The Onyx Theatre — Local services in Nevada City

Great little community independent art house international features cinema that always has something good from the festival circuit and often one of the latest quality blockbusters (think: DUNE 2).

Excellent vibe, beer and wine, good snacks, decent seats, wide aisles. They love movies and it shows.

What could be improved? Their screens are traditional perforated acoustically transparent screens, just like just about every commercial movie theater in the world. But the size of their screening rooms (just barely over two dozen seats) means that you are (of course) pretty close to the screens, even if you are sitting towards the back of the theater.

That creates a great sense of immersion. The screen does NOT look small.

But it also means that the perforations in the screen are visible, especially in light colored images on the screen.

What's the solution? Well, hopefully when they remodel next they choose MICRO perforated screens. These are the same acoustically transparent style screens like they (and every other cinema) uses at present, but the holes are smaller (and there are more of them, to achieve the same acoustic result) so they are less visible.

This would be the biggest quality improvement they could add to the setup.

Sure, I would like more bass response, a little more subwoofer rumble. Sure, I would love a foot rest style / modest recliner style seat. Sure, a Dolby ATMOS sound system, or Dolby Vision projection system, would be very cool. But at the end of the day, the only DISTRACTING thing about the theater versus other local offerings is the size of the perforations in the screen.

Luckily this is something that can be changed for minimal price (in the context of theater renovations) so hopefully as they expand and grow and need to buy more screens, they will consider using mircoperf screen material for all their...

They serve alcohol so you have to be 21 to enter.

This theater has 2 screens, and the one we were in had 30 seats. It is clean and does not feel like it is worn by mass traffic. They specialize in indi or international films. The films offered are not always available at the bigger theaters.

What they offer at the concessions is pretty minimal. Canned soda and beer. Popcorn and about 4 boxed candies. At least the small popcorn is not huge, it is actually small. Prices are median.

The staff are friendly, and they come to the screen just before showtime to give a little speech. They offer blankets, which I have never encountered before.

There is parking in the front lot for about a dozen vehicles, additional parking out back for a few more.

A thoroughly enjoyable time and the movie was better than I had expected. I look forward to...

This is a tiny neighborhood movie theater that often shows unusual indie movies. There are two screens. The theater was recently remodelled and has comfortable spacious seating, excellent provisions for wheelchair seating, lovely clean restrooms, friendly staff, and delicious snacks, not to mention they serve alcohol too.

So why only four stars? You know it...cost. Ticket prices are $15, $12 for seniors. Prices for snacks slip my mind, but popcorn and two glasses of wine is about as much as two tickets. Fun way to go to the movies though!

I generally go to the matinee and skip the wine. It's a great little theater, and you've got to have fun, right?

Edited to add:. So sorry, I got the prices wrong! I believe they are $9.50 and $8.50 senior. Funny how memory plays trucks, and glad to...