Article Series Issue 3 - Film and Movies in Seattle

3. Lights, Camera, Seattle!

The multiplex. The megaplex. The googplex.

They go by many names but ultimately they are nothing more than your impersonal movie theater conglomerate. You know the type. Corporate bean counters have packed as many movie screens as they could into the smallest possible space geometry and local zoning laws would allow.

There’s nothing wrong with seeing a movie in a theater that has 20 screens, plays first-run Hollywood movies (that are usually sequels or remakes) and sells popcorn by the gross ton. Sometimes though, you want a cinematic experience that’s a little different.

While Seattle has its share of cookie-cutter theater chains, it also has a plethora of independent movie theaters. For examples there’s Columbia City Cinema on Rainer Avenue, Seven Gables Theater in the University District and Uptown Cinemas on Queen Ann Avenue.

These independent movie theaters may lack some modern amenities but they make up for it with character, charm and by starting films at their advertised times.

Some show first run movies, while others show art films or unconventional flicks eschewed by the big chains. That’s the best part about these independent movie theaters, they defy a uniform description. If they were all the same then they would be just as bland as the multiplexes.

One Emerald City cinematic experience that is . . .

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