Act One & Two

This place used to be my favorite theater. It was dirty, old, the seats creaked, and they showed indie films that didn’t play any where else. I used to go to the first showing of the day, where there were only a few other dudes there sitting all by themselves. At night the place would be packed with UC kids. In the men’s bathroom there was a window with a view of the street life down below. Awesome.
There is another «art house» theater similar to this one in Albany, but Act One & Two will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Oh midnight movies that I never went to. Always good movies but somehow I never went. This theater was not that great for regular movies though, never the best movies, small theaters and uncomfortable seats.

okay what the @)(T$T*@$!!!_!$!)!#(*$&%!.
i have a midnight movie schedule that says through may 18
but they have been closed for weeks
at first we thought they were remodeling
but now its pretty clear they’re never going to open again.
why!
why!

Yikes! It’s closed!!! Since when?! Argh. This was a great place to watch midnight movies and other indies thanks to Landmark Theaters. I hope it reopens.

What a great place to see a show and who can forget the midnight shows of old 80s movies? They will be missed …

This is the best art house movie theatre in the Bay Area. I like that it happens to be so close to where I live. Cheers.

To me the most important aspect of this theatre, beyond the great off-​culture films, are the midnight movies. If there is some movie that you have just fallen in love with and seen a million times, try to find it playing as a midnight movie.
Now, a word of advice. Don’t expect the movie to be a rushed showing like normal. It is a slower, more leisurely activity. It is a full celebration of the film itself, not a first time viewing. Expect a skit at the begining, random things being thrown, people shouting out lines, and a general hulabaloo. It is the most fun you can have with a movie, but it is not an introduction to the movie. If you go to one of these, don’t be a jackass and try to rush to the movie and shut everybody up.

I love living in Berkeley because i have access to places such as this. Where else can i catch all the great art-​hosue films. Its hard not to rant and rave about the great films i’ve seen there, because thats not really the theatre itself, but rest assured, they play great movies.
Best part of the theatre are the midnight movies. Durring the school year they take it upon themselves to select a cult favorite to play each week. the showings are packed to the rafters with costumed fans. The movie is preceded by games, to get you into the midnight movie mood, and a reenactment of a scene from the movie.
be warned, if you want to watch a movie in peace and quite, this isnt for you.

I remember the golden age of rep houses in the East Bay before the tragic demise of the UC and Fine Arts. I used to buy the multi-​ticket discount cards and use them up with my voracious appetite for old, foreign, or obscure movies (on a double bill, too!) that wouldn’t get played anywhere else. Landmark, the arthouse theater chain, has tried to preserve some semblance of its sorely missed UC by having a weekly rotating schedule of smaller American and foreign films at the Act One and Two theater. You can get a calendar of what’s playing at the Act One at the other Landmark theaters in Berkeley; you can also sign up for the Landmark e-​mail newsletter to find out what’s playing too. Unless you keep up by those means, it’s possible that you will miss a gem. The weekly programming has its pros and cons: you have more options on when you can fit a particular movie in your schedule, but you may go for weeks without seeing anything that peaks your interest. There is a good mix of films from features to documentaries, from legendary auteurs to newcomers; the amount of non-​Western films they work into the schedule is also commendable. The one drawback to the Act One and Two is that its second floor is not wheelchair accessible. They try to alleviate that by rotating the movies between the two auditoriums through the week: make sure to call to find out what movie is playing in which theater. The Act One and Two also have midnight showings of delightfully schlocky fare on Fridays and Saturday nights (also listed on the schedule).