Metro Cinema at the Garneau Theatre

One of the most culturally relevant social activities in the city. I have seen more thought provoking films here than anywhere else.

Hands down best theatre in Edmonton in terms of concession, ambiance, variety of programming & location!
Metro’s programming is fantastic. Not only that, they release a schedule online a month in advance so you can plan your movie visits & amp up your excitement well before the day of the show! While many of you know about their Saturday Cartoons & all-​you-​can-​eat Cereal events, they have wonderful one offs as well!
Some of my favourites have been:
Amelie on Valentine’s Day — complete with Valentine craft station, signature cocktails and cinnamon hearts!
The original Creature of the Black Lagoon in 3D: They had complimentary cupcakes, bar service, & a super fun photobooth!
Linklater «Before» Marathon: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight all on the same day. Heaven!
Metro is also all about keeping it local — the Edmonton International Film Fest has held galas here, as have many locally produced films. Love how they support and showcase Edmonton cinema!
Gems like these have the uncanny ability to disappear, so I implore everyone to support this amazing local organization and keep the magic alive!

When I think about my favorite dates– they were most likely at the Garneau. I am a huge sucker for nostalgia & old movies so I will always make an effort to catch whatever flick they are playing at the time. If you have a chance check out what movie Ded Fest is playing that month. They also play lots of documentaries & interesting indie films. Its always much more quiet then chain movie theaters, comfier seating and no teenagers that talk through the whole movie. Popcorn is soo good (and vegan without the butter). Love the Garneau & cant wait to see the Blair Witch Project this weekend.

I’ve decided to review local Edmonton businesses and institutions as they are for Fringe venues because I’m a Fringe and Unilocaler nerd like that. So keeping that in mind this review is for the Garneau as a venue for The Edmonton International Fringe Festival. This is not a review for Garneau as a regular movie theatre venue, nor is this a review of Metro Cinema. This is also not a review of any Fringe shows I’ve seen here. Let’s go.
I saw two shows (both in the same day) at The Garneau Theatre, and I’m so torn about this venue for the Fringe. I’m a big fan of pros and cons, so let’s start with the pros.
— It’s a cool historic venue. Art deco style, one of the oldest theatres in Edmonton (not sure if it or the Princess is older). That’s awesome.
— Lot’s of seats. The theatre holds about 500 seats, which for a Fringe venue is huge. There’s seats on the main floor, and a balcony of seats.
— There’s a stage and a movie screen. That means that shows that use multimedia (like Release The McCrackin show I saw by Accidental Humour Company) works well here.
— It’s a movie theatre so they offer snacks and drinks. During the Fringe you could also by alcohol (just beer I believe).
— There are washrooms at this venue.
— For a movie theater there was a fair bit of a legroom, and I saw that as a fairly tall person.
— In the Garneau neighbourhood, with several restaurants and cafes nearby (if you decide to go out for pre or post show dinner/​drinks).
Cons
— There isn’t a lot of parking nearby, except a few meters or street parking the residential area. Plan to come early to get parking, especially if you’re going to a popular show here.
— The seats. Okay this is the biggest issue. The seats here are old, and a lot of them are broken or close to being broken. There is about a 3 inch gap between the bottom of the seats and the back, which makes for a very uncomfortable viewing experience. I know the Garneau isn’t a huge movie with a big budget to renovate their seats. I also know that the seats kind of make the experience — like if the Garneau had new Cineplex-​style seats people would complain that t «The Garneau is not the same.»
— On that respect the rows are on inclines, but if you have someone tall in front of you then you might not be able to see. Queue up early if you want front row.
— Being away from The Fringe venue means it takes a few minutes to get here. There isn’t a Fringe box office nearby although for the one show I saw you could buy tickets at the door (the other show was sold out).
I don’t know. There’s a lot of good about The Garneau as a Fringe venue, but the uncomfortable seats are a big draw back. Maybe seeing two shows at The Garneau in one day was a problem, or maybe I just lucked out and got bad chairs. It didn’t make for a pleasant experience, but luckily both the shows I saw here were fantastic. I’d come back here again for The Fringe, but maybe I’ll try staggering the shows I see at this venue for different days.

By far, my favourite movie theatre in Edmonton.
Early modern styling, leg room, cozy seats, a little musty on humid days, large screen that you can view from the front row without a neck cramp and/​or motion sickness, popcorn that doesn’t taste chemically enhanced and blood orange Italian soda are some of the reasons this place charms me so.
Lots of free street parking in the evenings… a quick walk over to/​from a few of my other regular haunts… $ 5 Mondays is a current promo — round out the reasons you can find me here at least 2 – 3 times a month.

