Cedar Lee Theatre

I have a great affinity for the entire Cleveland Cinemas consortium of theaters: they are local, they invest in keeping some of Cleveland’s notable historic movie houses in use, and they offer a delightful bevy of special film events.
Of the Cleveland Cinemas theaters, the Cedar Lee is first among equals in my estimation. My idea of a perfect (rainy, freezing, sweltering — insert an adjective for inclemency here) evening involves dinner at Momo’s Kebab, a glass of wine at the Wine Spot, and a showing at the CL.
Apart from the Cinematheque, the CL has long the singular spot in town for movies not of the blockbuster variety. I have many cherished memories of being exposed to ideas, aesthetics, humor, and culture through the screens of the CL in the pre-​digital era when, if not for this resource, those experiences would have been difficult to come by.
Whereas a trip to the multiplexes (you know the ones) can be a soul-​sucking slog through the bowels of idiocy and gluttony, a trip to the CL feel like a frolic: their rotating titles take you through dramatized history, contemporary documentary, cult classics, and cutting edge comedy — all with a GLBC brew or theme cocktail in hand. The theatre isn’t a sprawling, corporate Disneyland; it’s a proud, classic movie house that’s been well-​loved over decades.
Tip: I recommend joining the Cleveland Cinemas reward program; I am not a frequent movie-​goer and I still get some real, enjoyable freebies on occasion.

The Cedar Lee is a gem: an opportunity for cultural and artistic enrichment and entertainment. I have been coming here to see indie and art films here since 2002. Even during the years that I’ve lived outside of Cleveland, no visit home is complete without seeing a movie here. So many screens of movies that one cannot find anywhere else in theaters in town!
The employees are so friendly, and it’s a pleasure buying tickets and snacks and beverages from them. Alcoholic beverages, too! The wine selection is limited to the basic Gallos, but the beer selection is just fine. Cocktails, too! Though no salted rim on margaritas, alas.
Some of the screens are quite large, with lots and lots of seats. But most of them are small and cozy. Some of the smaller rooms have an aisle on each end; others are more narrow and only have one aisle. The size of the rooms is no problem, but what is a problem for taller folks is that there is not much leg room. I’m only 5’10″, but I cannot cross my legs without kneeing the seat in the row in front of me. Usually the theaters are not jam packed, though, which makes the width of the rows less awful than it would otherwise be.
Sometimes the crowd is a bit older than one would expect. For the matinée films, this is to be expected. But I will always remember the humor of seeing Polanski’s «Venus in Fur,» which is a very sexy and daring film, on a summer Friday night in a packed theater where the youngest patrons after my then-​boyf and I were in their 60s.
Parking isn’t free. Bring change for the meters behind the theatre or use a credit card at the pay station in the parking garage.
I’m so glad that the Cedar Lee exists, and that it served as a mecca for me, especially when I was a young person, for how to learn about the world and the human experience through film. I’ll go see a blockbuster in a crazy big theater with reclining seats, but I would hands down rather see an indie film here.

We love coming to cedar Lee for movies. They have a great variety of films and it has easy parking. What I truly dislike is their no outside food policy. My husband and I had just eaten across the street for dinner we had our LEFTOVER bag and they would not let us in with it. I find this ridiculous. We had no plans to eat it. So husband missed the fun previews and had to walk to the car to drop it off. I understand the need to keep outside food but leftovers with labels from local restaurants should be excluded!!! When a show is playing at two local places, I will pick the other theatre because of this stupid rule.

Love the theater but the manager is a witch. Here for a movie screening and waiting out side in the cold bc she won’t let us in. Will not be back until spring for a showing

I haven’t been to the Cedar Lee in years. In fact I think I may have only been 1x before ever.
The beau and I decided, upon the recommendation of Unilocal,to check out JAWS on Friday. Boy was I excited! I’ve seen the movie, but not on the big screen.
Cedar Lee allows you to purchase tickets on line, which I think is a nice perk and saves you time in line at the theatre.
The theatre is old and not a huge mega-​theatre like the new ones they’re building, but it was fairly tidy.
Concessions are great because you can get an adult beverage if you like. Our sales associate, Areje was awesome. You could tell he enjoyed his job, and he was good at it. I would hire him in a second if I had my own business.
They had a raffle before the showing, which I thought was cute. You won a small snack-​sized bag of shark gummies! Hilarious, and a great way to get the audience involved before the movie.
The movie was great. Of course.
Cedar Lee offers non-​main-​stream flicks as well as cult-​films. I think I might have to go back in December and catch Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Check out Cedar Lee, you’ll be sure to have a good time.

Can’t believe I haven’t written a review for this place up until now.
This place is fantastic, and I’m so happy it’s in Cleveland.
Where should I start… the bargain prices? The late night cult movie showings? The option to see indie and film festival pics you can’t find anywhere else? The old school theater marquee? I love it all, and spent many a night in college hitting up Cedar Lee… would recommend to locals and Cleveland visitors alike!

We go to movie screenings here about every 3 months and enjoyed the movies. They’re popcorn is some of the best we’ve eaten in a movie theater. We have enjoyed the beer and wine drink specials on Wednesdays.

