The Drexel

I love the architecture of this place! It’s gorgeous! We had been really wanting to check this place out and we finally got a chance too. I was worried about the quality of the movie since it was an older theater but it was nice and crisp. So glad we went, will definitely be going more often.

I got advance tickets to a movie screening recently, and it happened to be taking place at the Drexel. I hadn’t been here yet, but I’d heard pretty good things about the theater. When we got there, we went around back to where we’d been told there was parking, and there was a lot back there. However, it wasn’t clearly marked anywhere that I saw, so we weren’t quite sure if all of the spaces were for the Drexel or if they were for the adjacent businesses. At any rate, we parked and went in for the movie.
Advance screenings can be tricky, particularly depending on how many other people have bought tickets. However, unlike a screening I recently tried to go to at Lennox, they seemed to be more on top of the process here. And things moved along quite quickly. It’s an older theater, so I was somewhat concerned about the seats being uncomfortable, but they weren’t too bad. Overall, it was a very nice experience.

We went to see a movie last week. Love this place. Favorite part to our neighborhood.

If Studio 35 isn’t playing our movie or a film has a single-​venue viewing, we head out East to the Drexel. Okay, sometimes we just need a change of pace or want dinner out in Bexley…
I don’t know if they pipe extra buttery popcorn scent into the lobby, but it gets you right as you walk in and it smells great! Always clean and ready to serve from entry to restrooms. Great place in a great neighborhood.

Sometimes you just need to kick it old school. A throwback to better days when we were young and carefree… Who am I kidding? I’m still relatively «young», but the Drexel conjures the image of what a single-​screen movie theater (or uniplex) looked like back in the day.
Giant movie chains such as AMC and Regal have taken over the film industry these days and independent theaters are few and far between. So it’s a breath of fresh air to encounter these cultural gems.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, a movie experience at the Drexel is not for everyone. The seats are spaced closer together and are less padded than your average AMC. You can forget about the electronic reclining seats. Also if you’re vertically challenged, row seating is not staggered. so you’re out of luck if you happen to be sitting behind someone tall.
The Drexel, however, does offer discounted ticket and food pricing as compared to the chain cinemas. Buy a membership and get an even bigger discount on admission. Part of me enjoys supporting the independent cinema. The staff is friendly and hardworking. The person you buy your ticket from is the same guy getting you the drinks and popcorn. Ultimately, it’s just a more intimate movie experience.
They also show indie and foreign films, which is the biggest draw for me. It’s nice to get away from the Hollywood blockbusters once in a while. Even the previews are catered to this. It’s definitely a cinema worth checking out if you’re passing by the Bexley area. There are also tons of restaurants and dessert places nearby.

A SUNNY BUT COLD WEEKDAY AFTERNOON
7 WORDS: Relaxed Art Deco Chic, Hollywood’s Oscar Contenders
There is little fancy or extravagant about the Drexel East. It is a movie house. It shows Independent and Oscar-​worthy Films as a way of life. You’ll NEVER find Summer Blockbusters or Films directed by Tarantino, Bruckheimer, or even Spielberg. What you will find is Wes Anderson films or something that has the Palm d’Or in it’s credits — this is purely the future classics.
The seats are like any other old-​time theater — no vibrating seats, no hip upholstery or carpeting and certainly no hipsters telling you about the latest Spoon or Radiohead album. What you will find, again — is the people who love movies for every aspect of movies: saturated color palettes, mind-​opening cinematography, well placed props and even better placed dialogue.
Yeah — this is what movies are SUPPOSED to be about.
So, if you want to find out what the latest super hero is doing, drive west. If you want to think before, during and after the movie — then this is where you stop…
…because this is where the best movies on the big screen are seen in Columbus, PERIOD.

I’ve seen several heartfelt indy films here that have left me that much more appreciative of artistic filmmaking that is something not made by Michael Bay.

