It's been a hot minute since I've seen a movie at this location. Honestly, I try to support our…read morelocal independent theaters as much as I can. That said, it was Thanksgiving weekend and Moana 2 was definitely not playing at any of my go-to spots. Enter Marcus Sycamore Cinema. I popped online, easily selected our matinee seats. I liked that we (post pandemic) have assigned seats. So much easier with kids. You don't have to get there a million years early and you can ensure you have an aisle when they inevitably have to go the bathroom at the most important, action packed time. We arrived at the cinema about five minutes early and found no one taking tickets? So we just walked back. This was odd to me. Though it was insanely dark and hard to find the aisle numbers, due to no lighting-- we found our seats fine. The concessions were priced as you'd assume and were tasty. I do love me a super buttery, salty popcorn. The seats and venue itself was well maintained and comfy. No complaints! Bathrooms were nearby and clean. Though, as a slender human, I will say those stalls are even hard for me to navigate. Overall, good bang for buck. No complaints!

They've remodeled the lobby area! Much more inviting than before. Brighter, candy is well-stocked,…read moreand the theaters are cleaner than they were two years ago. New management? The mall seems to have picked back up a little bit since Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened. Still our go-to movie theater in town.

What can you say about this gem of a theater but has not already been said? Having worked at movie…read moretheaters throughout college I can tell you that the pressure for the big movie theaters to play the biggest movies that will sell out or bring it the largest crowd is, is immense. Those theaters rarely take any kind of risk with a small movie that may or may not be the next Hollywood blockbuster. Honestly, they really are a blockbuster hit but are often really good movies that have a voice which should be heard. That is where Film Scene comes in. It fills the void created by monstrous movie theaters which are more concerned with the quality of their heated reclining seats as opposed to the quality of the movie. Now, you should know, when you go to see a movie at this theater, do not expect super comfortable seats. There are some good seats in the back of the theater but the closer you get to the screen, the worse they are, so be sure you get there early. The concession stand is reasonably priced with a good selection of candy, decent popcorn, and a wonderful selection of beer. I would also highly recommend the rooftop viewing of any movie they show. It is really awesome up there. Get some tickets, grab some popcorn, twizzlers, a cold beer, and enjoy a really good movie lovingly presented by true film lovers.

What a gift to Iowa City! Right downtown + an amazing film selection spanning major blockbusters…read moreand independent films. Please check it out!

Choose another theatre...this place needs serious help. I hate writing a bad review but it was…read morefilthy from the moment you step into the theatre. Half of the icy machines are out of order and apparently have been for a while. The whole fountain drink area was filthy but tons of workers were around watching just one person stock candy. The bathrooms were tore up and filthy as well. The projector clearly had issues as the movie was darkening around the edges the entire time and having trouble with movements on screen. Lastly, and the worst, the theatre room itself smelled so bad upon entering. It smelled like a gym locker room. We realized quickly it was the chairs themselves. The upholstery smelled so gross. Like old sweat soaked in over years. The smell was on our clothes when we got home. We understand places theatres get dirty from customers, but this is not normal. I really hope cleanliness is improved and improvements are made. We will not return.

Good cinema to see new movies, maybe the rooms are small but the seats are very comfortable…read more There are announcements before the movie for about 15 minutes

Are you a cinephile? Do you enjoy good movies? Do you enjoy seeing movies that don't show at the…read more64-Screen-Multi-Plex? Bijou Cinema is THE ART-HOUSE alternative for you in the IC area. It's really great to have an opportunity to see something other than the main-stream-media-schlepp-fest that you normally find at your big chain theaters, They always have a really interesting selection of movies showing here, and the concessions are dirt cheap too. $1.00 pop-corn $1.00 pop (20 oz. Coke Products) $1.00 candy. The few drawbacks are that sometimes the movie selection isn't the most up-to-date, but, again, you're not going to find the type of movies they show here anywhere-else in Eastern Iowa. Check it out at least once. Also, there isn't much in the way of free parking nearby. There is a paid ramp just to the east of the IMU (Iowa Memorial Union - Which the theater is located inside of), or metered parking on street, and in a small lot just to the south.

