The Royale

I feel like when I walked out of this place, my hipster cred went up just a bit.
A small independent theater in downtown Mesa. I was pretty happy to see they pick up some of those movies that have just a limited release. (I saw Being Elmo.) They also play old movies, which is fun. Seeing a movie on the big screen is always fun and it’s nice to have the opportunity to some older ones back up on the screen, even when it is a movie that I may own. (Such as Die Hard, which was playing after my movie.)
Another note, they have very friendly staff who all seem to care about you having a wonderful movie experience. A really fun time.

They only showed movies late night, only one or two shows per night. If you’re FilmBar, that’s one thing (they show movies EARLY.) But the whole «But Nobody Goes To These Movies At 2:00pm or 3:00pm» Excuse obviously didn’t work. Otherwise, the Royale would still be open. That’s right. They’re closed. Never got a chance to go. I know it costs money to keep the building open when you believe nobody will show up, but there really are situations where… um, if you build it, they’ll come. I really can’t imagine The Loft in Tucson or the Alamo Drafthouse in Houston surviving on only two showtimes per day, one or two days per week. That business model really needs an overhaul.

Nothing better than watching a great movie (or even a so so movie) in a nice small (48 seat) theater. The owner is fantastic and the staff are all movie geeks like me. They are always friendly and welcoming and make every visit to the Royale a pleasure. I am looking forward to many years of attending «quirky, independent films» at the Royale. SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS!

I don’t like mainstream movie theaters. I find the idea of paying close to $ 10 to sit in a dark room and watch a movie with total strangers abhorrent. The ideal time to watch a mainstream movie at a theater like AMC is Saturday at 10AM, when the type of person who would loudly express their displeasure at seeing Maria Bello’s fully nude body in A History of Violence is at home in bed.
Give me independent theaters any day of the week. The Royale is a theater run by people passionate about great cinema for people passionate about great cinema. My wife and I have been following the Midnite Movie Mamacita since the «Grindhouse Redux» era at Chandler. She’s since expanded beyond the niche of films that are so bad that they’re good, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because by expanding the scope of the movies she shows, her audience has grown. But it’s a curse because I would probably drive down to Mesa once or twice a week to see exploitation films.
It’s a smart move, though. Showing gore-​fests like Human Centipede 2, which I have no desire to see, keeps the doors open for events like the 12-​Hour Movie Feast, which I did attend. It’s this delicate balancing act — providing variety while keeping the theater’s feet entrenched in the independent movie scene — that will ensure the theater’s longevity.
There’s also something nice about the intimate setting. Yeah, the seats sometimes rock a little too far back for comfort, but it’s more charming than annoying. And the small size creates an atmosphere of kicking back with your friends. The same faces I saw four years ago at Chandler Cinema are still around, which is cool.
I’ll sum it up like this: The Royale is the only reason my wife and I drive to Mesa. It’s an asset to the historic downtown area and should be playing sold-​out shows every night. Please, please check out an event there. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Okay… so we stopped by two weekends in a row recently… My friend is going with my mom tonight to see Centipede 2. (really scary) Anyway I thought the place was cool has great potential. I hope they take advantage of this time of year when they can get a lot of publicity as (a place to be) I would advise contacting as many valley publications and even news channels, since in October they are always looking for scary things to talk about. Discount coupons trade offs with places like monster land museum would probably benefit both businesses. Take better advantage of your store front window, that is your billboard and will lure people in. There are some great horror or comic artist who would probably love to display their props or art .and create a whole freaky scene and darken it a bit with creepy lighting. This could also be a great place to take a date because of its intimacy. I hope someone will sell them an old popcorn machine cheap because the smell of wefting popcorn adds.

The Royale is my new favourite theater in the valley due to the movies they’re screening. Lots of new kitschy stuff (but not too artsy or off the wall, those are left to FilmBar in Phoenix) and occasional old movies that deserve some big-​screen love. Where else can you go to get your old-​school grindhouse on one night and catch a flick about hunting mythical Norwegian trolls the next?

The Royale is one of those places you want to root for. The little guy who is a bit on the edge, a bit quirky and rough around the edges. I just hope there is enough of an audience to allow this place to survive.
Like a few other Unilocalers, my boyfriend and I ended up at the Royale after a Unilocal event and were shown Dale and Tucker Vs. Evil. This was just the kind of movie you want to see in a place like this — independent, funny ad weird. The type of movie you’d never hear about otherwise. They had some great movie choices on the upcoming calendar as well.
The theater itself is pretty small. If they had a popular movie it would sell out fast. The seating was a little odd — the seats were raised on a platform that they obviously built themselves. I was a little afraid I was going to fall off the back but of course the seats were bolted down so I was okay :) They offer sodas and some candy and microwave popcorn — no popcorn machine. Maybe someday?
You could tell the people who worked there enjoyed it which always helps make an experience better. I’d like to see Rocky Horror here one weekend. It seems like it would be a great place for it.

Definitely ALTERNATIVE. Came here as part of an Unilocal event and saw a free screening of Dale and Tucker vs. Evil. The genre is horror comedy and the movie was hilarious! OMG, my hubby and I could not stop laughing throughout the movie along with everyone else in the theatre. The script was perfectly written and the actors perfectly casted. Def. 5 stars for the movie.
Also 5 stars for the space and the staff. Very cool, laid back feel, a space you can come hang out and people watch.
The theatre is intimate, with only 48 seats. Tickets at a little over $ 8 per show don’t seem to be able to generate a lot of $$ so when you go see shows there, make sure you buy a lot of snacks to show support for this place cause it’s such a cool place, I really hope it gets a following and becomes really popular.

