The Astor Theatre

In 2015, this place is going to close its doors… permanently. This upsets me a little as I loved this place (despite only being there once). I visited the theatre for a film screening event and I enjoyed the atmosphere more than the shows. It has a wonderful classic retro ambience. Such a pity that it’s closing.

Such a great Theatre. Went here for the St Kilda Film Fest. It seems very classic cinema style, and I like it. Nice a comfy seats and a massive screen.
The candy bar stocks some great stuff too. Because a Theater movie inst a Theater movie without choc-​top and popcorn.
I left this cinema, knowing I will be coming back again to watch films, as it just has a great feel about it.

Such a beautiful, classic old theatre!
If you haven’t been to The Astor in Windsor, you’ve got to pop over there. Conveniently located on Chapel St, it makes for a lovely night out at the theatre that feels a little more fun and old fashioned than those megaplex cinemas the kids are going to these days…
With an amazing selection of classics and arthouse films, The Astor is a pretty great place for cinephiles and general movie lovers alike. Definitely have a snoop at the program and get yourself down there for a film or double-​feature when you can!

The Astor theatre is a great place to go for moviegoers who want a little more that an ordinary movie experience. I must say that this theatre adds a bit of glamour back into a trip to the movies.
The theatre do double features, which can sometimes be a bit much for your posterior on the old leather seats. n the double features are usually well paired and will have some sort of connection to each other.
The food you can get here is better than what you would expect from a cinema. On offer is crispy popcorn, choc tops and other yummy delights.

The Astor was only introduced to me about 6 months ago, believe it or not. I saw ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ with some friends — pretty much a full house, dress circle and bottom level 90% full I’d say.
I had a bit of a different experience between ‘Cabin in the Woods’ and ‘The Hobbit’ though, and I think it was because of the area I was seated/​demand on the movie to have superior sound quality.
‘Cabin in the Woods’ was a horror/​comedy but obviously does not have a soundtrack like ‘The Hobbit’, or have multiple character accents. I was also sitting downstairs for ‘Cabin’ wheareas I was in the dress circle, towards the back for ‘The Hobbit’. I just found that the dialogue got a little lost with ‘The Hobbit’ — compared to modern cinemas where the sound is vibrating the chairs it’s so loud (So I like in your face sound, or maybe I’m just going deaf)…I didn’t notice this lack at all for ‘Cabin’.
Otherwise, picture quality and experience is SUPERB, the screen is massive and the surrounding architecture is beautiful.
I love that you can have a beer or two whilst you watch, and the choc tops are pretty yummy.
Staff are very friendly, program is pretty awesome as well. Easy to get to by tram, easy to have something to eat before or after on Chapel across the road.
Will always come back! :)

Awesome. Saw Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers one week, Bogart the next. Great environment, great cat, great movies, great great great. Beautiful idea — wish they had something like this in PDX!

Everything about us place is great! Watching films here is great fun, audiences are always in good spirits.
The sound quality is not always the best, the Astor boasts it has high quality surround sound, I really don’t think so, actors voices sound muffled, particularly when sitting middle to back row. Other then that, I hope it stays open forever.

The Astor is a gorgeous, immaculately preserved art deco theater with a quirky, intelligent program of indie movies, old classics, and blockbusters. I’ve been here twice in recent months: Once to see a sparkling new print of «Dr. Strangelove», and than to a very busy screening of the «The Artist». Oddly, I have yet to catch a flick in colour at The Astor… But no matter. It’s the perfect place to see a black and white picture as it’s so steeped in atmosphere. You really feel transported back in time when you watch a movie here. The Astor takes you back to a time when going to the cinema was an event. This is a true Melbourne gem.

Quite simply the greatest cinema I’ve visited anywhere in the world.
From the impeccable programming, exquisite attention to detail, not only technically but aesthetically as well. The staff are extremely friendly, and the tickets are great value. You will find no other cinema going experience like it.

I’m a sucker for old buildings. And if it’s a theatre, ah the joy. Be still my heart.
I check their website regularly to see if they are showing any of my favorite oldies. Usually I’m not disappointed.
Go there for joy of old cinema days when there was only one screen and comfy chairs.

Last week The Astor and I met for the very first time… it is the beginning of something special.
Reasons The Astor is now forever in my heart:
–The classic, quirky and random program
–The old school art deco cinema
–The chunky choc tops (pick axe required)
–The awesome crowd it attracts
My friends and I cannot remember a more hilarious, daggy-​yet-​delighful experience as the Grease Sing-​a-​long! The crowd ranged from 4 to 84 and everyone was in high spirits. Pink ladies danced in the aisles with T-​birds. Kids with their nanna’s.
I suspect every screening at The Astor would be a unique experience!

