Red Vic Movie House

Out of your ashes will be the next phase of Alembic and the Second Act. Good thing they’re keeping some movie mementos in the redeveloped space. RIP

They show some hella cool shit here, and the place itself is pretty rad. I like sprinkling nutritional yeast on my popcorn, and they have it. Awesome.
It’s really old, cozy, and grungy in the best possible ways.
Come for a midnight screening of The Room, and be sure to bring plenty of spoons!

I just went to the Rec Vic last night for the first time to see The Found Footage Festival which I freaking LOVE! I actually really like The Red Vic and would give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Pros
Their history on the walls. They’ve been open since the 80’s and it’s cool to see what movies they were showing then
Vegan options as well as quality and reg movie house snack options. They use real butter and you can sprinkle it with nutritional yeast if you like that shit or one of their many spices.
My friend got their cookie with the peanut butter cup in the middle — very good!
I like the seats. They were sqeaky and moved a lot, but still comfy and there are weird church pews in the front. :)
it’s a small movie house showing movies the way I like — slightly intimate, no 3-​D bullshit, decent sound quality and the fes I went to was totally engaging.
Cons
The snacks were a bit high. I know I know. Compared to reg movie houses this is par for the course, but I thought since they had some alternative snacks they would have some alternative prices. Nope.
Probs the worst thing that happened to me and the real reason for this 3 star review was the staff. Most of the staff I encountered were nice enough but this one lady… I grabbed a seat with my buddies (after paying for all of our tickets) and went back up to get snacks. After spending money on snacks I delivered them and went back to go to the bathroom. Now, keep in mind, I’ve already spent $ 50 by this time. On my way to the bathroom I hear «EXCUSE ME!»
I turn around and the one of the staff women is eyeing me and said «Did you pay to come in?»
Me: Um, yes
Her: Well, because I didn’t see you pay. Are you on the list?
Me: I’m on the list, I came with 2 other friends.
Her: Oh really? What is your name I am just going to check.
Me: My name is Mercedes G. I am on there. This is weird.
What really got to me is her mannerism. Instead of saying sorry and checking or even being friendly, she turned on her hill and marched away. Leaving me thinking: WHY did she single me out? I came in with a long line of people, standing in line for half an hour in the rain. In fact when I came in I was one the only persons to show my ID (which I gess wasn’t really needed). When I was going to the bathroom and she stopped me I was the only one in the lobby. There were no big crowds, no folks milling about — the films had started and more folks were seated. So WHY did she single me out? Is it because I am young? Brown? Maybe she was having an off day? I don’t get it!
But the thing that bothers me is that she never apologized. She never followed up with me and said «Oh your name was on there» and during the conversation she was flippant and kind of rude.
However! Past this one experience, The Red Vic was great and I would recommend seeing a movie there. I think maybe the staff need a little refresher course or something. Or eat some of that nutritional yeast and get enlightened.

Quick update: front ¾ rows are way better than the back…
5 Stars now…

What’s one of the best things to do during rainy weather?
Recreating The Notebook rain scene or doing your own rendition of Gene Kelly’s Singing in the Rain or Rihanna’s Umbrella?
Albeit all sexy and ambitious ideas, rainy day weather calls for something much better and less laborious — a trip to the Red Vic Movie House to see a movie! It’s one of the best movie houses EVER! Really and truly!
The red movie seats and the church pew seating towards the front for those inclined to snuggle with your honey bunny during the movie are just a couple of the little things that makes the Red Vic so amazingly awesome. The Worker Owned and Operated establishment is also highly sustainable and green by serving patrons with mugs of hot tea or glasses for cold beverages. They also serve wooden bowls of popcorn. Geebus, it’s like going to your favorite auntie’s house to watch a movie and she just made Jumble Bars (you gotta try these) and the most phenomenal Vegan shortbread cookies with a raspberry center!
Granted, movies run for a short period of time at the Vic BUT the selection of movies they play is just, well, my goodness, so incredibly, ridiculously beyond words. From cult to Oscar winners to indie to obscure to documentaries, it runs the gamut. Being a native, I’m incredibly proud that such a place exists. It’s one of the GREATEST movies houses. Sure, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles (i.e., Spanish and Art Nouveau décor or fancy track lighting) but the Red Vic is that eccentric aunt’s house that offers up that comfortable feeling and you get to be a guest and treated so kindly. NOW, where else can you get that genuine feeling of comfort and watch a damn good film? At the Red Vic!

