The Davis Theater

I can’t wait till they reopen.
I’m sure they missed some great $ with the awesome movies 2016 has been putting out, but I’m glad to hear they’ll be opening up again really soon. Comfy small theater with an old time feel, snacks, drinks, and incredibly great prices. Definitely my favorite place to catch a movie although parking is still always a hassle.

I love Davis Theater. It’s kind of a dive, but it has good prices and a kind of old timey feel.

Old school, no thrills, theater in a great part of the city if you’ve never been. Tickets are reasonably priced and popcorn in plentiful. Screens are on the smaller side and everything could use an update, but it’s part of the charm. If you’ve never been it’s worth the trip.

Updating my review to five stars because they have officially upgraded the seating! Everything else still stands from my review from before, but the comfortable chairs give it the extra star. :)

I am not a fan of this place. For me it’s all about the movie’s appearance on screen. What we have here is a movie palace chopped up into four narrow theaters. We’re used to this by now, but the result here is narrow theaters with a high, elongated screen. If the movie is talking heads it doesn’t matter much, but if the movie features large panoramic visuals of terrain or urban landscapes, you lose. The images here seem cramped. I recently saw «Bridge of Spies» at the Davis and the broad views of Spielberg’s nicely recreated post-​war Berlin did not show well. In my mind I kept contrasting this with the large floor-​to-​ceiling screens and direct, easy sightlines at AMC. I love the $ 6 matinees at the Davis and the people who work here are nice, but they don’t call cinema «The Big Screen» for nothing and you don’t get to fully enjoy that here. Not everything that is retro or vintage or neighborhoody is top notch, unfortunately.

Old school theater with charm. It does need a facelift, but the reasonable ticket prices and convenient location will keep you coming back!

First, I am thrilled this theater got put on the registry of historic places — — — -it makes this neighborhood still feel like it once did in a way. There’s a million little towns across this nation whose little theaters just like this one sit empty with an unlit marquee for decades… some even torn down.
I am looking forward to the $ 4MM rehab that just got announced — –as long as they can keep to the original sense of place it has so long exuded. There are a million items here that should be restored to their glory!
The prices are also still normal — –I’m not a fan of paying $ 15 for a movie as some hoity-​toity theaters are charging these days. The Davis is reasonably priced enough that you feel you can check out the listings and just pop in unplanned and even… gasp, alone!
The old popcorn machine, the ticket booth, the terrazzo floors… please stay forever Davis!!!

Obviously it’s not the nicest theater in the city. It’s a classic old neighborhood theater that shows new movies for a lower price. You get exactly what you pay for and it’s perfect. Everybody who works there is super nice and the popcorn is always delicious.

This is the old time movie theater of your childhood. It’s nostalgic and has great charm. Cheap tickets make the whole experience worth it. The lobby smells like popcorn, and it the whole building is nested on a hill. You notice the difference, while to find your seat in any of the theaters. The seats are old but comfortable enough to sit in for the duration of a movie. If you want to experience a good ol’ fashioned neighborhood movie theater check of Davis. It’s not flashy, but you will actually enjoy it.

The Davis theater is a nice and cozy neighborhood theater. I really like being able to walk to the movies. The staff was kind and helpful but not overwhelmingly friendly. I feel that they could smile a little more be a tad bit more welcoming! The theater was cute and I enjoyed the movie but it was a bit old. The bathrooms could have been a little cleaner as well. All in all I would recommend this movie theater if you’re not expecting anything fantastic and your money is looking funny! The price is $ 6 before 6 and 9 thereafter. This theater is not to be compared with any commercialized establishments. It is a cozy and charming little establishment. I will definitely go again!

Small screens? Yes
No thrills lobby? Yes
One theater has a slanted screen? Yes
The toys in the claw machine have been there since you were born? Yes. well maybe.
Will it take you back to your childhood and provide a fun/​intimate moving going theater experience? YES!
Read the other reviews and you will know that this place is obviously not your megaplex big IMAX super surround sound extravaganza. But it’s a damn fine place that does what it needs to. provide you with a screen to watch your movie and popcorn to eat.

Cool little theater, but mainly if you don’t have the means to go to another theater.
It’s a small, danky place which has a nice homely feel to it but there’s not much appeal to it.

