Oriental Theatre

–You get to watch a movie
–you get to drink a wine/​beer/​cocktail
–you get to experience the beauty of this place
–you get to hear your theaters upcoming movies summary from the manager
What else do you want? I can’t personally ask for more in a theater!

Friendly staff let us stop in to admire and take photos. Didn’t have time to stay for a film, but hopefully next time we’re in Milwaukee. This place is famous, & for good reason. Beautifully maintained historic theater. Love that they show indie films. Also serve coffee and alcohol — bonus! Cool that it’s across the street from a place called Von Trier, too.

This place is a must stop if you’re visiting Milwaukee or have never been here. Great artsy movies shown in the most classic old time theatre you will ever find. They don’t make theatres like this anymore and it is a shame. Find a movie in the main theatre and get there early to admire the ornate workmanship found here. Walk upstairs and tuck under the velvet rope and take a look from the balcony area, amazing.

This is a very unique movie theater very cool looking. Will be watching Demolition tonight. First time going here has that old time feel to it which is awesome and it’s not HUGE

How have I not reviewed the Oriental?
I’m always surprised when I meet someone who has lived in the city for more than a year and hasn’t been here. This should be on your must-​see list, especially for architecture nerds and film buffs. I grew up going to your run-​of-​the-​mill chain theaters attached to malls, and then I found out what a theater experience should actually be like.
The pictures never do it justice. I notice something new every time I come here. The main theater’s décor is gorgeous. Get here a little early to just sit and take it all in before your film starts. Walk around in the lobby. Go upstairs and peak in the balcony.
I never buy candy or popcorn at the movies because I’m a cheapo, but they have Lakefront beer here for $ 5.50, which is totally reasonable. The tickets are on par with other theaters, plus they offer a student discount.
They offer a good mixture of indie, foreign, and mainstream flicks. As other people have suggested, make sure to catch a movie during the Milwaukee Film Fest. If you’re a Rocky Horror Picture Show fan, they have the longest continually running screening in the world (!!!), which happens monthly.

I saw the five Oscar Nominated Animated Short Film, I just love this place. It is a place for grown ups with class and couture. The employees know about customer service.

I drive two hours from Chicago just to see a flick at this theatre. This is the full cinematic experience, people. And no, I’m not talking 3D and pumped up chairs. I’m talking ornate, massive auditorium with an organ player and a curated film selection.
The only downside is that the theatre is owned by landmark so the tickets and snacks/​drinks are a bit pricey. However, there are a lot of bars and restaurants in the area if you want to grab a bite before you go.

Highlights:
Location. You don’t have to drive to the suburbs to see a movie! Although it means a more limited selection, it is worth it to see a movie a few blocks from my house rather than a few miles. Plus if your adding a drink or dinner to your movie going, you have a much better selection in the area compared to near Mayfair or in Greendale. Parking… you might have to park a block or two away or bike/​walk/​bus it.
Vibe: It’s a cool, vintage movie theater, I feel like I travel back in time when I step into the lobby which adds to the allure of going out to a movie. They serve drinks including a nice wine selection, craft beer and a cocktail menu-​I might try the White Russian next time I go!
Website: User friendly, online ticket sales, upcoming movie info.
Movie Selection: Three or more options at a time, cool selections like the Oscar nominated short films in February, MKE Film Fest in September, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show every once in a while.
Downfalls:
Background Noise: Because it is a vintage building, the theater walls must be thin. During the dramatic silences of ‘Room’ the other day we could hear the lasers (pew pew) and dramatic score (dun dun dun, duh duh.) of the star wars happening in the next theater over.

I’ve been going here since I was a little girl. It’s a Gorgeous theater and I love the variety they offer. Only down fall is they were known for years for their popcorn. Now, the popcorn tastes like all the other theatres. Fake butter and cheap oil vs real butter and popped in coconut oil. I’d rather pay more for the real stuff. Skip the popcorn and enjoy the show.

Milwaukee’s Historical Landmark Oriental Theater is a real treat. Main theater boats a large balcony, an organ player before marquee showings, the greatest concessions stand in the history of mankind, and Asian décor fit with glowing Buddahs and colored backlighting. You should consider yourself lucky to view a film here. Often showing indies that are fantastic. Do your homework!

Great films, amazing venue, beers and snacks!
I would highly suggest checking out the Milwaukee Film Festival in September, but it is really amazing any time of the year. The venue is grand and brilliantly old school, complete with statues everywhere. GO see a movie there!

Classy, elegant historic renovated theater. I first learned about it from John Gurda’s excellent documentary, «The Making of Milwaukee,» and I’ve been coming back ever since. Milwaukee has many restored historic movie theaters, and they make the movie going experience so much better than at a contemporary chain multiplex. I even love going to the restroom here, the tile work is beautiful. Parking can be challenging, we prefer to ride our bicycles here. Stop by Vintage for a drink before the movie.

I enjoyed knowing i was in a historical building, which made the ordinary movie date a bit more interesting. Unlike your typical Marcus theatre, the seating does not have elevated rows with stairs-​win if you’re wearing heels. Not that it matters but I saw the movie «Birdman» March 2015. Prices comparable to other cinemas. Unknown food and beverage quality although they had the option.

Actually came here on a whim this weekend to see Inside Out. The outside is kind of dingy, so I wasn’t expecting much; however, the inside is gorgeous! I believe there are only 4 theaters with grandiose balconies upstairs. For our show, the balcony was (obviously) closed.
The concession stand still uses the black and white block letters. Unfortunately, concessions are equally as expensive as an AMC. $ 5.75 for small popcorn with $ 1 increments to a large. A ticket is $ 10 but with a student ID it is $ 8. They also serve beer and other spirits. I did not take their offer on snacks on this visit.
The inside of the theater is beautiful. The rug has a prominent oriental pattern and it felt like I was there to see a show, not a Pixar film. Some drawbacks — the chairs: not the most comfortable, but I think I’ve been spoiled by the new AMCs, lights: there was a random purple light glowing off to the side throughout the entire movie… very distracting.
I think this would be a great place to do a play or any non-​movie show. It looks like they have their own trailers and most of them are for «indie» films.

This place is a hoot – a trip back in time to when movie theaters were truly movie palaces – elaborate almost campy design, chandeliers, lots of curtains, and even an organ. It speaks well of those who recognized the gem they had here and preserved it. Most theaters today show the same action films and stupid comedies; here you can see the indie films that are hard to find elsewhere. I may just move in – pass the popcorn and Milk Duds!

The Oriental has a really cool interior for a unique movie experience! I love that we have such a fun movie theater in walking distance right here on the east side! They play movies here that are different from what you’d find at your average theatre such as documentaries and foreign films, but you can also catch a big blockbuster on occasion like avengers!

5 stars just for the décor! I feel like I’m stepping back in time, to the golden age of cinema. I love the ambiance of this place. They show movies I can’t see in other theatres.

Great little old theater. You wont find any frills here, but thats just fine. It seems like they always have a pretty good selection of movies playing too.

What a fabulous old theater! Love the interior architectural design & décor they have maintained. Why go to a regular theater when you can step back in time while you are at it? I’m also a big fan of popcorn and their movie-​theater popcorn was some of the best I’ve ever had. They get a bonus star for having clean & well-​stocked restrooms on a Saturday afternoon, too. :-)

Ok — so you can’t see a 3D movie here… but the 3D (or is it 4D?) comes from the magnificent surroundings.
It’s like walking back in time.
The Oriental gives you a movie going experience no other state of the art theater can.