An independently-owned and locally-operated gem of a movie house.
Cinema 21 is the kind of cozy theater that makes itself conveniently invisible, which is exactly what a good theater should do. Lost in the romance of some great old classic, or caught up in a thought-provoking art film, you're not likely to be distracted by your surroundings. Sure, this old theater has seen better days, but character wears well here: the seats are still comfortable, the popcorn nice and salty, and the crowd usually thick and lively.
With a diverse offering of films that usually aren't playing anywhere else in Portland, Cinema 21 won't send you away wishing they'd been showing somewhere else. On any given day you might see "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," "Apocolypse Now" or even a documentary on the life of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. It's always a great surprise.