ALTERNATIVE!
That’s what this place is and in the land of BIG chains, this only could add some spice. We were welcomed here to the free screening of Dale and Tucker Vs Evil as part of a Unilocal event. The personnel is totally committed to their project.
If you are looking some retro movies or the gender I don’t enjoy (but others do — horror), this is a good alternative.

Of course I was a huge fan of Madcap so naturally I love the Royale. I saw Kidnapped here, very intense movie where one guy actually left because he couldn’t take it! The space is cute and cozy. They sell DVDs of interesting movies which is a nice addition. I really wish they had a liquor license but what are you going to do it’s Mesa? Which brings up another point. The location. So silly. Such a silly location. It’s too out of the way so I will never go there. Maybe when the light rail expands I will be there more often. They do show great movies and have an awesome vibe.

Five stars. Just read the reviews prior to mine, I echo their sentiments. SICK AS FUCK!

What can you say about The Royale? It’s Arizona’s equivalent to the Alamo Drafthouse by way of The Cinefamily and New Beverly Cinema. Every week they screen a first-​run indepdent feature, everything from Hobo with a Shotgun, to Trollhunter and Conan O’Brien Can’t Wait. But by night, they do specialized programming tracks. Everything from Cult Classics, specializing in movies like RoboCop and Army of Darkness, to VHS rarities with Video Dungeon, where old VHS movies are projected digitally with trippy and funny preshows.
The Royale doesn’t have a liquor license, so they have a super-​expansive soft drink menu, featuring only glass bottled sugar versions of Coca Cola and Pepsi, Dr, Pepper etc. and drinks from all-​over like Ramune, Coconut sodas, every energy drink under the sun, Jones Soda and much more. Their concessions have stuff like pokky and yan yan and gourmet cupcakes.
Also of note is their lobby. There is a big art gallery space when you walk up (the place used to be a department store in the 50’s so the front has a trippy layout, the art space has a ton of original paintings available for sale including a huge Clockwork Orange and Shining painting. The inner lobby has japanese film fanzines for sale, a mini arcade with games from 70’s and 80’s including a trippy table-​top Pac-​Man and tons of framed autographed film posters. The counters have tons of stickers and fliers from every show theyve done, so it has a trippy punk rock vintage vibe to it down to its funky logo.
The seating in the main auditorium is on raised platforms and the seats lean pretty far back which is cool if you want to stretch out but takes a little getting used to. It has a pretty huge screen and the film is projected digitally but its super clear and the sound system is pretty bumping. Its located ina funky area of Mesa across from a rock concert venue and located between 2 comic book shops. The lobby has a huge old projection TV that constantly plays old movies on VHS — there’s some seating around the table top Donkey Kong and a couple rows of movie seats in front of the big TV if you feel like dropping in and just sitting there since you can watch stuff there for free tho the volume on that is kept way low.
Tickets are 8 bucks and way worth a pit stop if you feel like catching an indie movie in the Phoenix area.

I have to the Royale three times and signed up as a member for the secret movies. I love the microcinema, selection of beverages great employees and soon Rocky Horror in an intimate environment. Hats off to Andrea and team.

I love The Royale! Located in the heart of Downtown Mesa, this awesome movie theatre shows a wide variety of movies you won’t find anywhere else. The atmosphere is great, the staff is lovely, and the movies are fun! Go out today and support this wonderful gem of a local business.

I took my first trip to The Royale tonight to see Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop and I was not disappointed. The location is great (who knew Mesa was becoming such a cool place to go?), parking is bountiful and free, and the theater itself was intimate and chill.
No, you’re not going to be able to go see a big blockbuster movie here, but why would you want to? You can head to Harkins or AMC for that. This theater is the perfect place to check out that zombie movie you’ve been wanting to see, and someone’s finally bringing it to the Valley.
My only (very small) complaint is the seating arrangement. I got there a little later than I intended, so I was seated almost all the way in the back behind someone, and their head took up a big portion of the screen. I spent my time craning this way and that to see the film. BUT I hear rumors that their seating might be changing, and then it will be all 5 star reviews!
Can’t wait to come back here again!

The Royale is an awesome concept in the heart of downtown Mesa. Basically take all of the movies that you love to watch, but the big theaters refuse to play, add in some fun treats, drinks, and happy staff. What results is The Royale. I will definitely be returning for future movies.

We recently saw Troll Hunter and really enjoyed the movie! The screen and sound quality were excellent. Our one complaint were the seats. They are mounted on movable platforms. The problem is that if I sat straight up in the seat then my feet dangled over the platform. This meant I had to watch the entire movie in a very reclined position. A little hard on the neck. If this could be fixed, I would definitely give the Royale a higher rating.

Welcome to the Royale! An awesome new theater that just opened in downtown Mesa.
A bunch of us went here tonight for their opening night of Hobo With A Shotgun and had a great time. With the weather being a billion degrees, The Royale did a great job at keeping the movie watches nice and cool.
Great staff on hand and they had a nice variety of drinks and snacks from those retro days.
Can’t wait to go back!