The Englert Theatre is an Iowa City treasure…read more I had the pleasure of attending the Nutcracker with my family this past weekend and The Englert Theatre did not disappoint. The theatre is well maintained; it's a cozy space and there isn't a bad seat in the house. Additionally, the staff is passionate and insanely helpful. The Theatre was opened over 100 years ago (1912) by a husband and wife (the Englerts) -- it actually used to be a stable. Mr. Englert passed away in 1920 and it changed ownership (of which ended up running the theatre for 80 years before selling). It almost burned down in 1926 but after a huge amount of fundraising, was rebuilt to its 1920s glory and charm. Eventually, the City of Iowa City was persuaded to purchase the theater and hold it in trust until funds could be raised for a newly formed nonprofit to purchase and renovate the space. In 2004, after an immense amount of fundraising, the Englert returned to the community with its first live performance in over 40 years. Truly, a Downtown Iowa City, gem. The Englert has two huge festivals each year -- Mission Creek and Witching Hour. Beside that you can catch a plethora of different shows throughout the year-- all of which seem to be priced accordingly. I'd probably give this closer to a 4.5 rating, vs 5. I only say that because in my nearly 30 years as an Iowa City resident, I can't say many of the shows have attracted me to attend. Additionally, concessions are limited. I must note: my mother-in-law wasn't insanely thrilled with how handicapped accessible the bathrooms were. (Though there is an elevator and there are wheelchair accessible seating areas on both floors.) Iowa City has a parking problem, so it's not the Englert's fault. I'd recommend the Dubuque Street Parking Ramp. But all in all, how lucky are we to have The Englert live and thrive in Iowa City?

It's our holiday tradition to have a nice dinner and see the Nutcracker. We had a wonderful time…read morelast night. It was a beautiful night and the Englert sign lights up so nice. The theater has plenty of seating and we always choose to sit on the balcony. They have a variety of refreshments for before and during the show. It was a great show and we are already looking forward to next year!

I hadn't been to Hancher Auditorium since it was rebuilt-- having been destroyed in the 2008 flood…read moreand reopening in 2016. Well, I can say I finally got to see and experience this updated IC gem this weekend and it does not disappoint. My kiddos got me Mean Girl tickets for Mother's Day last year and alas, it was finally here! The show was dynamite, the venue was gorgeous, acoustics were great and staff were lovely. We got there insanely early, so parking wasn't an issue though I hear closer to showtime it can be! Tickets were priced as you'd expect. Even bathroom lines weren't horrendous, you got in and out no problem. Hancher offers many types of shows, and honestly many don't appeal to me but I appreciate the wide variety they showcase and all of the art they bring to Iowa City! When their new schedule comes out each year I am always sure to take a look, in hopes something catches my eye. I can't wait for my next time enjoying a show at Hancher!

This auditorium is beautiful! I attended a UI graduation here and it was great! The architecture of…read morethe building is fantastic. The sound inside during graduation was clear and the seats were comfortable. It would be a great place to attend a show.

I'm a sucker for art co-ops and architecture and design stores, of which Akar is one. It's located…read morejust off Downtown Iowa City, and to my surprise, my review is one of the first in at least a couple of years. And after COVID, it's nice to see that Akar is still standing. Akar has strong ceramics selections, some nice pens, and a whole bunch of interesting tchotchkes. The store is well laid out, displayed, and curated. It's one of those place that you need to visit a couple times to appreciate the merchandise layers. That also helped with my tendency to wander and only be struck by 1 or 2 things at a time.

The unique pottery is enough in itself to have me coming back again and again. It is displayed in…read moresuch a way that makes you feel as though you are in an art museum yet able to pick something up and buy it. The rest of the store has fun items, jewelry, seasonal decor, kids items, and more, but the pottery area stands out. Great little gem in Iowa City.

I take my daughter to dance at Nolte Academy of Dance in Coralville, Iowa. She has taken ballet and…read morecurrently takes jazz at Nolte and has been very happy with her experiences and with her overall learning of dance there. The building is large and spacious inside, with windows lining many of the dance classrooms. Parking is great as well. Affordable dance classes with lots of different times available for different needs with availability. I definitely recommend Nolte Academy of Dance to all.

Head over heals in love with Nolte dance. The Children's Dance 1 teachers work a special kind of…read moremagic with all the toddlers. Everything is perfect ... the facility, the staff, the Philosophy. It's been so wonderful for our family to be a part of the Nolte Family.