Best Independent Movie Theater 2014 | FilmBar | People & Places | Phoenix
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Best Independent Movie Theater

FilmBar

For FilmBar, it's all in the name. You've got your movies. You've got a bar. But the specific selections are what keep us coming back to the indie theater — with craft beers and a slate of films programmed by Valley cinema mainstay Andrea Beesley. This year, the indie theater got in on the World Cup action, continued to spotlight Arizona filmmakers with a monthly showcase of local, original flicks, and movie screening series with themes like teen flick and summertime superhero. And all that's in addition to supplying downtown with nightlife action by way of local DJs spinning on the weekly.

Best Budget Movie Theater

Pollack Tempe Cinemas

If you don't mind missing opening night, take pride in being a cheapskate, and can appreciate (a lot of) movie kitsch, Pollack Tempe Cinemas is for you. It's owned by real estate mogul Michael Pollack, whom you'll spot in pictures hanging throughout the lobby, alongside life-size statues of movie stars. Also of note: The theater now accepts credit cards and recently updated its chairs and AV setup with digital projectors and sound systems. Purists needn't worry that the East Valley moviehouse has lost its charm, though. You'll still get plenty of weird along with that Good & Plenty.

Best Luxury Movie Theater

AMC Esplanade 14

Dinner and a movie? More like dinner in the movie. For those who'd rather save time, not chat with their movie companion, or need to see it to believe it, AMC Esplanade 14 is the place. Reserve your seats online. Settle into your leather recliner. And press a button to order whatever eats you like. Of course, bottomless popcorn, candy, and soda are available. But when you can order a margarita and a plate of roasted veggie quesadillas, what on earth is stopping you? Certainly not the direct delivery of said margarita to you.

Best Cult Movie Series

Cult Classics at Pollack Tempe Cinemas

Blockbusters are boring. Rom-coms are cliche. And don't even get us started on what stands for comedy nowadays. Fortunately, the finer films of yesteryear are staying alive and well on Tempe Pollack's big screen, thanks to Zia Record Exchange metro Phoenix movie buffs Cult Classics. Operated by Victor Moreno, Alison Brandt, and Saul Moreno, with the help of Adam Lazlo and Ann J. Braton, Cult Classics delivers monthly showings of some of cinema's finest and most far-out films including Ghostbuster, Gremlins, The Shining, Edward Scissorhands, Blade Runner, and The Princess Bride. Taking your nightly Netflix viewing to new heights, Cult Classics offers compelling reasons to get off the couch and into the audience with interactive games and movie-based swag such as commemorative art prints and T-shirts. Don't you think it's time to step outside the Redbox and experience the real deal with real fans?

Best Place to Spot a Celebrity

Gainey Village Health Club

Members of the Village Gainey Health Club and Spa in Scottsdale are accustomed to doing double takes while they do double time on the elliptical machine. That's because the high-end, high-class gym gets its fair share of A-list members. At this recreation center for the rich, it's not unusual to see professional athletes, both current and former, playing a pick-up game of basketball either offseason or out of rehab. Or perhaps aspiring models, actresses, and adult porn stars practicing pilates with their personal trainer is more your thing. Regardless, you'll find them all— the real deal and their plastic doppelgangers — at the place where Scottsdale socialites go to see and be seen breaking into a strategically staged sweat.

Best People Watching

Arizona State Fair

When the Ferris wheel starts turning and the food starts frying, Phoenix fair-goers find themselves abuzz with talk of the most ridiculous rides, the craziest confection concoctions, and the lineup of slightly less than A-list musical acts. But truth be told, our favorite attraction at the Arizona State Fair just so happens to be the cheapest: admission. One ticket into the fairgrounds guarantees hours of top-notch people-watching. From teardrop-tattooed gangsters holding giant stuffed teddy bears and tethered adolescents being toted along by their parents to grim carnival workers blowing bubbles and scantily clad ladies chowing down on cotton candy, there is no event more eclectic than the annual Arizona State Fair.

Best Bathroom

He/She bathroom at AZ88

Allison Young

Attention, ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between. It's high time we came out of the water closet. The world is not black and white, and a lot more happens in a restaurant bathroom than just number one or number two. Perhaps no one knew this better than the late Scottsdale designer Janis Leonard, who designed the He/She bathroom at AZ88. Take a step inside this transgender commode and you'll find yourself surrounded by mirrored panels, strange music, and a montage of miniature movie screens depicting everything from sound hygiene procedures to softcore pornography. It's discotheque meets toilet and totally worth a trip (or two) away from the table.

Best Literary Journal

Four Chambers Press

It's tough to pinpoint the heart of Phoenix's independent literary scene, but Four Chambers just might be it. The journal, released twice a year, collects works of fiction including locally produced poems and short stories, with the goal of creating a stronger network of culturally conscious locals by building up a community — hence the name. Founded by Jake Friedman, who's spent time working with Hayden's Ferry Review and Central Phoenix Writing Workshop, the publication awards cash prizes to authors and features illustrations. Past editions have included works by Shawnte Orion, Natasha Murdock, and Allyson Boggess along with art from Isaac Caruso, Ashley Macias, and James B. Hunt. And we're eagerly anticipating issue three, set for release in March 2015.

Best Spoken-Word Series

Lit Lounge at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Local arts dynamo Tania Katan launched this spoken-word series in 2012, and it — fueled by local talent and Katan's actor pals in Los Angeles — was an overnight success. Sometimes humorous, often touching, and always entertaining, this hour-plus of live readings from people such as actress Kim Porter and playwright Michael Grady and live music from local fave bands like The Pübes quickly became a go-to cultural event. High points this past year included actress Linda Dearmond's emotional tale of her son's suicide; Porter's hilarious piece about meeting a stranger who'd just chopped off his own finger; and Katan's own story about the time she almost became famous. Around here, Katan is famous for bringing us the best spoken-word series the Valley has ever seen. Full disclosure: New Times is lucky to be partnering with SMoCA and Katan to bring the city a special "Tales of the City" Best of Phoenix edition of Lit Lounge.

Best Place to Be Seen

Phoenix Art Museum on First Friday

In-the-know art fans and schmoozers alike drop in between 5 and 10 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, not only to cruise Phoenix Art Museum's current exhibitions and ogle its permanent collection for free, but also to see and be seen among like-minded creatives. Even those who've already seen the latest that PAM has to offer stop by to rub elbows, and maybe to pick up a free Artlink map of that night's gallery offerings out in the world. Culture vultures and art-scene newbies eye one another in the company of collectors and art historians, and everyone looks smarter and hipper doing it, because they're in a museum. Check it out — and prepare to be checked out, in return.

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