Went to the Country Bash last night (2/21/23) and left before it started. It was my first time there and was disappointed with the seats and how cramped in they are. The amount of room provided a seat is a wee bit less than flying coach at United. There is no way to avoid touching your neighbor's arm since so tightly packed. Seats are fold down with a low back so if you have back aches, you may want to reconsider going. It was sold out and was becoming humid due to a lack of adequate ventilation as well. On the bright side, tickets were only $15ea so i only lost $30 (wife and I) and a few hours of my time. I think i will stick to the Gallo Theatre when going to a show in Modesto. read more

When it comes to independent/art films, this is the go-to place. No other movie theater in Modesto offers the unique selection of films. The State Theater also showcases guest speakers to provide further insight into their variety of movies. It doesn't end there, as they also have organized a film society which brings to their screen everything from classic films to the Oscar winners. In their desire to engage with the community, they generally put on Oscar night specials at the theater and many other events. The staff are movie lovers themselves and are educated in everything "MOVIES." They are friendly and always provide a welcoming atmosphere. The concession stand offers a variety of drinks, including wine, and beer. Can't beat that! read more

How in the world can you have a sold out rock concert in the middle of July in Modesto and not turn on the air conditioning?! I saw Y&T last night and it was the most miserable experience one could imagine. So much so that the band complained about how hot it was numerous times throughout the show and ended up cutting the show short, citing how hot it was! Everyone was complaining about it on the way out. And you know it's really bad when you leave a venue at 9:45PM and step out into 95 degree heat, that felt so much cooler than inside the venue! Beyond that, the sound was hit or miss, with weird bursts of loudness on occasion. The venue itself is nice, but I won't be back. read more

The State Theatre is definitely a piece of Modesto history. You can catch an indie film (faves for award season) and even small concert venues. As mentioned by other reviews, they have recently undergone a renovation. I haven't experienced the new and improved State Theatre, but I hear it is awesome. read more

I've had nothing but great experiences at the State Theatre. If you've had a bad time here, I would suggest giving it a second chance. I've seen live performances here as well as movies. It is a wonderful place to go for something different. read more

I've taken away one star. The staff remain the most professional and goofy-fun people, and make a visit enjoyable even when the movies aren't the best. I understand the new manager is a bit more wary of foreign films, which I think underestimates the clientele. Particularly when the indie movie selection has been a bit 'off' as in the last couple years, taking advantage of the available foreign language films can help take up the slack. Wake up, new manager. read more

You should all disappointed and counting the days until next year's festival. You all missed it! The Reel Food Film Festival was this past weekend. I know you weren't there because The State was not anywhere near capacity. This event was amazing. I thought I had died and gone to Italian pastry/dessert heaven the second we walked through the front doors. The lobby was filled with tables piled high with bite sized canoli, pine nut torte(Word of Mouth Bakery you rocked my world!), biscotti, cakes, custards, tiramisu, you name it, it was there and all included in the price of a $15 ticket. After loading up your plate(s) there was wine, beer and coffee at the concession stand. The films-5 shorts and 1 feature length were all food-themed. I'm telling you I'm already planning on going next year with a group of friends and family. This is a fantastic Modesto event not to be missed! read more

Just renovated, the cultural crown jewel of downtown Modesto is impressive in every way. They play movies we would never have a chance to see if it weren't for it's open-mindedness. I love it's themed nights and had super fun at David Lynch night watching Mullholland Dr. and Blue Velvet. Too bad I missed the Amelie PJ party. They even had specialty drinks like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Heiniken and the The Blue Dream which was a slushy that left your tounge all blue from the food coloring! Yes! What was coolest is they had a psychic reading tarots and henna tattoos. It's way too much fun that you can have there and it's not expensive since you get the whole theatre as your playground. Hella super cool fun. read more

Take a step back in time to the golden age of movie theaters. Real butter in the popcorn, great customer service, small and intimate lobby, nice food selection of snacks and the cookies are delicious. Draft beer, cocktails and wine...only problem is no cup holders so that's a bit annoying. Fun date night and eclectic mix of movies and shows. read more

The staff here are so kind. The theater is small and community oriented. Many of the events and movies are to raise awareness for local agencies. And, many independent films that are shown here are not available at any other theater close by. How great to have this theater in Modesto - really is an amazing place. Oh and the best popcorn in town - hands down! read more

