I don't go to the movies in Philly often, but when I do, you better believe it's for those $6…read moreTuesday deals! If you're not going to the movies on Tuesdays the weekend after a movie comes out, seriously, what are you thinking?! It's the same movie for a cheaper price, y'all. Purchased my ticket online the day before. Unfortunately, these days there's always processing fees but I appreciated that you can join the rewards program for a cheaper processing fee. I showed up 15 mins after the listed showtime because I was coming straight from work, but I still made it in time to catch a few trailers and it was nearly empty inside. I'll admit, I'm used to the luxury of suburban movie theaters and their recliners but at this point, I'll take what I can get.

This theater NEVER TURNS ON THE MAIN LIGHT BEFORE, DURING INTERMISSIONS, AND AT THE END OF THE…read moreMETROPOLITAN OPERA LIVE IN HD performances. Did it never occur to you that these operas are very often attended by SENIORS who cannot be expected to go up and down the stairs and find their seats WITHOUT LIGHT? I wonder how many falls there have been as a result. And at the opening performance of MACBETH it was even worse. The equipment wasn't working and the entire audience had to go home!

F and I attended a showing of the film Surviving Bokator for the Philadelphia Asian American Film…read moreand Filmmakers. This wonderful experience started as soon as we walked through the doors... We were greeted so warmly by the gentleman at the reception desk and he was helpful and informative. He really made an impression on us. Give that man a raise! The lobby area had seating as well as room to gather and/or meet and greet. The theater itself is very intimate but not tiny. The seats were comfortable and the sight lines seem to be good from anywhere in the house. The film Surviving Bokator was fantastic, and there was room on the stage for a live demonstration of the Cambodian martial art of Bokator.

From the owner: Lightbox Film Center is Philadelphia's premier exhibitor of film and moving image art…read more As the signature arts program of International House Philadelphia, an independent nonprofit organization, Lightbox presents an unparalleled slate of repertory, nonfiction, experimental and international cinema. Beyond the traditional movie theater experience, Lightbox delivers enriching film programs with artist talks, live music and other multidisciplinary programs year-round in a dedicated venue known as a gathering place for cinephiles.

Very nice they helped n my family picking a really good movie they fast wrkin they were greatread more

A mouse crawled up onto my recliner and the manager acted like it happens every day…read more Today just so happen to be Sep-11, I was sitting in my recliner waiting for the movie to start, phone in my hand while the commercials played. When a large mouse climbed up the left armrest -- right where the front of the armrest meets the leg recliner. I looked up from my phone. We made eye contact. Then it ran. I jumped out of the seat. In my 45 years of going to the movies I have never seen a mouse or a rat in a movie theater. Not once. This is a place where people sit for hours and eat. A place where people bring their kids. A rodent that close to my hands, crawling all over the seats is disgusting. I went to the counter and asked, politely, to speak with a manager. She came quickly. I told her what happened, quietly, as to not make a scene. She was not surprised. She was not shocked. Her face said this was ordinary. All she said was that she would let the exterminators know, and then she asked if I was leaving. That was it. No apology. No offer to move me. No check of the seats. No sense urgency that a customer had just had a mouse on the arm of their chair. Just "I'll tell the exterminators" and "are you leaving?" The mouse was bad. The indifference was worse.

