Esquire Theatre

I have given a few five star reviews lately because we have had some great experiences. I have a special place in my heart for old movie theaters and the Esquire is perfect in my eyes. We saw Dicks The Musical, because of Nathan Lane. Although I would not recommend the movie I would absolutely recommend the theater. It is over 100 years old and offers that bit of nostalgia. It appeared very well maintained.The seating is comfortable without encouraging a nap and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. We were in a smaller theater in the back. You could buy your concessions upfront and they have a full bar on the way back to the theater. It appears they have mainstream movies in addition to many special events. I would choose to see a movie here anytime.

I went to Rock Horror for the first time last night and the Esquire Theatre was amazing great experience. There were two wonderful people at the snack bar (Seth and Dean, I believe) who were very engaged in helping not just me but also other costumers. I felt very welcome and it was fun getting to chat with them. The popcorn is delicious, the seating was comfortable and spacious, and the event was so fun! I highly recommend catching a show here.

Nice little quaint spot in Cincy about 5mins from the of UC campus. Small but yet homey gives me the feel when I was in high school. Came to see Bob Marley

Quite possibly one of my favorite places in Cincinnati. The Esquire always has interesting films to offer. My absolute favorite, though, are their special events. I've gone to see Gremlins, Elf, and Jesus Christ Superstar. For Elf and Jesus Christ Superstar, the event was interactive, with people wearing costumes and getting into the spirit. Jesus Christ Superstar was a sing-a-long and was shown on Palm Sunday. We were giving goodie bags with a palm frond, a cow bell (for the farm animal scenes), and peace sign necklaces. I had an absolute blast!

My family and I went to the Esquire Theatre for an interactive showing of White Christmas. I had never been to this theater before and wasn't sure at all what to expect with this kind of show, but it was wonderful! For about 30 minutes, they had various Christmas characters come out and perform a little live show, then go over what we needed to do for the interactive parts. They also handed out little baggies of fake snow that we were to toss in the air during certain parts, but we noticed that some people had brought their own as well, and I'm not jealous of the people who had to clean all that up! It was a nice family holiday event and we plan to return next year! My only complaint is that they run the showtimes so close to each other that everyone has to wait in the lobby for the theater to be cleaned and we were only allowed in about 15 minutes before the show started. That lobby is tiny and you have 100 people crammed in a very tight space with nowhere to go. I'd recommend spacing the showings out more so people could enter the theater at least 30 minutes before the show.

We've seen two movies there now. Technically more like 1.1 movies. From what we've seen, the main auditorium, and only the main auditorium, is adequately technically set up for movies. We saw Everything Everywhere All At Once in that one, and it was fine! It went well! The staff was friendly, the concessions were solid, the screen was... decent? And the sound was functional.Not so with our second showing! We went to see the Northman, literally tonight, in auditorium 5. And it was bad. Sincerely just bad. Staff were nice, again. Concessions were decent, again (though the popcorn was slightly more stale this time). But the screen this time, was substandard. The picture was just a little too dark, nothing I haven't endured at a theatre before. Standard "we haven't upgraded our projector in ten years" problem. But the picture was off center and slightly tilted, and the curtains weren't even all the way raised. We brought this up with staff, and they finished raising the curtain, and nothing else really.And the sound! The sound was genuinely the worst I have ever heard in any theatre, ever. Home theatres included. The mids were absolutely blown out, completely peaked, and almost everything else was inaudible. The treble was tinny and weak, and the base was easily the quietest and most effete I've ever heard. Just awful, genuinely an intolerable viewing experience. We left during the first 20 minutes because we honestly couldn't tolerate it any longer, and we wanted to catch a showing at a half way decent screen before the night was over.I appreciate the independent small-business theatre vibes, but wow. I want to like this place so much but if they can't make the actual experience of watching movies go well, then what good is it?

Not quite an indie theater but more of a reminder how theaters used to be. Old fashioned marquis, concession stand, small no frills theater rooms, and even a bar. The most recent time I visited it seemed the screen quality has improved. Love this spot and will continue to return.

This is not so much a review. Rather, it is a public service announcement. (The Esquire is a funky little theater though! I recommend it for catching movies where you learn the history about words and situations like the one I tell below.)If you haven't seen Gaslight on Turner Classic movies or at a second run theater, like The Esquire, I recommend watching it. It stars Ingrid Bergman as Paula, the once promising singer who becomes the wife of a crook (unknown to her). The crook husband convinvces her over time that she is losing her mind to get to jewels hidden in her home. It is a classic story that, unfortunately, rings true today!There is a term in the corporate world called "gaslighting". The name and "brainwashing" tactics are derived from this movie. Management convinces an employee, who may be a rock star but now a target for elimination, that they are: doing sub-par work, not as good as another employee, or responsible for business issues/declines completely out of the employee's control. The employee may be constantly called out for or questioned about trivial or nonsensical business problems in meetings, or forced to complete unrealistc goals in an unrealitic time, etc., etc., etc. Don't be naive. It is a form of bullying. Those of us who are younger Boomers or older GenX are targets now for gaslighting. Please be aware that this really happens in the workplace.

seth and both of the kylie's from the other night were the best! give them a raise and let them run the whole business. love love love them

I love the nostalgia of this 110 year old theatre. What a cool experience to watch a modern movie in a historical theatre! Very clean and overall wonderful experience.