Went to see Johnny Winter a couple of weeks ago. I haven't been in the State Theatre since the 60's - The venue is small & very personal, the staff is right there offering to help & ensuring a positive experience. It's been completely restored & oozes nostalgia. It was just awesome!! I've already reserved seats for another show in August & am hoping to take the wife & granddaughters to the movies one night as well. Keep up the good work!!! read more

I love the State! There is no other theatre in the valley that shows these kinds of movies. Anything from old films to foreign to independent. Great prices! Also alcohol served! :) read more

State Theatre - Got to see Carla Morrison here last winter! It was wonderful. - Cinema Near Me - Modesto, California

I love The State. Not only does it offer indie & revival movies that it'd otherwise take a trip to San Francisco to see, but it has a wide selection of live events - from live concerts to poetry slams, lectures to sing alongs, The State is an eclectic mix of entertainment with something for everyone. Check out their website - thestate.org to see upcoming shows, etc. Highly recommended! read more

My husband and I went to watch a movie here and it was really cool. It was updated and comfortable. read more

The renovation of this old theater is AMAZING! I am so glad we as a community had the foresight not to let such a treasure be bulldozed and replaced with another Fuzio or something. I went to see The Queen here with my bff and her mom and it was so nice! Like Brenden... only cuter and vintage! Loves it! I wish I was in town enough to utilize all it has to offer (I hear they have rockin' concerts now and then) read more

The state theater in modesto is a non profit establishment that serves alcohol, great coffee, a variety of hot teas if you ask, high quality popcorn with real butter and a choice of homemade flavor sprinkles, plus the usual candy and soda. most of the workers are volunteers, so please have respect and clean up after yourself. besides showing independent films and everything that is highly rated in the independent market , they also have concerts and matinees of classic films. There are handicapped restrooms on the main floor along with more downstairs. The theater decor reflects the era when it was built ..art deco. there is a balcony like in all older movie houses, and the original seats are still good, but no cup holders. Everyone there is happy, and you will be too. it is so nice not to have to travel to see the great independent films. See you there. read more

My favorite theater in Modesto. The State runs independent films, and some mainstream Oscar winners. It is a historic theater with an updated sound system. The State also hosts a variety of community events from bands, to town discussions, dance recitals, comedy competitions and much more. Oh yea, they serve real butter with their popcorn! read more

This theater is one of my favorite things about Modesto. I love that we have such a historic, lovingly preserved theater, and they do a nice job of bringing in quality films. The staff are friendly and well-educated, and they have a snack bar which is stocked with beer, wine, and liquor. In an ideal world, I'd like there to be more showings, and for them to get first release films more quickly, but I understand that they're operating under a set of constraints, and I'm happy for everything they do to bring interesting films and programming to Modesto. read more

Love this place. Runs indie films you can't see other places. Great customer service. Love the popcorn with real butter not processed yellow grease. The 30's art deco décor is fab. The staff are sweet. And you can drink alcohol there. What more do you want? read more

This is a beautiful single-screen theater that has been maintained since days of old. I knocked it down a star because it was ridiculously cold inside! read more

Great theatre! Friendly staff. They have amazing popcorn. The theatre is clean the seats are conformable to watch shows.

I love that the State shows movies you can't see in the big theatres around town. We just went to see Moonrise Kingdom over the weekend, which we didn't think would ever come to Modesto. Pros: independent and old movies shown regularly, nostalgic vibe. Cons: tiny and uncomfortable seats, below average popcorn. I really wish they wouldn't have redone the outside of the State, the old sign and front were so much better-looking than what they have now. read more

What a great event! Classic American Graffiti screening with delicious root beer floats! We've also be in attendance for The Big Lebowski & had great white russians! Can't wait for more great movies & music at The State! read more

This place is a good foil for the Gallo. It tends to promote shows and movies that may be a little off the beaten path, which is so essential for a better understanding of the world around us. We saw "Lion" here, and then went and saw Leslie Jordan two days later. They have a really nice concession stand (though a tad on the pricey side ... but then the tickets are cheaper so I guess it evens out), with a full bar and some great eats. Plus it has a solid local following so you get to rub shoulders with Modesto's more interesting and more erudite crowd. How can that be a bad thing? read more

Thanks State Theatre peep for another great event! You guys go over and above to make us feel welcome.