I love the Drexel.
It’s not your normal theater, and that’s a good thing. you walk in the main lobby where they sell your normal theater snacks as well as a few beer selections. (Oh I like that!) The design of the place has kind of a fancy golden tone to it.
You go into the seating area and you quickly realize that it looks like an old opera house. And to be honest, the seating in the Drexel is a lot more accommodating then that of one of the bigger cinemas, there are a ton more seats, and they are all on a gradual incline, so no steps to trip over. The speakers aren’t blasting into your ears, but they are loud enough to hear everything.
I’ve also found that the crowed that shows up at the Drexel are a lot more friendly then that of a larger chain.
Independent films are also played here quite often, and honestly I like to support the indie film scene.

Always a great place to see an indie flick. They serve good popcorn and Stella Artois!

This isn’t your giant cineplex with stadium seating and ear-​splitting audio. This is a small, intimate way to see movies that wouldn’t show well in a giant theater.
This is the place to go for indie or cult or just plain weird films. I mean, who else will play «The Room» on a regular basis? Add a nicely stocked concessions stand and you get nearly everything you do in a big chain theater.
Plus, the restaurants and bars within walking distances means you can make a night out with minimal effort.

If you’re less about the bombastic, banal crud churned out of Hollywood and prefer a more inspired filmmaking movement (think Allen, Coppola or von Trier), the Drexel may be up your alley (in this case, Main Street). The last standing establishment from a former chain of independently-​owned theaters, the Drexel specializes in quirky, offbeat and independent films, with the occasional critically-​lauded blockbuster. Expect a lot of dramas, documentaries, and movies about existential ennui. I have yet to exit a film feeling disappointed.
The seating isn’t extravagant, and the theater is seldom crowded, but on the plus side, this makes for few distractions. If you have a heart for film, and not just whatever is being mass-​marketed to teens these days, the Drexel might be your favorite theater. A true pearl.

Classic theaters are the perfect setting for a strictly arthouse film venue, and that’s what you get when you go to Drexel East in Bexley. It’s kinda special. The perfect place for a first date even. Highly charming.
This place is for mature crowds looking to enjoy Oscar-​worthy celluloid, not at all for kids looking for a hangout to see a Hollywood blockbuster.
We went last night to see The Intouchables (French w/​English subtitles). Also showing was Farewell My Queen, Celeste and Jesse Forever and Killer Joe.

I love this place. I actually design home theater systems for a living, but I can surely appreciate getting out and watching movies with others. They show some great independent films here and it’s just a nice old fashioned movie theater where you can watch some good movies and feel like you’re experiencing them with a community. If you appreciate good films and want to laugh, cry and emote with others, then this is your place.

I love the Drexel’s throw-​back retro style movie going experience. It’s the heart of Bexley and an amazing landmark that this city can be proud of. If you enjoy independent films and a great movie going experience… roll on over to experience this place, which has been run as a not-​for-​profit for the last few years.
Now, when you arrive — don’t expect stadium seating… but let’s be real here… you aren’t going to need it. If you have someone in front of you, blocking your view of the screen, get up and move. Do expect for the staff to be friendly and glad to have you visit them.
The main theater is just beautiful — and reminds a movie-​goer of a time when theaters were palaces of entertainment and movie stars exuded glamour.
Check out their selections and swing by and catch a film!

You have to love a theater that only plays independent films. The staff is great. My husband didn’t realize the tab was popped on his drink so when he set it down on the slanted floor it spilled. When we went to go get a rag they not only came to clean up the spill, they gave him a new drink. GREAT service!
It is an older theater so don’t go expecting stadiums seating, or high back chairs with lifting arm rests. Comfortable, and clean but not the modern experience. This place has character and charm.

This isn’t going to the movies — it’s going to the theatre!
The Drexel is a prominent staple in Bexley, and it’s such a fun experience! If you’re one of those people who loves an AMC theatre, then you’re probably going to hate the Drexel. It’s old, not high-​tech, and they don’t really show any blockbusters.
But if you’re like me and prefer life a little quirkier, then head on over to the Drexel! The theatre is totally old school — from the retro décor to the announcer before a movie. The theatres inside are beautiful and ornate, and you totally feel like you’re having a night on the town in 1960.
I adore the movie selection at the Drexel too. They are always showing indie and artsy or foreign films.
Oh, and everyone working here is adorable and incredibly sweet!
One tip, though — you might want to skip the popcorn. It kinda sucks.

