Walnut Theaters

2018 -09 The place looks like an event hall only.Nothing on the outside that says "community movie theater"

This theater is tucked away behind a large bank building, and can be very hard to see. It is by far the smallest theater I have ever seen...but don't let the size fool you. Inside are two screens, both quite sizeable, with ample seating. From what I understand, this theater is not open year-round. It opens during summer blockbuster season, and when highly anticipated movies come about. I suppose that's why when we showed up, the guy thought we were there to see the new Mission Impossible movie. We were actually there to see The Muppets. When we got there, I was feeling a mixture of both excitement, and nerves. I looked around, and it looked like the Movie Theater That Time Forgot. The concession stand was dimly lit and looked like it hadn't been used in ages. There were movie posters rolled up in a corner, the marquees still used removable letters...it was OLD SCHOOL. The theater is owned/operated by an Indian man, who was the only person running everything. He was the concession stand clerk, box office clerk, and projectionist. Tickets are the cheapest anywhere for new flicks. $5 for adults, $3 for kids, all the time. The movie-watching experience was pretty nice...although about 2/3 of the way through the movie, the sound had some hiccups, which the man explained was due to the way he had everything set up. He apologized for that, and we didn't really mind, since he was so incredibly nice to us. He also REALLY loves and is proud of his surround sound, which he gave us a demo of (we watched a 20 minute segment from XXX, and the explosions, car crashes, ect. sounded really great), and he was really anxious to show it to us the entire night. I have to give him credit...he may not be running a sparkling, shiny new theater, but I liked his enthusiasm for what he did have to offer, and sometimes, that's all you really need. We will most definitely be back for an action flick to make use of his sound system.

I will not be saying anything much different than the last two reviews so I will try not to repeat too much. If you want a grade A movie watching experience and are not too concerned about the high price trappings of a chain theater, this is the place to go. It is hard to beat the price of $5 a head to watch a first run movie in a clean, digital cinema with one of the most impressive sound systems I have heard in a while. Yes, Sanjay, the owner, ticket booth operator, usher, concession operator and projectionist is very proud of it and for good reason. While the exterior and lobby may seem dated by today's chain theater standards, if the Open sign is turned on, go right on in, yell for Sanjay, and then get ready to enjoy a movie without the crowds.Do note though, this will be Sanjay's last summer block buster season for the theater. After this summer, the theater will close and he will be turning it into a banquet hall. Our family will definitely be going back to enjoy the Avengers and other new releases while it is still open.

This is not the place to go if you like everything shiny new & the most recent technology like your big chain cinemas. Being a lover of little hole-in-the-wall gems (even if they're a bit rough-looking on the exterior), I will definitely be back to this theater soon.I highly recommend going to see an an action movie the first time you go to this theater so you can experience the great surround sound system. That will also save you from needing to stick around to watch(/hear) a demo since the owner/operator is very proud of his sound system and wants everyone to experience it - it is his selling point (along w/ cheap prices) to get people in there and (hopefully) coming back.Alas, as Angelica N. said, he does not get enough people in there on a regular basis to where he has to shut down occasionally. He said he will be playing Mission Impossible through this Thursday (1/19/12), then will shut down for a month and a half. His plan is to reopen on 3/2/12 and hopes to have the new Spiderman showing. (He says he will still have current show times up on his website even when he's closed so that big movie theater sites like Moviefone & Fandango - which is how I found him - don't drop him from their listings. So it might be best to call and make sure something is actually playing before going.)So yeah, the exterior, and even the lobby, is a bit rough and dated, though the air smelled perfectly clean - no odors that usually come with dusty, musty old places. The theaters themselves look very clean and seem to be kept up very well - no stadium seating of course, but the seats were very comfortable and clean, had cup holders, and there was a trash bag to discard things in at the end of each row. The projector is old but still works well enough, the sound system is kick-arse for action flicks, and the price is DEFINITELY right for us budget-minded. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children, an extra-large soda was $4, and the candy is priced the same as you would find at the convenience store on the corner. The owner/operator is super nice and has been running the theater for 16 years. Plus to help a local "little guy" stay in business (especially competing w/ giants like AMC & Cinemark), I certainly think it's worth overlooking a few rough edges.