in action) -Alternity: a branching sculpture that lit up in different patterns when people interacted with it (it was one of my favourite pieces, probably because it reminded me of an organic molecule) -Sandscapes: sand, which people could sculpt, with different colored lights shining on to it in different patterns, evoking images of alien lands -Segmentium: a large orb with a diameter of 7 feet and 24 segments that lit up -Orchidelirium: giant orchids In additions to the above art pieces, at šxnq Xwtl'e7én Square, there was also a small exhibit, Neon at the Post, about neon signs in Vancouver. I immediately recognize the large, neon R from the Ridge movie theater. The next stop was at Jim Deva Plaza where we saw: -Tetra Velo: a large pyramid that people could walk through -Chromatic Shadows: a screen on which people's shadows were projected -Visitor: a blob-shaped structure that lit up in different colors and patterns, depending on how people interacted and controlled it -Woven: large, inflatable, illuminated arches that people could pass through on to their way to the beer garden (which also provided free water) Our third stop was English Bay. When we arrived, there was a fire show happening, although it was difficult to see, with the large crowd. The exhibits were: -Brood: an interesting metal spider, whose body served as a heat lamp -Stanley: a Great Blue Heron made up of 10,320 lights -Davie: a 24 foot tall grizzly bear -Luna: an orca made of over 6000 lights -Eugenia: a tree with lights that change color (my favourite exhibit at Lumière). It's not an exhibit of just any tree, but the oak tree that was atop of the Eugenia Place condo on Beach Avenue, that was installed in 1987 and died in 2017. *Note: Stanley, Luna, and Eugenia will remain on display until February 2020. The fourth, and last stop, was at Lot 19. There, we saw: -Telefunkin' Shadow Stage: another exhibit that involves displaying people's silhouettes on a screen -The Beating Heart: a nine-foot-high fiberglass human heart sculpture that was originally displayed at Burning Man. It beats to the rhythm of a person who places their hand on a sensor. (Note: the sensor is clearly not designed for people who don't have large man hands!) -Key to My Heart: two giant antique keys and a lock that also has a sensor to detect people's heartbeat. -Lux Memoriae: cool, geometric lanterns -Chrysafly: a large butterfly, although it was still being assembled when we were there. It was a fun night, and if you have a chance to check it out today or tomorrow, go! Lumière will be on my calendar next year. [Yelp collections: Public Art; Cheap Thrills; Being a tourist in my own city]

Lumière is an annual event of various art installations held in early November each year. Last…read morenight (Nov. 1) was opening night, and I went with Jasmine (a fellow Yelpie!), and we had a terrific time. It seems this event gets bigger and better with each passing year, and because there's been more advance promoting and advertising for this "light festival", and because the weather last night was stellar (clear and warm, considering it's November), there were fairly large crowds in attendance. And you definitely cannot beat the price. It's free! This year Lumière was held in four separate locations: two in the West End (Morton Square, at Davie and Denman, and Jim Deva Plaza, at Davie and Bute), and two downtown (the Van Art Gallery square on Georgia, and Lot 19 at the northern end of Hornby at Coal Harbor). There were free shuttles driving us attendees to each of the various sites. The buses left every 10-15 minutes, and the "tour guides" on the bus briefly described the highlighted works at the next location. There were 5-10 light-art installations at each site, and most were interactive in some way. Some, you could climb on. Some projected your image on screens in various ways. Some detected your pulse when you placed your hand on sensors and they flashed lights in various configurations. All were very photogenic and led most attendees to take selfies, and pictures of their kids or partners or dogs among the illuminated, colored backdrops. (Note: this is a very family-friendly event). As my kids would comment: this was an Instagram-friendly photoshoot-friendly kind of event. Some locales had performers who worked with lights and/or fire in some way. The fire performers at Davie and Denman had such a large audience circling them, it was hard for me to see the action (but I was glad that there was such a great turn-out for the event, so I happily checked out the other illuminated works at this site). There were neon-lit walkers on stilts at Jim Deva Plaza, too. At the Butte and Davie site, there was a makeshift tent set up for folks 19+, with a beer garden inside, bistro tables and chairs and a dj playing disco music, with disco lights and a floor for dancing! Cool! Seriously, it's hard to believe that this type of expansive exhibition, encompassing four separate sites in the city, is totally free of charge. I really recommend checking it out.

This is a great idea! For about $30 a car, I got a double feature of Despicable Me 3 and Planet of…read morethe Apes! They have a concession where you can pick up the typical drinks and popcorn. You can sit in the comfort of your car and relax . You can turn up your radio if you like it if you are with little children, then, you can turn it down. The only thing is that the washrooms are outside so you have to leave your car and walk outside or with little children, that could turn out to be a run!

We went for the All-you-can-eat Wings at the Rec Room on a Monday night and we were pleasantly…read moresurprised! We got to choose from breaded or non-breaded and a few different flavours of wings like Salt & Pepper, Smokey BBQ, Sweet Heat, and Spicy Buffalo. It was about a 20-30 minute wait for the wings so we did find it a bit long. The service was average and nothing notable. But when the wings did arrive, they were served with a ranch dipping sauce and it was hot & fresh! We got a few more rounds afterwards (that didn't look or weren't plated as nicely but still tasted good) and enjoyed it a lot. It was $25 for AYCE wings but it also included a $10 credit to play any of their arcade games. That's a pretty good deal in our opinions! We'd likely return for more wings if we feel like eating abnormal amounts again!

Fun place to spend an afternoon with friends. For those of us who have been here for a while, it's…read morebasically a Playdium and Chuck E Cheese combined. Something for everyone. Parking is plentiful in the mall lot. The place is pretty full of life. There is a large arcade with plenty of relatively modern games (most are G to PG themed), and a section for table tennis and pool. Place has a relatively loungeish feel, which is great for those in their 20s. Some kiddie games provide tickets, which can be redeemed for points. And just like a Chuck E Cheese, the ticket costs are insane. The place also has a large food section with fast food, as well as spaces for private parties. Not a bad place to check out and kill some time.

Bought tickets to see a specific comedian and got Bate and switched with no real explanation no…read moreoption for refund as they told us after we ordered our mandatory 2 items minimum per person. The food was disappointing probably frozen Costco stuff. The venue was like a dinghy attic and comedians were basically the joke, 1/3 was ok. Over all walked out of there feeling ripped right off. Never again

I'm so lucky to have this fantastic vintage venue within walking distance of my home. A few years…read moreago, the most recent owners took on the gigantic project of restoring this 1920s era vaudeville/movie house to its former glory, while also adding modern sound and lighting and reconfiguring the seating into a dinner theatre style. The pictures don't lie - there are big red velvet drapes, chandeliers and exotic Moorish/Morroccan touches like columns and murals. Just a damn cool theatre to see a show in, and I've now been to a few, from burlesque shows to my comedy idols like Bruce McCulloch. Upstairs in the smaller, and less lavishly appointed room, is Lafflines, which is a great spot to see up and coming comedians while having a few glasses of sorrow-drowning liquids and a basket of chicken strips. Both upstairs and downstairs have the same basic menu, so if you can deal with Sleemans and nachos, you're laughing. The wine list is OK, and for girl-drink drunks, they've got some sweet throwback martinis. The servers are really nice, but there never seem to be enough of them, so be decisive when they come around, because they might not get back around to you for a while! I've noticed that for some of the shows in the theatre, they'll have maybe two or three working the entire venue. Upstairs, one or two depending on the night (I tend to go on Thursdays for amateur night, so it's not usually very full). For all the fanciness of the decor, it's not at all posh, just a laid-back place to go see a live show. If you don't like fun, well, stay home.