How is it possible no one has ever written a review of Secret Cinema? (I mean, aside from the fact…read morethat it is Secret)? I hope that by being the first to review Secret Cinema I'm not somehow violating some unwritten rule of Secret Cinema: "The First Rule of Secret Cinema is...you don't talk about Secret Cinema." Secret Cinema is a labor of love of its founder and his wife (?) who have been showing vintage movies (on film only, never video, as they will proudly tell you) for well nigh on 20 years, in various locations around Philly. However, their more-or-less permanent home seems to be the cinema at Moore College of Art and Design on 20th and Parkway in Center City. Their programs are typically 1.5 -3 hours long and feature a wide range of rare, obscure, and generally neglected but culturally significant movies, shorts and cartoons. I think they do maybe 10 showings a year, usually Friday nights, and admission is only $6-7 per show, making it probably one of the best cheap date opportunities around. The breadth of the programs is truly astounding. In the few years I've been attending, I've seen everything from classic cartoons from the 30's (the politically incorrect kind), corny educational films from decades past (including one sex-ed film from the early 80's featuring coitus between immense puppet genitalia which made everyone in the audience squirm), to almost-lost home movies of the Velvet Underground, to Saturday morning kid's programs, to a Philly premiere of the works of an almost totally unknown 50's-60's director, J. X. Williams: I am still searching for words to describe that show... Jay, its MC and creator, clearly loves rare cinema and is himself an encyclopedic resource on each of the programs he compiles. He prefaces the shows with his own (somewhat monotone and sometimes seemingly interminable) intros in which he provides the context of what you are about to see. That said, the selections can be somewhat hit-or-miss. One showing, which featured a documentary about Scottish agriculture in the 1940's, left me scratching my head to find the entertainment value: I guess it was a bit more 80's-style irony than I was willing to take. Some others leave me cold, as, apart from the historic value, the entertainment value of some of the programs can be very low for someone who is not specifically interested in that very subject. In other words, the selections can veer into arcana from time to time. But, you go there to have your horizons broadened, not to see more of what you would otherwise see in the mainstream media. So on balance I guess it's a good thing. So kudos to these folks for putting on consistently interesting (if not entertaining) programs which are clearly outside the mainstream. And kudos for being squarely in the Philly DIY tradition and staying true to that ethic all these years. Go and check it out.

I've been to about 4 or 5 of these underground film events hosted by curator and film nut Jay…read moreSchwarz. There is a certain ritual to it - paying $8, listening to Jay's informative droning introductions, not knowing what to expect. Secret cinema is a tribute to the dying medium of film. It's only film- no vhs or digital. He rescues film reels from flea markets, garages, libraries and cobbles them together with a theme. Some of what he shows is ironic, hilarious and cringeworthy in its racial stereotyping. It's a history and cultural studies lesson doled out in 5-7 minute chunks. I refer to Jay as a mad genius and hope he remains that way. His obsession with film and opening rare finds to the public is a great service. Secret Cinema isn't widely advertised. Getting on the e-mail list is the best way to catch these semi-frequent (every month or two) events.

It's time to invest in some renovations...Especially the panels you can see are broken, they can be…read moredistracting during movies...The seats are stiff and cramped so by the time you leave, your back is aching...Fun to watch short movies on but for the price you pay you want them to last...such a catch 22... Try to sit high up if you can. I prefer the KOP IMAX...

As a self-proclaimed cinephile, I saw the 70mm print of "2001: A Space Odyssey" last night and had…read morevery high hopes since I had heard this theater is amazing. Well, it's basically awful (the theater, not the movie.) The uncomfortable seats don't recline, which really would be clutch since the projection is elevated, so, you're basically looking up the whole time. Legroom is at a minimum and you'll most surely get your seat kicked a few times if a large person is sitting behind you. Also, watching any narrative film will have you physically turning your head constantly to see the action in different parts of the blown-up frame. Also, this may not be a direct critique of the theater, but the film quality of "2001" was so poor, it seriously looked like old VHS quality. Every bright color washed out, and worse, you could see the actual screen panels clearly at various times, totally distracting you from being immersed. During loud moments, one of the sub-woofers was so annoyingly rattling, that I started to feel hoodwinked I didn't just watch this flick at home. The King of Prussia IMAX theater is so much better than this one, it's not even funny. If "great concession prices" is the high watermark of these reviews, then film buffs beware.

Good movie experience, but limited in some ways. Didn't have all the soda options - ie just plain…read moreCoke and no flavor options - and every is worn a bit. But the Popcorn was good, the chairs were comfortable, and staff were friendly and helpful. Seats were easy to score - but we were there at 10:30 in the morning! Not as terrible as some other reviews would suggest. Parking lot behind the building is available - but find the number of a spot and make sure to find the pay kiosk near the very back, half hidden by dumpsters...

This AMC theater has improved since it first opened. They have large comfy recliner seats. The…read moreseats are so comfortable that I've dozed off during a movie. Having the large recliner seats also means there are a lot less seats than there used to be. Less people are a good thing in this day and age in which patrons can be so unruly. The concession stand has good options, and you can order from your phone on the way to the theater and pick up the food when you get there. There is a small bar open on the weekends. The screens are large with good sound quality. This AMC does seem a bit understaffed at times, but the staff working does a good job. I would go more often if I lived closer to it.

