Four Ways to Watch: The Peninsula’s Best Movie Theaters

Art-House and Avatar fans happily co-exist on the Monterey Peninsula, and you will, too, once you’ve found the right theater. Check out these four unique venues, and splurge on the jumbo popcorn. Your friends resist its salty-buttery-siren song at first, but you know they’ll cave once the lights dim down. Also, cinema etiquette dictates that re-fill duties belong to whoever snarfs the most, or has already seen the movie. Now that we’ve resolved that urgent conundrum, let’s find your theater.

The Osio Cinemas in Monterey

If soy lattes, indie films, and extra-personal service sound like the trappings of your ideal movie night, check out The Osio’s eclectic little theater in Old Monterey. Get there early and visit the newly re-opened Cafe Lumiere, which happily eschews the typical nachos and molten-lava cheese concessions in favor of scones, five varieties of cheesecake, and even Bubble Tea. Bring your student/military I.D. for discounted tickets, or, if you’re visiting Thursday-Sunday, make a night of it with The Montrio Bistro’s Dinner and a Movie Special.

Imax on Cannery Row

The Imax Theater is, as they say, “The Ultimate Movie Experience”. The bone rattling surround sound, ginormous screen, and super comfy seats are especially welcome during long, visually rich movies like Avatar, Star Trek, The Dark Knight, and Sharks in 3D. Tickets are $15, about $6 more than The Del Monte Theater, but you can knock $3 off by hunting down Cannery Row’s coupon-wielding “Imax Shark”. Also, the theater’s title is a misnomer; it’s actually located half a block up from The Row, on Wave Street. Metered parking is readily available at $1.50 an hour, and the Cannery Row Parking Garage is free for the first hour, then $1.50 for each additional half hour. You can save some cash and give your legs a much needed post-Imax stretch by parking four blocks up, on Laine Street. Assigned seating guarantees a prime mid-theater vantage point, or a week of minimized neck mobility, depending entirely on you. Get those tickets early, or online.

Century Cinemas at Del Monte Center

If you want flexible show times, a fun, social atmosphere, tons of movie choices, huge screens, and a location that enables pre-movie shopping and dining, The Del Monte Theater is your best bet. Children, Seniors, and matinee tickets are a reasonable $6.25; you can get them online and skip the typical weekend box-office hullabaloo. Have some free time before or after the feature? Hit up the nearby Cold Stone for a hand-pounded ice-cream concoction, and remember to purchase a “Thank You” song from the good-humored staff, via the Tip Jar.

Pacific Grove’s Lighthouse Cinemas

Old-school charm, consistently fantastic service, and an eclectic variety of indies, classics and blockbusters make the rarely crowded Lighthouse Cinemas a perfect choice for your low-key family movie night. $5.50 Tuesday tickets and “Free Popcorn Mondays” make this local gem our most affordable theater, and my personal favorite. For an under-$20 night out, follow your $6.50 matinee with a stroll down Lighthouse Avenue to Pacific Thai Cuisine, settle down beside their cozy fireplace, and dive into a freshly prepared, generously portioned, under $10 entree — many of which are vegetarian, and just as delicious as their meaty counterparts.

Hope that made your venue decision a bit easier, and as always, we’d love to hear your experiences, tips, and favorites in the comments.