Went to see a movie here for the first time tonight. I liked the entryway very much, it is retro and cozy. There’s a great popcorn offering, they pop it in pure coconut oil, which is trans fat free, and offer real actual butter topping (not fat free) using real butter. I mentioned it twice because Cineplex’s pricey real butter add-​on is certainly not real, nor was it butter. I bought a large popcorn and a fountain drink, Barq’s with a little ice please, for 10 bucks even.
OMP (opcorn)! Gooood popcorn, and I don’t like popcorn. Get that, I do not like the popcorns, but ate half a bag of theirs. My rootbeer was perfect, not watered down. It was almost as good as a bottle of the real thing.
The seating was cute, with an upper level behind the entrance, and ample seating below. Seats are newly upholstered, recline and are dangerously comfy.
A/​C was perfect, I was neither boiling nor freezing. Sound was surprisingly punchy for an old theatre, though high end reproduction was a bit scratchy and low end frequencies a bit lacking. They could do with a few driver updates, but they carried the weight of the film adequately.
Picture was bright, no image clipping, it filled the screen. Overall, the experience was good. Bathroom was clean, lobby area was nice, couches and tables were inviting. I’m going back for sure. You should too, support local independent theatres!

Metro Cinema is the BEST theatre in Edmonton in my opinion. Sure you’re not going to get an animatronic chair, but you’ll get a fantastic and memorable experience! The best thing about metro is their theme nights! They’ll play The Big Lebowski and serve White Russians. Quarterly, they do Saturday Morning Cartoons where they serve all-​you-​can-​eat cereal and play old cartoons from the 80’s and 90’s! It’s such a joy! They play awesome documentaries and really unique films! This is such a perfect Edmonton date place!

My favorite theater in the city hands down!
It is older, so the seats and technology aren’t as stellar as the more modern big box theaters, but this old girl has got some charm!
There is balcony seating that gives even us short people a spectacular view of the screen.
The Metro has some great programming all throughout the year, but this horror fan loves it when dEdfest takes over the screen to show us some great independent and cheesy horror flicks. No VIP theater needed here to be able to enjoy a couple of good beers while you watch either!
They also have the «All You Can Eat Cereal and Cartoon Party» a couple of times a year. This is where you can wear your jammies and indulge in the sugary cereals of your childhood and enjoy Saturday morning cartoons and commercials just like the good old days!

Nothing wrong with this place. The movie selection isn’t always my favorite but they make up for it by showing some awesome flicks that I do love.

Just attended a fundraiser for Theatre Network after the Roxy burned down — and heard a great story about how the Roxy was built, and then two years later they built its little brother, the Garneau! ;) Love the drink selection too (Rock Creek cider and Main Squeeze from Edmonton’s own Alley Cat Brewing)… and of course the ambience is fantastic — little bit of Art Deco styling while still providing an old-​world theatre feel.

A classic theater great for cinephiles. I am a horror movie fanatic and this theater shows a lot of classics as well as new soon to be classics. Also home of Dedfest! My favorite theater in Edmonton. Always a good time when you can have a beer while watching a great movie and a theater full of fans. More theaters should strive to be like this.

My first time at the Metro, saw The Little Mermaid on the big screen. And it was great. Popcorn was fresh and delicious with the melted butter!
Seats were comfortable, and it was nice to go and sit in a balcony again to watch a movie. I will be coming back to watch more classic movies. Sat sept 13, is sit in pj’s, eat tons of cereal and watch old sat cartoons! That is my next event I am going to!

The Metro Cinema is awesome. Not only does it show unusual and old movies plus smaller releases of newer ones, foreign films and more, but it does it with style.
The movie theatre is old and has very comfy seats as a result. Do not expect the most high-​tech theatre out there, but do expect a fun theatre going experience! With special showings of films such as cult classics (Rocky Horror Picture Show anyone?) complete with crowd participation (sing-​along movies can be a hoot!) to documentaries, films combined with lecture series and of course the classics, there’s a bit of everything for everyone available here!
It’s also mostly all run by volunteers which is an aspect that you should be aware of when visiting. There’s a huge volunteer contingent involved with running every single show. This really is an Edmonton gem.

