After over 50 years, Seattle’s oldest-running movie house is saying goodbye to its University District home. The Grand Illusion Cinema will screen its final films at 1403 NE 50th Street on January 31st, 2025—not by choice, but due to new building ownership. The good news? The 100% volunteer-run nonprofit cinema isn’t closing for good. They’re planning to relocate and build an even grander Grand Illusion down the line.
📍 Grand Illusion Cinema: 1403 NE 50th St, Seattle (at University Way NE)
🎟️ General: $12 | Students/Seniors/Military: $9 | Members: $6
🚇 Near U District Station, multiple bus lines
⚡ Pro tip: They share the building with Arepas Venezuelan Kitchen—perfect for a pre-show meal
Here’s what to catch during their final December in this historic space:
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Friday, December 6th – Thursday, December 26th
For its 54th straight year, the Grand Illusion presents Frank Capra’s holiday classic on warm, 35mm film (save for a tiny handful of digital screenings when the 35mm projectionist can’t be there, noted on the Grand Illusion’s website). Originally a box office dud that fell into the public domain, this tale of George Bailey discovering the true meaning of community has become a staple of the holidays. My take: I’m not sure it’s Capra’s best film, but it’s certainly his most interesting; somehow an avowed Republican immigrant made one of the most socialist American movies of any era.
How to Support the Grand Illusion’s Next Chapter
🏛️ Attend these final screenings in their historic space
🎫 Consider a membership or gift certificate
☝️ Book a private rental while you can
🌐 Follow their social media for pop-up screening announcements
💵 Donate directly to their relocation fund
Holiday Horror Double Feature
Friday, December 6th – Tuesday, December 10th
The theater’s 20th anniversary as a nonprofit brings two sicko seasonal slashers:
Black Christmas (Saturday, December 7th – Tuesday, December 10th): Bob Clark’s 1974 sorority horror shows the work of the director who later gave us both Porky’s and A Christmas Story. That man’s got range.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (Friday, December 6th – Sunday, December 8th): A psychologically tormented maniac wreaks havoc in a Santa suit—kind of like The Santa Clause, only different.
The Third Man (1949)
Saturday, December 7th
A 75th-anniversary 4K restoration of Carol Reed’s masterpiece hits the screen for a special fundraising event ($25). This was Roger Ebert’s favorite film—and for good reason. The Joseph Cotton/Orson Welles noir makes perfect use of post-war Vienna, photographing a truly liminal space with gusto. Every cent of these higher-priced tickets goes directly to the theater’s relocation costs.
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Saturday, December 28th
Former GI employee Stephanie Kurtz Mascis presents this fundraiser screening of Brian De Palma’s phantasmagorical glam rock musical. This modernized mix of Phantom, Faust, and The Portrait of Dorian Gray follows humiliated composer Winslow Leach on his path of vengeance. This is in my top ten favorite movies of all time, and should you find yourself renting the DVD from Scarecrow Video, peep the sticker of who sponsored it. (Hint: me.)
Pro Tips
😷 Masks required for weekend screenings before 6 pm
⏰ Arrive 10 minutes before showtime (doors open 30 min early)
🎟️ Buy tickets online—they hold limited seats for door sales
🅿️ Street parking available but can be tricky; consider transit
❌ No ads or trailers—shows start promptly
Hundreds of Beavers (2024)
Thursday, December 5th – Sunday, December 8th
Back for its eighth and ninth(!) encore screenings, this DIY screwball action comedy just won’t stop. Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews’s creation plays like the unholiest alliance of Buster Keaton, Looney Tunes, and Cannibal! The Musical gags, as an applejack salesman faces off against—you guessed it—hundreds of beavers. Every showing at the Grand Illusion has sold out, so don’t wait on tickets.