The Astor is an absolute classic. Rumours of it’s potential closure were met with a horrified response across Melbourne, with locals ensuring that this institution has stayed strong. One of the few places I know of that you can see a new release one night and a classic the next, the Astor is brimming with that old school charm that is nowhere to be found in the plush modern multiplexes.
Even better are the double features. At only $ 15 for two movies (Hoyts and co could learn a thing or two in the pricing department from this place) its a real novelty and a great way to make a night of it.

Years ago I saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at The Astor for the first time. Given that my mind can take me back to the exact seat (so old and uncomfortable, yet very charming) that I watched this timeless classic (in my mine anyway) is evidence of the great memorable experience of watching a movie at The Astor.

The Astor Theatre’s bright coloured and glossy quarterly poster, which advertises their screening schedule, is a staple feature in almost every university student’s share-​house. Clearly, most of the people who display this poster on the back of their toilet doors have either never been or virtually never go, because the Astor always seems verging on empty.
The theatre has a huge screen and they exhibit an amazing selection of new and old films as double features (often managing to secure rare 70 mm prints of old classics and arthouse gems). This makes it more than just a trip to the movies, but a real experience.
Though a little run down, the art deco building is beautiful inside (if not particularly impressive on the exterior). The Astor is a real Melbourne institution that is definitely worth a visit.

It was art house filmmaker Peter Greenaway who announced that, «Cinema is dead.» Not so long ago, I would have fought tooth and nail in cinema’s defence. These days, however, with titles like ‘Friends With Benefits’ and ‘You Again,’ I’m not so sure I could disagree with him.
For that reason, I like to frequent the Astor on the corner of Chapel and Dandenong. An historic building in its own rite, this is the place I visit when I want to cinematically frolic through the good old days. To the Astor, cinema is still an occasion and so they often create event nights out of back-​to-​back screenings of trilogies, or perhaps two movies by the same auteur.
Either way, cinema still lives at this festive joint. My only complaint is that they don’t show enough of it.

The Astor Theatre was built in the 1930s and still retains the art-​deco charm of that period. Upon walking in you really feel like you have stepped back in time when going to the movies was a one off experience that you saved your pennies for all month. With soft lighting and comfy overstuffed chairs The Astor Theatre can hold around 1,150 patrons at any one time. The cinema screen is up a carpeted set of old fashioned stairs, and The Astor often holds classy events and private screenings on both its upper and lower levels.
Featuring only one film each night, with the exception of Wicked Wednesday’s where you can see two films back to back for the price of one; The Astor Theatre screens a variation of old school classics to modern day cinema. A cherished icon of the Chapel Street Area I love seeing movies at The Astor, for it’s olden day feel and modern cinema approach.

Admittedly, the Astor does have a few downsides. The seats are so tatty and uncomfortable I’ve taken to bringing a cushion to sit on*, and the air conditioning is not great — alternately blankets and near nudity seem required. There are few options for food around, and so one has to come prepared if they’re planning on sitting through one of the many marathons on offer — or else survive purely on choc tops and bags of chips.
But one look at the majestic theatre, and you can forgive these shortcomings. After all, what is comfort when you get the chance to sit in a lovingly restored, richly decorated homage to cinematic brilliance at incredibly cheap prices.
The Astor produces a program every six months of what it plans to screen. Little attention is paid to blockbusters and new releases, although they will appear once or twice on the list. Instead, tributes to directors, actors, genres abound, and arthouse is certainly not shied away from. I believe they have screened Matthew Barney’s entire Cremaster Cycle several times, which is an experimental series of some very disturbing imagery. Lady Gaga is a huge fan, I suspect, from watching her Bad Romance video.
Get your hands on a program, it makes for a great poster, as well as an exciting read.
*which doubles as a makeshift sofa experience should the onscreen action get so scary I have to hide)

The Astor is an icon in Melbourne. I love the fact it’s not tainted and still has its rustic, art-​deco furnishing where the fact that it runs double-​headers is phenomenal. I’m a huge film lover and when there’s a good double header on, I’m there in a heartbeat. I saw Tarantino’s «Grindhouse» there and there was something so amazing and old school about it, where it made me reminisce on times when this was the norm (not that I was around then).
Yes, the chairs aren’t that comfy compared to some of the newer complexes but who cares. You go for the fun of it! There is more charm and beauty in this place that you can imagine as time goes on how much legacy it takes with it. I’m sure it would be an absolute pleasure to work there.
I also get a little excited when I get the new timetable arrives in the mail each year. It makes me feel a part of it and I love circling the double features I want to go to in the coming months. There really is no other cinema like it. That’s why it will be an icon for a long time.