Movie «fans», you might want to skip this one — the Drexel is for straight-​up movie freaks.
These screens were meant to showcase the smaller films and film-​makers, and the independent owners make some interesting choices. They aren’t afraid to cater to Columbus’ weird and wonderful subculture with film festivals and special showings, which feature everything from classics to cartoons. It’s the place to go if you like your cinema a little on the controversial side — from hot-​button political documentaries to the latest GLBT flick, the Drexel provides.
If you can’t tell, I’m a movie freak. I remember the Drexel West (may it rest in peace) and I can proudly proclaim that I’ve spent 192+ hours of my childhood participating in the über-​nerdly, mostly annual, «24hr Sci-​Fi Marathon». Idling away many of those hours between Theatre One and the Radio Café, the carpeted hallways and gilded walls were like home to me. A dark and popcorn-​scented home, but one with soaring ceilings and flickering silver screens.
As a theatre, it’s memorable. Add an experience, and this place becomes a memory.

A great place for Indie, Foreign, and Award Hopefuls movies. The Drexel is a monument to Bexley. Preserved classic charm, yet updated film equipment make the Drexel a great date or movie by yourself. The staff is friendly. The tickets are cheap. Mondays, tickets are $ 5! You can drink wine or spiked coffee or eat dinner in the movie theater. Plus, it’s close by a lot of other fun places such as The Bexley Gateway and Capital University. Hence the mix of the upper echelon and college kids you’ll see there. Drexel does a good job of appealing to both and the groups in between.
Check the Drexel website for showtimes as I’ve found sometimes Fandango, et. al. are not totally acurate!

Every time I see a movie at the Drexel, I wonder why I don’t go there more often. I don’t know why, but it feels special. The lobby is barely wider than a hallway, but it’s all neon-​y and brassy and really feels like a THEATER. I love the old marquee out front and the fact that you can usually park right across the street (on the street, in fact), instead of in the middle of a 5-​acre parking lot.
The Drexel really makes an effort to bring in smart, interesting movies that usually aren’t playing anywhere else in the city. I guess for that reason, the clientele here is a little more to my liking than the giggly teenagers and mouth-​breathers that occupy a lot of theaters. In most theaters, people jump up and run out as soon as the credits start rolling, or sometimes as soon as they sense the movie’s about to be over. I saw «The King’s Speech» at the Drexel last weekend, and almost nobody budged until the credits were over and the lights came up. It was nice to be able to sit there and read the credits and enjoy the music without having to look around people.
Of course this theater, being old, has its disadvantages, primarily the lack of stadium seating. If someone tall sits in front of you, you’re out of luck. There are three screens here, but the main theater is the one to go for; the other two are very small and not nearly as interesting inside. The bathrooms here are woefully outdated and tiny.
They used to play interesting slides before the movies here (not ads, but trivia questions and such… GOOD ones), and I don’t know why they stopped. Still, there are no commercials before the movies, just trailers. The sound and picture quality are both acceptable. The prices on the concessions are reasonable (especially compared to AMC), and you can take food from the adjacent Radio Café into the theater.
If you’ve never been to the Drexel, I implore you to support it. This is one of three independent theaters left in the city, and the only one committed to not screening crap.

Amazingly well-​RUN theatre. Very old building, but they keep the technology updated because they are film gurus. Plays mostly indie films, with the occasional mainstream flick that deserves the attention. Several awesome film festivals get held here yearly, such as an animé fest, a children’s fest and so on.
Also, the theater needs your support so go here when you can. Drexel has been forced out of a couple other local theater ventures because of their unwillingness to go mainstream (they were the original operators of both the Arena Grand and the Gateway Theater). The Drexel West closed due to lack of business. This is all we’ve got left. Make sure you show them you appreciate what they’ve done for indie cinema in Columbus. It’s a beacon in the midwest.