Catch a movie for cheap at the Picture Show @ Bloomingdale

Do you want to enjoy the experience of watching a movie on the big screen without emptying your wallet? The Picture Show @ Bloomingdale is the movie theater for you. See a movie here and you pay $1.75, no matter the day or time. Actually, that's not true. See a movie here on Tuesday and the cost is only $1 per ticket! I know, I just blew your mind. When I told people I was going to an evening show for less than $2 they could hardly believe me. The Picture Show @ Bloomingdale is a recently renovated theater that shows second-run movies. While the theater doesn't have stadium seating, the seating areas for each screen are spacious and the seats are comfortable. You may have to wait for a particular movie to come to the theater weeks or months after its original release date, but even the wait can work in your favor. I recently saw Where The Wild Things Are here because it disappeared from the big chain theaters before I was able to get out to watch it. In the end, I saved more than $8 because I didn't see it at a first-run theater. Also keep in mind that movies that don't draw big numbers their first couple weeks in theaters are likely to show up at a second-run theater like the Picture Show sooner than the popular big-budget movies. In some cases, a movie plays at the Picture Show even after its DVD release, like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Check out the website for concession prices, which I also think are affordable. You can buy a ticket, popcorn, and drink with the same $10 you'd have to spend on a single ticket at AMC. One last tip: Fantastic Mr. Fox is currently playing at the Picture Show, and I recommend you go see it, if you haven't already!

Picture Show @ Bloomingdale Website
324 W. Army Trail Rd
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Movie Line: 630-529-8603
Office: 630-529-7472

Buffalo Grove Theatres are a bargain

If you refuse to pay $10 to see a movie then Buffalo Grove Theatres are right up your alley. Located in the Town Center shopping center, this chain of theaters has been around since the late 1980s.  Second-run and first-run movies are shown on the five screens. In the past only second-run movies were shown here but recently some first-run movies have been added. Second-run shows are $2, and on Tuesdays they are only $1.50!  For first-run shows (after 5:30) the price is $5; the discounted price for students and seniors is $4.50. The matinee price for shows before 5:30 is $4.25.

UPDATE (12/11/09): Second-run shows are no longer being shown; all the shows currently shown at the theater are first-run ($5 after 5:30).

You do have to sit through commercials and a few trailers, but I think the number is less than you would find at an AMC.

And as long as you're in the neighborhood you should definitely stop to eat at the Buffalo Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, located right down the road (1180 W. Lake Cook Rd). Why? Just take a look at the sundae I ordered after a recent trip to the movies to see Paper Heart:

Yum! is right.

Buffalo Grove Theaters
120 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove, IL
Website

Check out the Glen Art Theatre

The Glen Art Theatre, located in downtown Glen Ellyn, has been around since the early 1920s. A combination of popular (The Hangover, Julie & Julia), indie (The Hurt Locker, Food, Inc.) and foreign films (Tell No One, The Class) are shown here. This theater used to have only one screen but the current owners, who bought the Glen Art in the 1980s, divided it into four smaller screens. I like the reasonable ticket prices: $5 before 5 PM and $7 after 5 PM. Another nice thing about the Glen Art is the absence of annoying commercials and endless trailers; at most I've seen one or two trailers play before the scheduled movie begins. To top it all off, Glen Ellyn is a fun town to wander around; I recommend stopping by Honey (499 N. Main Street; 630-469-0000) on your way to or from a movie. Honey serves delicious organic food, including many vegetarian options, and to die for cupcakes. Plus, everyone who works there is super nice.

So, if you're in the Glen Ellyn area and want to check out a different movie theater stop by the Glen Art!

The Glen Art Theatre
540 Crescent Blvd
Glen Ellyn, IL
Glen Art website

See a movie at the Catlow Theater

Located in downtown Barrington, the Catlow (est. 1927) is my favorite place to see a movie. This is where I fell in love with Once, became entranced by There Will Be Blood, made fun of Twilight, and laughed till I was on the verge of tears at I Love You, Man. Here are some reasons why you should pay a visit to the Catlow:

Cheap. $5 for admission, no matter what the movie. Because of this low cost, I will see movies here that I have no motivation to see at a chain-theater like AMC (I knew The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton was going to be a train-wreck and yet I was happy to go to the Catlow to see it). Also, I'll try to check out lesser-known movies that sound interesting (foreign films like Tell No One or Paris, Je T'aime). Or, I'll come back again and again for a movie I absolutely love (There Will Be Blood, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man).

Friendly staff. The wonderful people at the Catlow are a HUGE factor in why I prefer going there over larger theaters. You know the song from Cheers: "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name"? Well, that's how I feel whenever I go to the Catlow. I must mention Manny and Shannon because they always have smiles on their faces and are fun to talk to. Also, Shannon has my sandwich-order memorized, down to the type of dressing and cheese!

Food. You can order food at Boloney's next door and bring your food into the theater when you watch the movie. Boloney's sandwiches are available Monday-Saturday. At Boloney's a variety of sandwiches that don't skimp on the layers are available; I always get the veggie. This is the rare place where a veggie sandwich is loaded with a ton of actual vegetables and not simply a pile of iceberg lettuce you find on other "veggie" sandwiches. (I just had to get that out of my system, sorry.) Meat-eaters, you will be in heaven with the generous portions of Boloney's sandwiches. They have unique sandwich names, too: Bat-man wich, anyone? I haven't even started to talk about the popcorn. In addition to freshly popped buttered popcorn, the Catlow also serves Boloney's popcorn, sold for $3.50 a bag: caramel, cheese, and combo. Watch out, this popcorn is delicious and addicting!

Plenty of seating. Isn't it the most annoying thing when you arrive early for a movie to get your seats, only to be asked to move over when people straggle in near the start of the film? I have never had to move over to make room for the late-comers at the Catlow.

Audience. A good audience makes seeing a movie that much better of an experience. I've almost always found the Catlow audience to be respectful during the movie (there is only one time I can think of when people were talking). When I saw I Love You, Man, not only was everyone laughing at all the jokes, the audience also applauded at the end.

No annoying commercials. Occasionally a trailer or two will play before the movie, but that's it. Otherwise before the film you can listen to music that either is from the movie's soundtrack or fits the theme of the movie. Usually I take this time to eat as much of my sandwich that I can before all the lights go out.

You have a voice! You are able to vote on the Catlow's website for films you want to see at the theater, including both mainstream and smaller, indie films. On the website you can also sign up to be on the Catlow Mailing List and get the movie times emailed to you.

Have I convinced you? If you have not seen a movie at the Catlow, summer is the perfect time to see what you've been missing. On weeknights the film is shown at 7 PM; Fridays and Saturdays there are two showings, and the times vary depending on the movie being shown that week.

The Catlow
116 W. Main Street, Barrington
Catlow Website