Little Roxie

The Little Roxie is really tiny. It is the antithesis of today’s modern, slick and gigantic multiplexes with stadium seating, 3-​D films, Imax films and fully stocked concession stands. The theater is a long, narrow room with a small screen. Easy to get to, just 2 blocks from BART. Buy your ticket at the box office 2 doors down. Love the lobby painted with colorful murals, especially the kittens shooting wide beam lights out of their eyes.
Just saw the documentary on Nicholas Vreeland, the son of diplomats and grandson of a former editor of Vogue magazine, who gave up his privileged life and career as a photographer to become a Buddhist monk. Turns out he couldn’t give up his photography and this talent later helps him build a monastery in India.
A quirky film shown in a quirky theater.

I want to give this place more stars, but you know what its just an okay really small theater. I think this is the new addition to the roxie next door. This place has two things going for it. One, it place great independent movies that you just can’t find playing anywhere else. Two, it has cool cat paintings on the wall inside.

I first made my acquaintance with the Little Roxie over this year’s SF Indie Film Fest. When I got my ticket for «The Drummond Will» and was told to go over to the Little Roxie, I didn’t know what to expect. When I found it, it looked sketchtastic. I shuffled in front of the door uncomfortably.
Upon entering I realized it wasn’t sketchy at all, just pleasantly dumpy. I want to say that the little theater provides an intimate setting, but it’s old-​feeling and run-​down enough that you kind of don’t want to think about the Little Roxie being intimate with anyone, so I’ll spare you the mental image.
Tiny screen, tiny aisles, and big cushy love seats scattered here and there (those things are genius!) comprise the main theater, and while I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who’s claustrophobic, it really does wonders to remind you that seeing a movie is really a communal affair — if you wanted, you could probably wait for «Nude Nuns With Big Guns» to make its way to the internet and watch it from home. But that’s not why you watch stuff like that — it’s far superior in a worn, shabby theater surrounded by like-​minded individuals who have all done a great job of pre-​gaming.
A couple other inconveniences that are maybe a little less endearing — you can totally hear the music from the bar next door through all the films you’d want to see in the evening, so if you have a hard time tuning out ambient noise you’re kind of screwed. The concession stand at the front of the Little Roxie is also pretty bare bones, if it’s supplied at all, so you’ll want to get your goods from the main theater next door. Okay, that one doesn’t really bother me. But it may bother you!
Either way, the Little Roxie is an experience, and one I’d recommend. It’s not superb, but it’s nice. They don’t judge you there.

Tucked next to Dalva bar is the Little Roxie. Smaller independent films are played here. You get a whole new intimate experience. A few of the sections have love seats so if you’re looking for a place to sit with your sweetie, see a film at the Little Roxie. I actually kinda liked this spot better than the proper Roxie theater, but then again, it’s been awhile since I’ve been to the Roxie. Blink and you might miss it.
The only thing wrong with this location is you can hear music from the bar so if you’re watching a film with a lot of dialogue, then you just have to ignore it. It only fits about 49 people in here.

The Little Roxie was a trip! I felt like I was transported back to the St. Francis Theater’s smaller screening room, circa 1979. I went to check out ‘Dancing With The Devil’ (Excellent film!) on opening night expecting to see it at The Roxie but when I purchased my ticket, the lady said that it was at The Little Roxie next door. I was shocked because I never knew there was a Little Roxie, let alone it being next door. Upon entering the spot, it felt like I was walking into someone’s house. Found my way to the cozy screening room (which reminded me of the oldschool St. Francis Theater) and enjoyed my experience.
Long live The Roxie and Little Roxie!

I love mini movie theaters, especially mini movie theaters with «love seats». My favorite part of a theater like this (screen a third the size of big theaters, about 30 seats) is people who walk in and are surprised by the size… haha, dumbasses!!!
Its a theater, thats all I got.

I would give this place 5 stars for it’s feel of a friend’s basement viewing room, but the old chairs feel a bit crusty and it’s *SO* small if you’re not there late for the popular films, you have to sit solo.
Get there early, enjoy the homey feel and the indy flick and don’t get hung up on appearances.

«You guys wanna go see some vag. on the big screen??”-an excerpt from an e-​mail sent to us by a friend. «Ummm, hell yes» was my obvious reply. The return e-​mail was instructions to meet everyone at the Roxie around seven on Thursday. Fast forward to Thursday and I walk up to the ticket window, give my money, and receive a Roxie ticket (which is just a plain raffle ticket and you will need to remember that small fact in a few seconds…).
Ticket Window Man: You know this is at the Lil’ Roxie?
Me: No, I don’t. What’s the Lil’ Roxie? Sounds like a midget stripper.
TWM: It’s our other theater. Two doors down. *points to the left*
Me: Okay. Cool.
I walk in and give my ticket and purchase a water. (No Junior Mints!!! ugh. Automatic minus 1 star.) After sitting in our seats, i look around and this is a very cool and well kept theater. I still think the screening room at the Opera Plaza is smaller… but this is nicer. A few minutes later someone walks in with folding chairs saying they’ve overbooked the theater weirdly enough. Lights go down. Movie starts sans previews (BOO… HISSSSSS. Seriously, no previews. You need previews at an art-​house indie theater. Everyone knows about Die Hard 12 coming out, but they may not be aware of the cool foreign film that you may be screening next week. Plus, seeing previews is one of the few things I am OCD about at the movies. If I know I am going to miss them, I will wait til a later show).
Once the movie is on for about 45 seconds a few audience members get up because they are in the wrong theater. There were also a few that figured it out before the movie started. That’s the problem with having raffle tickets instead of real tickets when you have two different movies starting at the same time on two different screens.
Also, the dirty film that I was promised was actually a documentary called «The Business of Being Born.» It was about the need for a shift to home births. I knew this going in, but what I didn’t know was that the movie contained a full-​frontal view of a pregnant Rikki Lake… warn a brother.
In summation: Fix your tickets, add previews, and stock Junior Mints! Other than that, great theater for seeing great films.

We just saw the wonderful film, «Cats of Mirikitani» here. It ends on May 3^rd. This film is a documentary about Jimmy Mirikitani, an 80 something Japanese American man, who had lived in the Topaz «internment» camp, worked as a chauffeur for some rich guy, lived on the streets of NYC before he was befriended by the filmmaker who took him into her own modest apartment and helped him get his life on to more solid ground.
Small theatre (49 seats) with 4 or 5 double seats.
Intimate setting, newly remodeled. Very comfy even though the screen is small. Perfect venue for this sweet film.
I would definitely see another movie at the Little Roxie.
(Two storefronts away from the Roxie)

Just saw Journey From The Fall in this theater. Seems like an annex to the Roxie Cinema that New College of California decided to open up. I’m glad they’re still funding and supporting independent theaters like this. The seating is no different than Roxie Cinema. Just one theater room here compared to, I think, two over at the main Roxie theater next door. It’s not your flashy stadium-​like seating you see at the newer theaters (AMC, Century, etc), but the normal, flat theater seating which is fine with me. Plenty of leg room if you want to stretch out your legs and it has a standard sized theater screens. The concession stand doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for movie snacks unlike the big corporate places. There’s plenty of restaurants around to eat after watching a movie anyway so who cares about some popcorn or a hotdog anyway?