This is by far my favourite movie theatre! I love the great variety of films they show and all the special events. I have seen black and white films here, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and many other films. They also have the best popcorn in the city! Try this out for a romantic date and feel like you’ve stepped back in time when you sit up in the balconies to watch your favorite old school flick. Movie schedule changes constantly

How could one not adore this wonderful, locally owned theatre? They not only show the most bad-​ass old movies, cult classics and themed nights such as Singing In The Rain singalong. So fun! The concession is well priced. The staff friendly. The seats super comfy. The vintage vibe with large lobby and balcony seating, well, iconic to say they least.
They are also the home to Film Festivals such as the amazing DEDFest. One of my personal faves; Saturday Morning all-​you-​can-​eat-​cereal Cartoon Party! And so much more! They have a true commitment to locally film makers, allowing them access to the theatre for screenings and such. When a film maker from Edmonton and area makes a film, 99% of the time they are financing it with their own money, for the love of the craft, and not monetarily getting any returns. So for them to be able to have a real theatre to show it to, to their cast, friends, family and the arts community — it is so important. I really hope those who work/​run/​own the Garneau/​Metro know how much I, and many other Edmontonian’s appreciate them.
— Oh, and did I mention they often serve beer and wine in the lobby that you can bring into the theatre! Love!!! See you at the movies!

Garneau Theatre is an icon in Edmonton, and for good reason.
First off, they do have the best popcorn! And it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. So right away you’re feeling good when you visit Garneau. The balcony is so charming. The seats are actually super comfortable despite being the low-​back style. You can rock in them, which makes me happy, because I am a fidgety person.
Garneau shows independent films, vintage films, and has special events like Blue Revue. The variety of their shows is welcome in Edmonton, if you are bored with the regular theatre experience, check out what’s going on at Garneau.

I love Metro Cinema and Garneau Theatre for many reasons. When Metro took over the Garneau, they made a great thing even better. Movie night at the Garneau is a tradition for me, having lived in the area for my undergraduate years. Whether it’s a cult flick like the Rocky Horror Picture Show (yes toast is allowed!) or Evil Dead, a local documentary or everyone’s classic favourites, Metro plays it. Their online calendar has it all, if only I could upload it to my calendar! Oh, and did I mention free butter for your popcorn, beer sales and an annual membership discount? A trip to Metro Cinema is a great way to support a historic Edmonton institution, enjoy a movie you won’t see anywhere else in town, and have a fun night out close to a variety of quality local restaurants in the University /​Whyte Ave area. Now if only they could give the Garneau Theatre a little more love and do some renos, starting with the seats!

This is, apparently, where the Metro Cinema Society operates .
I remove one star for the seats, which are just like vintage seats from other theaters of that era, such as the dear Cabot in Beverly, MA.
They are strangely bouncy, yet give no support, and one can often find an individual springy sticking pokily into one’s bum.
Blabbing patrons responded well to a pointed glare. I can’t guarantee this will be the case when you go. Try thinking something really gory when you are glaring.
The snacks were cheap; they have the usual, popcorn, candy.. .and They have beer. NO CREDIT CARDS AT THE CONCESSION STAND. (Just remember this, so as to avoid disappointing yourself or your date)
I would definitely go again. And search around for the seat without the pokey spring.

The first-​and-​foremost reason to love this theatre is their eclectic selection of films.
The other reason is that, not only are the tickets a few bucks cheaper than the major cinemas, but real savings are to be had at the concession (I have no shame in being a cheap date).
But even with all the theatre has going for it, the seats bring the rating down to a four. Finding a comfortable one can be rather hit-​or-​miss.

This theatre isn’t «old»; it’s «vintage». I feel like it wouldn’t have the same allure if they got rid of the scruff. It has history. Sure, I would have preferred a more comfortable chair (maybe I just picked a bad one?) but not at the expense of the atmosphere. I love the tacky red curtains that open at the start of the movie and the balcony seating.
It felt kind of awkward getting there ten minutes before our movie was supposed to start and being the only two people sitting in the theatre. However, most of the moviegoers trickled in right before the movie began playing. I suppose I’m too used to going to first-​run theatres where you have to arrive an hour before a film starts to even guarantee tickets.
I love the movie selection. I find that many indie theatres tend to focus on newer festival films, but the Garneau Theatre seems to transcend time. For instance, the current selection ranges from 40’s classics, to 90’s foreign films, to more modern fare. They also have a number of special events such as having a screening of Jurassic Park, followed by a free lecture from an expert on cloning and genetics. Too cool!
I have a feeling the Garneau Theatre is going to become one of my regular haunts. Brava!