I’m not sure that there is much that can be said about the Davis Theater that hasn’t already been said. Yes, it’s run down. Yes, it’s cheap. Personally, I don’t mind the slightly decrepit atmosphere as long as I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to see a movie and indulge in salty, buttery, popcorny goodness. Go before 5 to take advantage of the $ 6 matinée prices.

OK. So, Davis is not my favorite theater. But it’s in such a great location and it’s cheap, so it definitely serves a purpose. I think my biggest complaint is that the seats just are not that comfortable. It’s very retro, which is fun. The snack options are good. The bathrooms are meh. They’re clean, but could use some TLC. But in the age of the $ 15 movie ticket, Davis is good enough for me.

No better place in chicago.
Great prices, near my home, cute theater. It’s quite cozy, and while the staff could be nicer when buying popcorn, it is a cheap price.
It’s my go-​to theater.

The smell of urinal cakes wafted through the hallway as I headed to the furthest theater showing Bird Man. I laughed thinking this must be what the owners and patrons believe is retro chic.
The theater had some aches and pains. The walls plastered over, cracked and warped seemed upright but uncomfortable. The screen was small but did not distract in any way from enjoying the movie.
The employees were polite, intelligent and direct. The ticket booth was out of a textbook — history man.
People compare this theater to a dive bar. Well, maybe so. Drinks are cheap and so are the tickets.
I enjoyed my time and will be back. You come for the movie, the film, not solely for aesthetics. If that was the case, online shopping would be a dinosaur.
So, take a good whiff and enjoy the show!

Maybe it is because I am old (mid 30s), but I don’t seem to notice a difference between a 20 foot screen here and 30 foot screen at Megasuperlandmarkflex theater.
What I do notice is that:
— tickets are cheaper
— rooms are smaller and quicker to get in and out
— bathrooms are closer
— there are less previews
— staff is nicer
— and sound system hurts my eardrums only a little.
And I even feel like I am in a small town somewhere in early 90s — which is fun in a nostalgic way.
This is one of my favorite spots in the city.

This is not the latest megaplex with seats straight from NASA. This is your neighborhood theater that has been around forever with the main updates being to the projectors.
I like this place. I’ve been to several movies here, typically matinees. It is all first run movies, but at a better price. The line for tickets is typically really short, they have the basics covered for the concession stand, the staff is extremely friendly, and the price is right. Matinée tickets are $ 6.
The building is old, the seats are old, the floor is old, the bathrooms are old… but it is all well maintained.
I’d rather go here-​a 10min walk from my apartment near lots of dinner options, than go to a bigger/​newer theater where the tickets cost twice as much, and the trip is four times as long. If I didn’t live as close as I do, I probably wouldn’t go here, at least not frequently. However, until I move-I’ll be seeing most of my movies here!

So, yes, this theater is old, bathrooms are somewhat dingy (pretty clean, but old and patched and feels like a high school bathroom)… but I love it.
4 screens I think, all pretty small. A tiny line to buy tickets, but really friendly staff, cute t-​shirts and first run movies… small theaters, but the seats are situated such that you can actually see the screen.
If you don’t mind skipping the bells and whistles, then definitely worth a visit to watch a movie!

Jesus I miss the 90’s and their $ 5 or less second run prices. You could seriously get up to some shenanigans at that theater back in the day because the employees did not care. This one time, my friend and I set up a folding table and complete chicken dinner in a nearly empty showing of Happy Gilmore, had ourselves a fine dinner and a show.
Still, the Davis is a solid theater in an up-​and-​gentrifying neighborhood. They now have an excellent staff that appears to be treated well enough to like their jobs. They’ll talk to you and share jokes (instead of mumbling into their chests or staring coldly at you with dead eyes like most AMC employees).
The rehab they did in the early 2000’s did improve the visual aesthetics immensely. The seats are still a little creaky and weird but soft and kept surprisingly clean. The screens are small and sometimes the movie dribbles off into the curtains, but the Davis is comfortable and familiar, like an old couch. And where better to watch a feature than on your favorite couch amid the aroma of the souls of 10,000 bags of phantom popcorn?
Their summertime kids movie camp series was the bomb too. I hope they still rock the kid matinees.
Entirely off-​topic, does anyone remember the Nervous Center coffee shop that used to be next door to the Davis?