Abandoned by its corporate operator, the city’s oldest surviving moviehouse was rescued and restored by a neighborhood group. Both inside and out, the 1923 structure has more charm than any number of the cookie-cutter megaplexes that have sprouted like mushrooms in the suburbs. It now shows a mix of foreign, independent, documentary and Hollywood fare, as well as classic and children’s films. The small second screen upstairs is nothing special.
The nation’s capital may have earned the nickname “Hollywood for Ugly People,” but when you need an escape from the ongoing political drama, DC movie theaters deliver, whether you want to catch the latest releases, or find art-house fare in screening rooms and auditoriums within some of the city’s best art museums.