Does it matter that Kootenay Centre Cinemas is an unattractive cinder block that looks as though it was constructed in one day? And does it matter that Castlegar sprawls, making the theatre difficult to walk to from the city centre? And tell me this, does it really matter that the concession is run by an inept, pimply fifteen-year-old, and that many of the signs are hand-written? The answer to all of these questions, my friends, is no. This is one of the few movie theatres in south-eastern British Columbia to show blockbuster films and serve hot, greasy popcorn. They have five small screens in this bunker of a movie house, and switch-up the films every week...just like a 'real' theatre. While the chairs may not be ergonomically correct, and the business as a whole may seem like a joke when compared to the AMC or Cinemark chains, it truly is a welcoming beacon of quality entertainment amidst the snowy hills and hillbilly towns of the Kootenays. Warm me with the radiance of mindless amusement and sustain me with the production of buttery popcorn, oh Kootenay Centre Cinemas! read more

Kootenay Centre Cinemas - The Cinder Block - Cinema Near Me - Castlegar, British Columbia

2.5 on this one It has five small theatres. The #1 theatre is the biggest and makes the movie almost worth going to see. They could use a better sound system and more comfortable chairs considering in paying a real movie theatre price for a small theatre. If your movie is in theatre 4 or 5 you may aswell wait until it comes out on DVD and just watch it on a big screen at home. The service is up and down but that's to expect from the typical movie theatre high schooler. It's a little pricey for the size and comfort but if your in town and want to see a movie, you don't really have a choice.. read more

I am a huge fan of seeing movies in the Theatre to see the magic but Castelgar Cinema has let me down for the last time. WHY do all the movies have to start at the same time? The line up is out the door and the concession is a long line again. You end up missing the first ten minutes of the movies because they don't open the doors till 15 minutes before show time. Small suggestion. Start your movies at 6:30 and then every ten minutes start a different movie. splitting up the lineup at the box office and the concession. I live in Nelson and we do not have a theatre at this time. CIVIC THEATRE IS HOPEFULLY OPENING AGAIN SOON. read more

The only other reviewer of this cinema, Alexander Bromley Clark D, commented on pimply 15-year olds running the concession stand. Otherwise he said it was a great theatre. He must himself be a pimply 15 year old if he enjoys it that much. Come to think of it, the person who chooses the movies shown here must also be one. Because 90% of what is shown here is only of interest to someone that age or younger (actually they told me that the movies are chosen by someone in Calgary - great, a pimply 15-year old hayseed....). On average, this theatre shows about four movies per year that are of interest to someone who is not into bodily functions. It seems that the purpose of a cineplex is to offer choices, but here the only choice for mature tastes is usually to stay home. The theatre itself is very poorly designed as all patrons entering have to cross the lines for the concession in order to get into the various theatre rooms. And if there is something popular playing, most of the people standing in the box office lineup will be outdoors - great in the summer, not so in the winter. Roughly half of the movies I have been to see here have suffered from excessive volume, the rest were fine. There are no discounts for college students, which is unfair to them. Most high school students have more disposable income than do college students. I'm not even sure they have discounts for seniors, but for all the reasons above, I'm sure few seniors ever go. The popcorn and fountain drinks are all quite good, although going with less "butter" (no sign to indicate what this actually is) on the corn does lessen the flavour considerably, which doesn't need to be the case with today's product choices. I guess the bright side of all this is that I have managed to save a lot of money by not getting to see many of the great films that come out in the course of a year, and I don't waste a lot of time watching the Academy Awards anymore because I can't identify with most of what they nominate. read more