Did you ever go to an actual "grindhouse" theater?

Question

Dilapitated theaters with low budget movies. Did any of you ever go to one? If you did...when...what did you watch...what was the theater like and where was it...and what was the overall experience like? Oh yeah...and how much was the ticket? Thanks a lot...I can't wait to hear what you people have to say.

Answer 1

...one of the last 'grindhouse' movie theatres I ever went to, was back in the early '80's; at the time, in the seedier area of downtown San Diego, there were three of them in the area, at the time (they're all closed down, now), but the most unusual and picturesque one, was the Balboa Theatre...located right next to the site where the now local famous shopping mall, Horton Plaza, was fully in development...

"$1.50...All Shows!!! All the Time!!!" The theatre didn't even run specific showtimes; it would just run triple feature horror or kung fu movies continuously, starting from noon. The last time I was there, I saw a triple feature run of Lamberto Bava's "Demons", Vincent Dawn's "Night of the Zombies" and Sergio Martino's Italian 'Mad Max' ripoff, "After the Fall of New York"...

As with just about all the 'grindhouse' type theatres in this, or any area, the Balboa Theatre was old, decrepit and broken down; the paint was peeling and cracking off the outside walls, and the marquee would flicker and dim, almost hypnotically. The theatre lobby smelled damp and musty, with dirty 40-year-old carpet on the floor, which was pulling up along the wall; the walls themselves were adorned in equally old wallpaper...red and black patterned velvet, which was virtually peeling and rolling off the walls...

The concession stand was run by an elderly Asian couple, who spoke very little English; they knew enough, though, to order the concessions, which were a hoot. The popcorn was lukewarm, stale and staturated with cold butter...the soda was warm and flat...and the candy was so old, it was stuck together inside the box...

...inside the auditorium, a virtual wall of urine-like stink would hit one's nose (...not a wonder, as the local street bums would pay the buck-fifty to sleep in the front rows of the theatre), and the floors, where there wasn't carpeting, was so sticky, it would almost slow and hamber one's stride, to trying to make one's way through the theatre; there wasn't a seat in the theatre that wasn't torn or cut up, and some of the seats were broken and taped up...which didn't always preclude or prevent one sitting down in them. No leg room at all, and sometimes, it was just more comfortable to drape one's legs over the front of the seats in front of you...

...there was very old, decrepit, but what had to once be very artistic ceremic sculptury and detail on the walls of the theatre, which were also covered in ancient and peeling velvet wallpaper; there were two very hauntingly beautiful water fountains adourning both sides of the screen, both detailed in an eerie lighting...and one of the fountains actually worked!!!

...the screen itself, was randomly detailed in sodas and food stains, and was set in the backdrop of an actual stage, indicating that this theater was once a prominant and fabulous-looking playhouse...

...there was a balcony in the theater, which was out of commision, due to no longer being able to support use; however, the bathroom, which was up the stairs and right next to the balcony, WAS in service, and was probably the most horrendous things about the theatre (...in fact, as one walked past the balcony, and into the bathroom, one could here rustling and moaning from the partitioned-off balcony, due to...well, who knows???). Broken glass...broken tile...a single toilet that was almost always backed-up...and the pungent, concentrated smell of urine combined with marajuana smoke. Basically, you need a tetinus shot after leaving this facility...

Overall, it was a veritable adventure, just enduring a visit to a theatre like this; but it was definitely worth it, just to theatrically see the type of films these theatres would show. One would see movies like these, at the local neighborhood, family-friendly multiplex...

Answer 2

There used to be two theatres on Yonge Street in Toronto, the Rio and the Biltmore, playing three movies for something like $2 in the 60s. As a high school student, I went to see Shane in re-release, and I think Heroes of Telemark, and several fairly good films. It was an awful experience for a naive kid from the suburbs --- a theatre full of men sleeping all day, drinking out of paper bags, men in raincoats........going to the washroom was an education. I didn't go back

Answer 3

Yes, in the course of the three-D variation of The Night Before Christmas. It used to be on a friday and I had university all day plus a four hour factor after university. I dont realize why I went to peer that film that night time. It used to be round nine. I used to be out, haha

Answer 4

Yes, for the period of the three-D variant of The night earlier than Christmas. It was on a friday and i had school all day plus a 4 hour factor after tuition. I dont recognize why I went to see that film that night time. It was once round 9. I used to be out, haha