If you can get beyond the pit bulls and gutter punks who’ve «escaped» their affluent surroundings in suburban Boise to panhandle along the streets of the Upper Haight, there are a handful of places that are relatively enjoyable… and this is one of ‘em.
They should get 5 stars alone for being the only theater in the city that screens The Room (every last Saturday of the month, yo!), and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you need to get to know Tommy Wiseau, stat!
Aside from that gem, this is one of the most enjoyable theaters in town. The staff is made up of some pretty cool cats with complicated haircuts, and the seats are so worn in, you almost feel like you might break them. Of course, the real attraction is what they have in rotation. They play movies that almost nobody else touches in San Francisco, including the Banksy flick, «Exit Through The Gift Shop.» Sure, you can see SALT or some other blockbuster elsewhere, but sometimes it’s nice to see something that AMC wouldn’t even dream of screening.
If you want to ensure you’ll be admitted for whatever movie you want to catch, you can usually buy tickets online in advance. This is highly recommended, because they only open the box office 20 minutes before the show, and there’s usually a fairly long queue. I’ve even seen people turned away at the door, so do your due diligence to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.

Everything you’d expect from a typical indy theater experience. Cool films, friendly people, stale popcorn, and lots of character. Love the cushy bench seating and quirky intro before the movies begin.
Most recently, I saw Harold and Maude there for their 30^th birthday celebration. They had a champagne toast and free cake. The people who run this place really put a lot of love into it… hope it lasts forever!
Red Vic + Alembic = date night.
**Box office only open 20 mins before showtimes**

My friends and I (dubbed the First-​in-​liners) come here every last Saturday of the month for the screening of the terrible movie, The Room.
This place is absolutely amazing. Sam puts on a great show! The seats are comfy and the place is really cozy.
If you haven’t experienced The Room, you have to! Get your tickets quick though, because they sell out fast!
Bring party favors, bring a football, dress in a tux, wear a red dress… and bring spoons… lots of spoons… and for gods SAKE people, dont throw them at the screen! :P
They show lots of stuff here, so although The Room is not for kids (lots of terrible nudity, horrible sex scenes, and dress molestation) they do show family stuff, too. So check out thier schedule!!!

Red Vic is a very unique movie experience. A single screen theater, on a small street, that serves food and drinks in real bowls and glasses.
I personally love the place. It has a wonderful charm about it, and a very comfortable feeling. They have some old school movie theater seating, along with some couch like furniture, so you can sit with a date without a barrier between you two, or grab one of the bigger ones if you wanna cram 4 – 5 buddies on it.
The selection of movies is also quite interesting. They’ll play old cult classics like The Fifth Element, to documentary time movies like Good Hair, to short films, to stuff like Avatar (No 3D here).
And for whatever reason, it’s the only theater that I can go to watch something alone and not feel like a creep.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.
You MUST come here to see The Room. It is one of the most absurd things I’ve ever seen – I hesitate to even call it a movie, as much as it is a trainwreck of epic cinematic proportions. But you know what they say about trainwrecks… you can’t help but watch. And stare. For hours. Let me put it this way – it totally lives up to its reputation of being the «Citizen Kane of bad movies», yet you cannot miss this experience and adventure.
With a full theater of rowdy, enthusiastic, and witty movie goers, it’s definitely a great time. The venue’s very kitschy and unique – bench seats, popcorn from wooden bowls, and they even serve hot chocolate, hot tea, and coffee! This theater also plays other favorites like The Big Lebowski and Inglorious Basterds.
Oh, if you do go see The Room, make sure you bring plastic spoons. Don’t ask – you’ll understand soon enough.

If they had an organ player play before the start of every film, it’d undoubtedly be my favorite theatre in SF. Instead, right now it’s tied with the Castro Theatre.
They have these amazing couch-​like pew seats that you sit in, which allows you to have a sprawl-​tastic experience like no movie theater you’ve been in before. ‘Nuff said.

Great concept but this place could use some work. This theater is cash only, typical. I was super excited to see early 1900’s french silent porn, and it did not disappoint! Unfortunately my ass hurt so bad from the old theater seats, I swear the springs in those chairs want to get fresh. They look like theater seats you’d see at the dump. I was jealous of the patrons in the bench seats, but it could have just been the cuddling. Paying $ 9 for a movie was okay, I’m down with the dough going to an independent theater than paying for Prop 8 bull. They serve the popcorn and drinks in stylish wooden bowls/​plastic cups. It gives that homey feel of watching a movie at someone’s house sans comfy chairs. Keep an eye on their calendar, and never ever forget about the Castro Theater.