Please read the following facebook statement from Sean Duncan on how The State Theater treats local musicians. I no longer live in the valley, nor am I involved in the local music "scene" but I still know a lot of people who are and find the way that they handled the cancellation of this show shameful. It looks like if George Lucas or a lot of money isn't involved, they really don't care. As someone who had their comment deleted yesterday and found themselves blocked from commenting further on The State Theater facebook page, I encourage you to read what Sean has to say about his experience. I didn't think what I said was all that offensive, just pointing out that they hadn't bothered to update their page to reflect the cancellation (which they STILL haven't done as I type this a day later). The city of Modesto has sunk a lot of money into the downtown area to revitalize the economy and make their town a destination for patrons of the arts and the actions of The State Theater, who loudly proclaim their support of local talent, are spitting in the faces of the people who are actually trying to do something to make Modesto and the surrounding areas a great place to live. I encourage you to read on: This is not my email to the state, This is my email to all the sponsors of the state and anyone else who will listen. PLEASE SHARE!!! To whom it may concern, I'm a member of the band Kid Mud. On June 15th, the band was booked to play a show at the State Theater in Modesto, Ca. with two other local bands, Solar Powered People and Stop Motion Poetry. One week before the show, the State Theater cancelled the show due to poor advance ticket sales. The promoter of this event told us this via a group "Facebook" message. Not one person from any of the bands were ever informed that we needed a "x" amount of pre tickets sold or this show would be cancelled. Once I received tickets to sell myself, 10 days before the show, I made my own pre sales. No one from the State Theater bothered to contact me and ask how many tickets I had actually sold. When the promoter from the State Theater Facebooked us, we tried to ask questions and find an alternative to cancelling the show. The promoter told us "I'm about to start a gig" and really gave us no alternative or further explanation. We have now told our fans exactly what has happened and they have been voicing their opinion to the State Theater via "Facebook". The State Theater then removes the comments and then blocks the users from future comments. One post that the State Theater currently has on their page as I write this email says, "Get to know some of Modesto's best bands on 06/15. These acts are on their way to big things! Support local talent!" This is not the first time this has happened to local artists by the State Theater. A show on Feb 15th of this year was supposed to take place with a local band called "The Airlings". The same chain of events happened to this band, except no one contacted them. They actually found out when they accessed the State Theater's website and saw a "cancelled" sign on the poster on the website. I find this very wrong that a place that still says they support local music or the community can just do this. As for the bands of this show, I know that we are all people who have worked hard in our community and have families. Everyone took lots of time out of their already busy schedules to put 110% effort to giving the community a great show. Giving up other things in our daily lives to practice 2 or 3 times a week to make sure the people who were coming had the greatest show of their life. Then, one week before, the state theater decides to just pull the rug underneath us with no communication. Just an "excuse" of lack of advanced ticket sales. This would be a disgrace to any community anywhere and people should know what the State Theater actually thinks about supporting local music and its community. A very upset "local artist", Sean Duncan, Kid Mud Edit: Sean did receive a call apologizing for the way this was handled. I hope that The State Theater will consider their actions more carefully when dealing with artists who they invite to play their venue as well as the people who support them. Without local patronage, The State Theater would no longer exist. read more

I hate to dog these guys but after the fiasco that ensued last night, I had to vent. Star Wars IV on the big screen. Lots of people came out to see it - not a complete sell out but the theater was still the fullest I'd seen it in ages. Truth be told, Casablanca was actually fuller. Go figure. Anyhow, movie does not begin to roll until 6:30 (was slated for 6:00) due to 'technical difficulties' although I saw the projectionist just milling around for a while beforehand. Then the picture starts to roll and the sound is in and out. Ok, help me to understand why this wasn't all tested beforehand and made sure that it would be good to go instead of foisting this amateur blunder on such a big crowd. The crowd gets restless and stars adding their own sound effects which was hilarious but not an experience one wants to spend $7 for. A staff member finally gets the gumption to run to the sound booth after the audience has endured 5 to 10 minutes of this and fixes it right away. And on top of all of that, part of the A/C system is out and it's sweltering inside, considering how many bodies are present and the temperature outside. This really killed a lot of the experience for me as I was more busy being hot and miserable - as well as dozing off - then really enjoying the film. There were many things that transpired that I still fail to understand, especially regarding such a large audience and hot movie. It won't turn me off on going to the State Theatre but I can't speak for others. read more

