Elm Draught House Cinema: A Review

Bring a cushion from home. If they would let you, I’d even suggest you bring your own chair. Because the seats there are that old, that broken down, and borderline nasty to sit on. That is the harshest part of my review, right up front and now out of the way.

Ed and I went to the Elm Draught House Cinema on Saturday, March 4, 2023 as part of our weekly Date Day/Night. My friend Laurel had told me about the venue when we met for coffee a few weeks back. She and her husband Ed had gone to the movies there and enjoyed the simplicity of the site, as well as the wallet-friendly prices. Outside of both of our husband’s being named Ed, Laurel and I have a lot in common, so I was eager to follow her lead and give Elm a try.

From the moment Ed and I walked in, we could both tell that it was a special place. There is a feeling inside that transcends the draftiness of the end-of-winter chill that settles into the large theatre hours before it fills up with both people and the smell of fresh popcorn. The old posters of black and white, and early color movies, begins your walk down memory lane, leading you down two long aisles with rows of hard-loved seats doing their best to sit up-right for the next batch of people to face front. Be sure to glance around the room and take in the memorabilia of near-life-sized iconic characters, from Wonder Woman to Darth Vader. The small stage below the large screen holds a couch and a few chairs. There are comedy shows here on some nights. The big screen is not the only attraction, just usually the main attraction on most nights.

Jim, the owner, is friendly, exuberant, and clearly loves his job! He greets each customer with a genuine welcome that makes you want to plan your next trip even before the lights go down for the previews. While pointing out the emergency exits, he announces to his guests a few simple guidelines:  Say please and thank you, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and be kind, because you never know what someone else is going through. There is no political agenda, no admonition, and no judgement. Just simple advice that may not seem like it has anything to do with a movie showing, but certainly carries beyond the setting.

He doesn’t accept credit cards, only cash and checks (Checks? Really?! REALLY!), yet have no fear. This is a night out when the cash will linger and you will go home with more than just the lint deep in the corner of your pocket. Admission is $6.00 per person. We ordered two beers each, two medium popcorns, and a large popcorn to take home to the kids. (I ate all the popcorn. The kids were not fast enough. It is the most like home-made popcorn that I have experienced in a public place.) Even with tip, I spent $48.00 for our entire experience. This is a movie theater you can take the kids to and they can all have their own drinks and a snack. No need for sharing to conserve funds!

We chose to sit in seats along the left side of the theatre, about half-way down the aisle. There was no one in front of us or behind us. Each row on that side, and I assume it is the same on the right side, had a low wooden counter attached to the backside of each row of seats. That meant we had a small table in front of us upon which to sit our beers and popcorn. I was also able to leave my purse there, instead of having to sit it in the seat with me or put it in the seat next to me. This saved me from fishing it out of the crack or off the floor when the movie was over. The center section did not appear to have this feature. I did notice a small table at the end of each row, but that would only be helpful for the person sitting on the end. I highly recommend the seats with a bar!

Ed and I switched our seats twice after sitting for a few minutes, until we found the best choice of seats, along with our cushion. Once settled in, we were able to thoroughly enjoy the movie and were not uncomfortable for four previews and the feature film that ran for two hours and six minutes.

During the film, Jim keeps the popcorn popping and you can return back to the concession stand to “belly up to the bar” (his words!) and order drinks, snacks and pizza. He has a rather large wine and beer selection, including beers on tap, as well as in bottles. There were literally so many things to choose from, I had my McDonald’s menu gaze going as my head continued to span the menu, hoping something would jump out at me. There is no shortage of options at the Elm!

The spirit of the old-time movie theater as the center of your evening out will stay with you long after you leave the Elm and return to times more hurried, modern and expensive. Ed & I could not stop talking about the beauty of the place and what Jim is giving people who choose to be entertained there. There was a hominess, a genuineness and a peacefulness that you don’t feel in IMAX. It may be old, it may be run-down, and it may not have first-run shows, but it is certainly worth every cash penny you spend there. We will be sure to return!