Any theatre that shows midnight screenings of THE ROOM automatically earn 5 stars.
The Red Vic not only does that but squeezed me and my friend in when it was pretty much packed.
If i had to miss the screening it would have torn me apart. Lisa.

For my 100^th review on Unilocal,I thought I’d write up something on this funky little theatre.
It’s small, but shows some unique and interesting films. I went here recently with my wife to see the Craig Baldwin film Mock Up on Mu. The film was okay, but I thought that this theatre had a lot of character. We will be watching the calendar for this place to see what other films they have here in the future. They show new indie stuff as well as old classics.
You know how in more corporate theatres they have that little cup on the armrest where you can put your drink? Well, they DON’T have that here, sodas are in plastic cups, and popcorn is in wooden dishes. They handwash all this stuff after the audience leaves. It’s small, old-​fashioned, and green. It’s also nice and clean. It’s cash only too – there is an ATM in the pizza place next door. There’s also a Wells Fargo across the street, but drawing out money at night in that neighborhood could be risky.
If you’re in the mood for something unique (not only in terms of movies but also venues), stop by the Red Vic. It’s a nice place with nice films and nice folks.

I like how the employees actually seem to LIKE working there, unlike many of those at most major cinemas. The Vic typically runs old movies, so I only go there if it’s an obscure title that I don’t have or can’t find on DVD.
$ 9.00 for adults is kind of steep for something I can get on DVD, so going to the Vic is more for the ambience than just for the flick. There’s couches for couples to snuggle in. (or threesomes to squeeze into.) The bench seating definately makes the place snogging-​friendly. They do have a $ 30.00 for for admission punch card, but it’s cheaper (if your schedule allows) to take advantage of their $ 7.00 2pm matinees.

I can’t really write a Unilocal review stating anything new about this theater that other Unilocalers haven’t covered yet.
The five stars is for the cozy atmosphere and the fact that if I bring a date here, we can sit in an awkwardly uncomfortable loveseat and makeout like rabid teenagers.
(FYI, Tamie and I sat in the middle loveseat but did not makeout during The Muppet Movie due to the fact there were children present.)

Red Vic is a great spot, and boy do they have interesting taste for films! You cannot buy tickets for the movie until about 15 minutes before the film starts. Luckily the Alembic and Escape from New York Pizza are next door in case you arrive too early.
I’ve always heard my friend the Judge sing Red Vic’s praises, but I always figured it was because he lived basically upstairs from the theater. Plus he’s an interesting character himself, he always tells me about some goth «Blood wrestling» that I’ve GOT to see. I dunno about that.
Anyhow, I went a few weeks ago to catch a campy sci-​fi horror movie called the Lost Skeleton of Cadavara. It was an excellent choice. And it really does showcase the Red Vic’s strength, interesting titles, that probably wouldn’t have very much time at a «corporate» movie theater chain.
Tickets are $ 8.50, and the schedule of the movies they are showing is listed on their website. Good date place, lots of close places to eat and drink, and the small intimate theater setting is nice.

Cool movies. Brewer’s yeast to top your popcorn. A bit pricey for what you get, but they do have a 4 movie for $ 27 prepay card you can buy to bring the costs down.
I used to live 3 blocks from here and went at least once a week. I miss the Red Vic!

The Red Vic is one of those reasons you should be thankful to live in a big city like San Francisco. I suppose you’d call it an art house theater, and as some reviewers have mentioned it’s been worker owned and operated since 1980. All good things, as is their tasty popcorn, and comfy seating.
But the real reason to patronize the RV, and this should go for any theater, is their stellar film calendar. You can find it online but they always have print versions just outside the box office, and it’s with this latter version that you can plot and plan your monthly viewings. Take December 2007, for instance, which screens The Simpson Movie, Across the Universe, Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten and Control amongst others (each movie shows for 1 – 3 nights tops).
You can see, it’s a mixture of hard-​to-​find documentaries and larger release films that get another «big screen» chance. Planning into January 2008, look for me watching The Darjeeling Limited, Lynch, and My Kid Could Paint That.
Tickets are $ 8.50 for adults but you can get a 4-​admission punch card for $ 27.

Almost 2 hours of David Bowie in tights.
Leaves me saying «Dance! Dance magic dance! Dance magic dance!»
Not the most comfortable seating but I had a blast with my friends reliving the glory of Labyrinth last night.
And my boyfriend and I are dressing as Jareth and Sara in the ballroom scene for Halloween next year.