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Last week, we asked you to nominate the best Portland area movie theaters for our Readers Choice Awards, and an obvious theme emerged. The list of finalists doesn’t include any new luxury theaters. Our readers prefer to watch the big screens in smaller, neighborhood theaters with a lot of history. You can vote for your favorite once a day until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at this link or at the bottom of this article. We’ll announce the winner later that week at oregonlive.com/readers-choice. 99W Drive-In Theatre More than 70 years old, the 99W Drive-In is on the National Register of Historic Places as an exemplar of midcentury car culture and a vanishing mode of movie-watching. Typically open March-December, the drive-in is showing a double feature of “Twilight” and “New Moon” this weekend, Nov. 14-16. 3110 Portland Road, Newberg; 99w.com Academy Theater Built in 1948 in the Montavilla neighborhood, the Academy Theater closed in the ′70s. In the 21st century, it underwent a full renovation focused on preserving the 1940s charm. Interior designer Stephanie Brown, who worked on the renovation, says on the theater’s website, “Our hope is that when people enter the lobby, they won’t just feel like they have stepped back in time, they will feel like they’ve actually stepped back into a gloriously colorful 1940s movie.” The theater shows first-run and classic movies. On Wednesdays, tickets are only $6.50. 7818 S.E. Stark St.; academytheaterpdx.com Readers choice awards Here are the best places to eat and drink in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards Here are the 5 best restaurants in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards Here are the 5 best food carts in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards Bagdad Theater When it opened in 1927, the Bagdad Theater was the largest movie house outside downtown. In 1991, it was sold to McMenamins and converted to a theater and pub. The theater is showing “Frankenstein” and “Wicked: For Good.” It also offers a tour a couple times a month focusing on the history and art of the theater. 3702 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.; mcmenamins.com/bagdad-theater-pub Cinema 21 This Northwest Portland theater celebrated its centennial in September. On its website, Cinema 21 describes itself as an “art movie theater” showing independent, foreign language, documentary and classic movies. Readers who nominated Cinema 21 love the variety of films, comfortable seats and “vintage vibes.” 616 N.W. 21st Ave.; cinema21.com CineMagic This single-screen theater that opened in 1914 as the Palm Theater is notable for its gold lamé curtain and beautiful neon marquee. On the first Friday of the month, CineMagic hosts a VHS night. The rest of the month, you can find both first-run and classic movies here. 2021 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.; thecinemagictheater.com Hollywood Theatre This 1926 Rococo theater first opened in Northeast Portland as a combination vaudeville and silent-film venue. In time, the surrounding neighborhood adopted the Hollywood name. The theater is now owned by the nonprofit Film Forever Northwest. You can stop by the David Lynch-themed Bar Hollywood next door for drinks and snacks before or after catching a movie. 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd.; hollywoodtheatre.org Joy Cinema and Pub Bought by Jeff “Punk Rock” Martin in 2012, this 450-seat Tigard theater features a landmark marquee and is one of the coolest reasons to head to the suburbs. It shows a mix of first-run and classic movies. Readers who nominated Joy Cinema love its vintage feel, and many have fond memories of it from childhood. 11959 S.W. Pacific Hwy., Tigard; thejoycinema.com Laurelhurst Theater and Pub This art deco theater opened in 1924 with a single screen and a large pipe organ. Later divided into four auditoriums, it shows first-run, independent and classic films. Several readers who nominated Laurelhurst are fans of the vegan pizza. 2735 E. Burnside St.; laurelhursttheater.com Moreland Theater This Moorish-style theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville acts and silent films. The single-screen theater shows first-run movies. With 625 seats, it’s one of Portland’s larger neighborhood theaters. It is currently showing “Bugonia” and begins playing “Wicked: For Good” Thursday, Nov. 20. On Tuesdays, tickets are only $5. 6712 S.E. Milwaukie Ave., morelandtheater.com St. John’s Twin Cinemas This North Portland theater opened as the Venetian in 1925, and it is reportedly home to a vaudeville ghost. It shows first-run movies and serves beer, wine and pizza. 8704 N. Lombard St.; stjohnscinema.com Vote here
