Sound Cinema

I happened to be in Pier 4, but even amid the modern seating, state-of-the-art sound, and digital projection, there was still a piece of the old theater in the partial mural on the auditorium wall. It was a bit haunting, like looking at something that was not supposed to exist anymore. It kept catching my eye as I sank into the comfy seat with ample leg room.

The theater is unassuming, tucked off to the right of SR 104 in the town of Kingston. Those waiting for or heading to the ferry to Edmonds likely drive right by it. Yet, Smith's original mission of creating a movie theater where locals can come and see something on the big screen is alive and thriving—especially on $9 Wednesdays when the afternoon crowd buzzes. The theater functions as a community hub and a place where people can see a blockbuster or the independent, art house, international, and repertory films the big chains disregard.

As the youngest theater to be featured in Sound Cinema, The Beacon emerged as a wonderful, ethereal being from beyond known space and onto our plane of existence in 2019. This space is a movie palace. Unlike the other spaces I’ve covered, The Beacon is not a movie palace in the sense of the grandiosity of its auditorium or the ornate fixtures that adorn the walls. This is a palace to the strangeness, brilliance, and beauty that the medium of cinema can offer. It is a cinephile's paradise in the heart of Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood.

Central Cinema looks incredibly industrial from the outside, but once inside, it's a single screen of terrific movie magic.

The building that houses Central Cinema in Seattle's Central District was erected in the late 1920s and has housed both a car dealership and a milk bottling plant. The idea to turn a piece of the space into a combination movie theater and pub came to Kevin Spitzer, a metal artist, when he was renting it as his studio. In summer 2005, Kevin and his wife Kate opened the theater and have been operating it in the 20 years since.  

At its reopening in 2014, the Egyptian was a first run movie house for arthouse cinema and international films, much like it was under previous management. Toward the end of its lifespan, the Egyptian became the venue where SIFF would host more of its revival, restoration, and thematic programming. It is where Noir City and Scarecrowber found enthusiastic crowds. It is also where SIFF hosted Capitol Hill's pinkest party in July 2023 with joyously raucous showings of Barbie.

Walking up to the Palace is like walking on the main street of most beach towns. There are restaurants, unique shops such as the fabulous Griffin Bay Bookstore, and real estate offices that try and entice you to take the plunge and move to the islands full time. Yet, the Palace is not just any building. It sits in the middle of a T with Spring St. crossing in front and Second St. S directing you right to it. It feels like the town draws you toward the Palace like a beacon.

The Oak Harbor Cinemas is unlike many of the other exhibition spaces covered here in Sound Cinema. For one it is located on Whidbey Island which is in Puget Sound just west of Anacortes. It is certainly a unique space and a bit off the beaten path. What Oak Harbor Cinemas really has going for it is its price, especially as the theater focuses on new releases with at least one new film every week.

The Rose Theatre, thus far the oldest theater in the Sound Cinema catalog, opened back in 1907 in Port Townsend, a city on the eastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula. The theater started as a vaudeville performance space—like most in that era—before converting to movies. The space went through a couple of transitions after its initial run as a movie house, and by 1992 it was a junk shop in the heart of the lower portion of the city. At that time, a group of community volunteers, donors, and investors brought the theater back to life, and for the over thirty years since, the Rose Theatre has become a community staple. 

A few things greet you when you take in a show at the Blue Mouse. There are clocks on each end of the building's marquee, and scampering across the edges are neon, blue mice created by Tacoma-born glass artist Dale Chihuly. The lobby has the old-school movie house charm with a concession stand right inside the doors. When you go through the curtains to the theater proper, you see the old influences on the space—the large stage for performance or presentation mixed with the modern features.

Though you may appreciate the updated and modern conveniences built into the space by the Olympia Film Society, the bones and the spirit of the structure make the Capitol Theater a way to go back in time and see a film like those who experienced the new medium for the first time. It is a bit of magic in the heart of Olympia.

Now known as SIFF Uptown, the theater is a hub of great cinema both new and classic. Since SIFF took over, the space has been updated with great seating, modern sound systems, and digital projection. The work that SIFF has put in has paid off, creating a space for movie lovers around the city to come and enjoy the magic of the big screen.

The Varsity Theater in the heart of the U District has been in operation since 1940. In 1985 the theater added two screens to make it a triplex that shows a mix of independent, blockbuster, and special engagement showings. It is operated by Far and Away Entertainment, a local company that owns and operates several movie theaters across Seattle and the Puget Sound.

Founded in 1997, The Grand Cinema has been Tacoma and Pierce County's destination for independent, foreign, and repertory films. This four screen theater is a non-profit cared for and kept up by tremendous and tireless volunteers. Thanks to the generous donors who have already contributed to the Save the Grand campaign, The Grand hopes to purchase The Merlino Arts building in which it resides.

The theater is a triplex with the largest of its three screens on the street level. The lobby is adorned with history. Photos of the original iterations of the theater line the wall with a look at what the demolition and reconstruction process was like for the theater in 1998. Within the lobby there’s a classic snack bar with everything a movie goer needs. Above your head, notice the unique glass lighting fixtures that look like jellyfish, which complements the theater's maritime theme, more evidence of which is scattered throughout the space. 

It is tough when a beloved institution closes its doors, but it’s wonderful when it can be given an excellent send off. The Grand Illusion Cinema has been at 1403 NE 50th Street in the U District for over 50 years, the last 20 of which have been as a completely volunteer-run non-profit. The theater will be closing soon and having its final screenings this month.