It’s the beginning of a new semester, which means standing in long lines at the bookstore, add/drop and correcting new professors on the pronunciation of your last name, right? Well, to a certain degree, but there’s also that awesome little perk—no homework! But only for a limited time, so here’s a short guide to a few of D.C.’s movie theaters to waste those last precious days before the work hits.
If indie and foreign films are your thing, Visions Cinema offers some of the best around. Located on the edge of Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, Visions is an amalgam of bar, restaurant and theatre. Aside from offering brilliant independent films such as The Trials of Henry Kissinger, Das Experiment, and Se?orita Extraviada, Visions also offers specialty nights, such as Cinemusic dance night, where resident DJs spin a specific genre music with similar movie clips projected onscreen. Other weekend deals include Saturday night’s Kick the Keg, which promotes cinematic drunkenness while the film is rolling, as well as weekend-long Midnight Movies for $5. Though the theatres are small, the feeling is more intimate than cramped. It is the perfect place for independent and foreign films, beer and falafel.
Perhaps you like more variety in your movie viewing. If this is the case, then hop the metro to Union Station, where almost any movie you could desire to see is playing. Located on the bottom floor of Union Station, it is a perfect place to do some shopping, grab a bite to eat and then catch a flick. Inside, you’ll notice that most viewers at this theater are not passive spectators, as evidenced by numerous accounts of projectile Sour Patch Kids and mid-movie backtalking. Though spectators are normally respectful of each other, don’t expect to make through a movie viewing without at least one or two disapproving shouts at the actors, and (hopefully) uproarious applause at the end of the film. Don’t be afraid to join the chaos—just remember to arm yourself with some sort of sticky candy to hurl.
After visiting the Uptown Theatre on Connecticut Avenue, one really understands what it means to see films on the big screen. The Uptown is one of the last old-fashioned movie theatres still operating. Its seating capacity is upwards of 300 available seats. The theater has two tiers of seats, one lofted in the balcony and the other on the floor. Giant red velour curtains hide the larger than life screen, and the sound system is up to date, allowing the sound to envelope the audience. Down to the last bathroom seat, the Uptown revives the feeling of an old-fashioned theatre where they once used to play those moving pictures. Much like old theatres as well, the Uptown only shows one movie a night for a certain amount of time. Most recently Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was screened and sold out for three days. Don’t worry, they still sell all the current candies and such, but it is truly a vintage experience to see a film at the Uptown.
Now’s your chance to see the films on our top 10 list on the big screen before they go to video, or start trying to spot the top 10 of 2003.
Visions is located at 1927 Florida Ave. Union Station Theater is located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, Metro: Union Station. Uptown Theater is located at 3426 Connecticut Avenue. Metro: Cleveland Park.