This is a great little theater for seeing both new films and the classics! I love that they don’t just stick to what is playing in every other theater in the area but add classic nights as well.
The theaters themselves are quaint and cozy… definitely not the big, stadium seating that some other theaters have. It almost looks like they chopped «normal» screening rooms in half and were left with smaller, more intimate-​feeling theaters.
There is a great selection of movie snacks but also alcohol! What goes better with a movie than a little bit of wine?
All in all, I would make the drive to the east side again for this theater

This is a great theater. I live on the west side and my only complaint is that it is hard to get to Cleveland Heights and there are lots of pot holes. However, they play the best movies here. I recently say Birdman here as well as Timbuktu and the movie Omar. They play many independent and foreign films.

Old school type theater that plays quality films. They have foreign films and independent films. The matinees are 6.50 $. Theres a parking garage behind the theater for 3 $. I really enjoy the types of films here.

Came here few times for independent movies. Love the old style theaters. If you are looking for big screens and comfortable chairs I don’t recommend here but if you are looking for a good selection of independent films and the old style atmosphere, this is the place!

So cute! I really love this old fashioned theatre. I think I love Capitol Theatre in Gordon Square more because it is more spacious but they are both fantastic. Cedar Lee has some very tiny theatres. One lady behind us actually scolded us for quietly talking at the very start of the movie. (trust me, we were not talking loud and we hate movie talkers too, but we simply had to communicate at that time and we got in «trouble». I think the lady could waited to see if we were repeat offenders and then speak up, but we got one warning, ha!) The customer service was top notch. Everyone was so kind. The popcorn was delicious! Popcorn can really make or break the experience for me. You can get a large for free refills! You can purchase alcohol, always a plus. I love that there are so many restaurant choices near by. We went to the nearby New Heights Grille.

Great place to see indie films. Classic film matinees play Sundays. They serve beer and wine among other concessions. Service is great and reasonably. Easy parking in the back. Lots of bars and restaurants nearby. Most pm shows are $ 9.00. Have fun!

Great little theater that makes you feel like you are stepping back in time. They staff is very friendly/​attentive, the seats are comfortable, the food isn’t too outrageous (for a movie theater), they serve alcohol, and they show a variety of independent and different movies, The main downside of going to this theater is parking — you have to pay to park and street parking around there is 1 hour time limit meters so you have to park around back — bring quarters!

Cool little place that shows some interesting films. Concessions overpriced. If you use the ticket machine make sure it doesn’t double-​charge you.

We love this place! From their $ 6 Monday specials to their beer and wine selection, this place is great! We enjoy going to a midnight viewing of The Room or Rocky Horror for the laughs and cult following! Great times!

Cedar Lee is my favorite Cleveland area movie theater! I love that they run an interesting selection of independent films that you can’t find anywhere else in the area. The location on Lee Road is also very cool, because its close to restaurants, cafes and bars, so you can definitely make it a nice night out with friends!
What I really love is when they play cult classic films here! I’ve seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Monty Python and the Holy Grail here, and both have been fun. But my favorite film to see here is The Room! The showings are always hilarious because the audience really gets into it… but make sure to watch out for the flying spoons and footballs!
The only downside about this location is parking: there’s certainly plenty of it behind the theater, but its metered, so make sure you bring quarters!

The Cedar Lee is one of only maybe three things that can ever convince me to go to the East side on purpose. Despite taking a long time to drive to the theater from the West side, it is the only place to see specific movies that aren’t playing anywhere else.
In addition to the awesome selection of movies, I just love this theater — great, friendly staff who obviously love movies, great prices on popcorn, wine (!), comfortable seats, and, like The Capitol Theater, the unbeatable Monday Night deal! Also, it is pretty much next door to my favorite East side restaurant: Lemon Grass, which, incidentally, has a great dinner/​movie combo deal.
Also, I’ve noticed that people who are going out to see these quiet indie films are generally not the kind of people to talk, text or otherwise be rude during movies. Every time I go to the Middleburg Heights Regal (my «local» theater), it seems we always end up encountering at least one disruptive person while watching a movie…
Overall, I think the Cedar Lee is a true Cleveland treasure!
Tip: Make sure to bring quarters for the parking lot!

Yes, at last a theater that shows real movies I want to see. Prices are OK, location is accessible and near food for pre/​apres shows.
Deals if you want, like cheap Monday films etc.
Some rooms a tic on the smallish side and some have not the best sound isolation, so if you are watching for instance a movie with a very dramatic moment of silence it may not come across as such as the theater next room is showing something with action and suspense and the matching sound-​scape with it.
But all in all never mind, as at least here you can see something more interesting that your average blockbuster.
Absolutely favorite cinema in town.

Do you like movies? Do you like enjoying a beer or wine while watching a movie? Hey you! Stop filling that giant purse full of Natty cans and just head on over to the Cedar Lee. You can enjoy a little bit of alcohol while watching some great indie flicks.
This isn’t a megaplex of cinemas with near IMAX proportion screens. This is an older style setup with small sloping floors and big, but not Regal Cinemas big, sized screens. Well, the CL does have one really large cinema with the stadium-​style seating, but that’s generally reserved for the most popular of their films. Generally, I see the CL having a couple popular indie films and a few lesser known flicks. It’s a great mix of films you just can’t see at the giant megaplex theaters. And if you’re a night owl, then check out their midnight showings. Whether you’re into the Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Room (both show monthly), or fun films from the past 50 years, the midnight showings will not let you down.