River Oaks Theatre

Built in 1939 and designed with a beautifully ornate Art Deco interior, River Oaks Theatre specializes in showing independent, foreign language and art-house films. This movie palace evokes an era when going to the cinema was a dressy cultural event just one rung below attending the theater or the ballet, though the old wooden seats are a reminder that there have been some improvements since the good old days of cinema. There’s a café where you can sip a glass of wine before or after the movie and select from a full compliment of goodies that range from gourmet to traditional movie junk food. On Fridays and Saturdays there are usually midnight showings of cult classics with an enthusiastic, interactive rendition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show every year.

Check to see what's playing on the downstairs screen. It's a big, beautiful space. Avoid the two upstairs screens-- the cramped quarters were carved out of the balcony and share a common wall, so sometimes you can hear what's playing next door.