The international House of the place that College students of all nationalities and backgrounds…read morelive while attending local Philly colleges. It is also a venue that's often used by several organizations to hold festivals that presents movies and art receptions etc. It is a well laid out space with a lot of of options if you need to hold or sponsor a special event. Within the last 12 months I attended two festivals BLACKSTAR and The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. Both I enjoyed immensely, I was able to view movies in a very comfortable and reasonably priced theater. The International House always appears to be fairly clean and staffed with an employee at the 'front desk'. Check out their website for more details, you might like what they have to offer.

Talk about an interesting place. where else can you go to take cheap language classes, catch a…read morediverse and entertaining film festival, see a band, and potentially live in? and their not joking by International. picture a place that has bright college students from 30 to 40 different countries living under it's roof? this place runs rampant with culture. The film fests are the best though. they had a festival of films by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who is perhaps the most unique and artistic director of all time. and it had a Kung Fu festival that didn't show the traditional Jackie Chan/Sonny Chiba kind of films that you would expect. The are getting ready to had a Spaghetti Western festival next.

Covid precautions are top notch and above requirements. Transparency on the website is clear about…read moretheir cleaning habits and air filters, etc. Checked for vaccination proof at the door *with* ID. Lovely staff who are pleasant and real -- leagues away from AMC! All that *and* they show the big blockbusters?? Total win!!

This is specifically about my experience with the upstairs microcinema, so take it as you will. Did…read morenot enjoy being accosted by an employee demanding to see our tickets multiple times despite the fact that we were clearly there to see a film -- it seems like they were trying to discourage anyone from just hanging out in the lobby despite having a full seating area near their bar, which was pretty disappointing considering we came during a heat wave and bad A.Q.I. where folks were encouraged to remain indoors. The quality of the theater itself was also pretty underwhelming, as their second screen is really just a rec room with a projector and choir risers. Add to that the fact that the film we saw was played at such a volume that I plugged my ears for half of it and I'm pretty disappointed, given my good experiences with their PFS East location in the past.

I've always wanted to have a drive in movie experience and I got the chance last night to see the…read morenewly released A Quiet Place II. The tickets were easy to purchase online and there was only one showing at 9pm at the Navy Yard. There are no directions to the screen once you enter the Navy Yard so following the gps to Admiral Peary Way & League Island Blvd was really helpful otherwise it would be easy to get lost in the Navy Yard. Once in the vicinity there are folks directing traffic and cars to view the screen as well as providing the radio station to listen to the movie. Some parked reverse to have their hatchbacks open and view from the back of their vehicles and some parked facing forward. Those with raised hatchbacks impeded on the view of those in the row behind so that row was left empty. While I enjoyed my experience I think the screen should have been raised a bit more to have the best viewing for all. The light pollution also made some movie scenes difficult to view. The planes coming in for landing can also be a nuisance. But overall I enjoyed the drive in.

The Philadelphia Film Society is truly one of my favorite escapes while living in Philly. They're a…read morenonprofit dedicated to keeping the cinematic experience alive, and their curated film series are chef's kiss. Imagine "25 Days of Christmas" with holiday classics on the big screen, or "Lost in Animation" where they show anime gems you'd usually only dream of seeing in theaters. I took myself on a solo date here to watch "Home Alone" during the holiday series, and it was peak nostalgia. The theater itself is cozy but high-quality, with great sound, comfy seating, and a crowd that actually loves movies which makes the atmosphere that much better! I love the PFS experince and when you become a member ticket prices are discounted and you can enjoy all year. ( This is from my recent trip to Spike Lee's newest film "Highest 2 Lowest" )

Fun cinematic experience! Admission is free, and it only takes about 15 minutes. They don't allow…read morephones inside the Sphere but I can definitely tell you it's fun, especially for kids. The theme is "How to Train Your Dragon" and they even give you a pretty high quality dragon riding license at no charge! The staff were excellent and stayed in character the whole time as well.

This was a nice attraction located in the Comcast building. Its around free and around 10 minutes…read morelong. Even without tickets, it's a short wait and virtually no line during the week when I went (10/2024). I'd recommend it if you want a quick burst of inspiration. Especially because the rest of the building is gorgeous.