Located at 290 Harvard Street, the Coolidge Corner Theatre has been functioning as an art deco movie palace since 1933. The theater features international, documentary, animated and independent film selections and donates $0.75 of every admission to a renovation fund to keep the theater thriving. Admission is $9.75 for adults and $6.75 for members and seniors. Matinee tickets can also be purchased for the first showing of feature films before 4 p.m. at $7.75 per ticket. The Coolidge Corner's primary mission is "to entertain, enlighten, and engage — building community through film culture." The theater also boasts the fact that it features movies on the last giant silver screen in Boston.
The Brattle Theatre is an independent cinema that has been showing movies since 1953, when it opened with the German film, "Der Hauptmann von Köpenick" ("The Captain from Köpenick"). The theater has been operated by the nonprofit Brattle Film Foundation since 2001 and strives to show what it considers "the best in classic, cutting-edge, foreign, and art-house films." The Brattle showcases films from a particular director, genre or subject in a repertory format either over the course of a week or on the same weekday throughout the month. The Brattle Theatre is located at 40 Brattle Street. Ticket prices vary.
The Strand Theatre first opened in 1918 as a movie and vaudeville palace. Later, in the 1930s, the Strand introduced "talkies" to Boston audiences by screening the Marx Brothers' movies. The Strand was able to showcase first-run movies until 1969, when it was forced to close its doors due to lack of ticket sales. Shortly after, a group of Boston residents initiated a plan to revive the theater. In 1979, with the help of the city of Boston, the federal Economic Development Administration and Community Development Block Grant money, the Strand Theatre was able to once again open its doors. The theater seats 1,400, and is the only theater in Boston that is fully funded by the city.
The Capitol is an independent theater just a few miles outside Boston. Still known to proud Arlington residents as "Your Home Theatre,” the Capitol was once the largest and most luxurious of its kind. Built in 1925, the original theater had nearly 1,600 seats in a single auditorium. The cinema has since been renovated into a multiplex theater. Today the theater emphasizes its family-friendly movies and independent films. On weekends, tickets cost $7 before 6 p.m. and $8.50 after. During the week, $6 "Bargain Matinee" tickets can be purchased 6 p.m. The Capitol even features some 3D films at an additional cost of $3 per ticket.