I went to see Blue Jasmine this weekend there. After an old couple said "I didn't know his type would like this" about me, the staff member that heard the same thing just shrugged her shoulders. Cool. I walked out. I will never go back. Plus, the guy that runs their social media was a total jerk after to me after I complained about this. read more

Simply a GREAT THEATRE!!! Modesto's only venue for indie and alt. films. A wonderful place for music and live entertainment. It's beautiful, inside and out, and very comfortable. The employees are very friendly. Best of all, you can watch a great movie and have a beer or glass of wine. The State is one of the best places in Modesto, a real draw to go downtown! read more

I held an event at the State Theatre on June 22nd, and it was a marvelous evening. The venue itself is wonderfully redone in the art deco style, and they have kept the true heart of the original building, lobby, restrooms, seats, etc. - while having state of the art sound and light capabilities. We had wonderful time here, and the staff was inspirational, helpful, and extremely professional. This is a great theater to view movies in, see other entertainment, and more. I hope to visit the theater again soon! read more

Awsome old theater... Lots of independent films and live performance stuff! Great night out !

Made my first ever visit to the State Theatre to see The Artist. Enjoying a silent film in a unique venue like this felt like I was being transported back in time. The ambiance was phenomenal and I really look forward to making a return visit. read more

You can read the other reviews...they're all pretty good. I'll just say...what other theater sells beer? Enough said.

Very nice theater in downtown Mo. They have a lot of good indie films and events. Not the biggest theater and if you want good seats you'd better get there early for a popular movie. The snacks are expensive but you can buy beer and alcohol so that is a plus. Only/best place to see indies in the area. Look for an old-timey sunday movie for a not crowded pleasant experience. read more

I have been waiting for the right opportunity to go see "Parasite" at the State/Jewel. Tonight was my (un) lucky night. Got there in plenty of time. Theater was over half full (not too difficult) theater only seats 25 people. Screen was good for the room size and sound system was superb. I left early though. Not because the film was bad - it's brilliant but because I had two elderly women sitting directly behind me who kept chatting to each other from the get go, including commenting how much the Executive Director of the State has aged. Chattering continued through previews then the film itself with comments made on every plot point. Then another person shows up late with candy and cold drink in hand. Noisily she dug into her bag, slurped her drink and ate her ice - LOUDLY. Of course, when done she needed some pop corn. By then I'd had enough. Yes I could of turned around and admonished these elderly people but you'd think they would know they weren't in their living rooms. The Jewel will not be getting anymore business from me. read more

Buyer beware!!! They do not have a refund nor credit policy in place. I have been frequenting the State for over 25 years but I will no longer. I ordered 5 tickets on 1/22 for a 3/1 benefit show but I guess 5 weeks is not enough time to ensure a full house. I live in a small town that also has a theater but they have a credit policy for cancellations. read more

This place is great, you can have wine and enjoy movies with other Adults that aren't released in the crowded theaters. I only wish they had MORE nights filled on their events calendar! read more

Easy parking. Clean bathrooms. In and Outs no matter how old you are. Friendly staff. I like this place! My first time visiting and I am very impressed. Went to the Andrew McMahon/Matt Nathanson show last night, and it was nothing short of amazing. I loved how we could go OUTSIDE of the theatre in between bands as long as we held to our ticket stubs. The only small complain is the price of their snacks. After roadtripping to Modesto we were starving, and there seemed to be nowhere to get food. Inside the theatre, snacks were movie theatre priced. We decided to let our stomachs down and wait till after the show to get some food. Other than that, this place is fabulous. read more

The State is one of Modesto's landmarks and must visit places. Recently renovated, it features many amenities now found at most other theaters. If you like vintage, old or independent films it would be a worthwhile experience to visit this place. read more

I came here a few years ago to watch Pan's Labyrinth, which was great because the film wasn't playing in any of the other theaters in town. I like how one of the staff members sat in for the movie, just shushing the noisy people. The one complaint I had was that the screen didn't project the best picture. Other than that, it was a good experience read more