Best Places: NH’s Best Small-Town Movie Theaters
These days fewer and fewer people remember paying less than 5 bucks, much less 10 cents, for a Saturday matinee on a rainy day. Nothing beats the comforting feel of coming in to a warm, inviting theater and buying some fresh, hot popcorn, sitting down anonymously and letting the outside world fall away while you watch an action movie, rom-com or a special viewing of “Casablanca.” Small-town theaters offer a cinematic escape for the fraction of the price. Here’s a few.
Nugget Theaters, Hanover
www.nugget-theaters.com
Imagine it’s 1916. The Nugget Theater in Hanover has opened to the public. You just paid 10 cents to watch the silent film “The Alien,” starring George Beban, a movie about a kidnapping, an accidental death, and a mysterious “sign of the rose.” Beban, a renowned director, writer and producer of the vaudeville age, was so popular that in 1921 he was lauded with a parade in Los Angeles. Fewer than 15 years after “The Alien,” the “talkies” arrived, and ticket prices soared to 35 cents. The Nugget’s timeline is full of treasured anecdotes that document the age of movies, one that’s constantly evolving. These days the Nugget Theater hosts newer movies, like “Dune Part 2” and “Kung Fu Panda 4.” Soak up that old-time movie feel at this historic theater.
Red River Theatres, Concord
www.redrivertheatres.org
Red River Theaters opened in 2007 with help from the community and a $1.8 million capital campaign. With just three screens, Red River Theatres packs a punch, and each theater offers something unique. Some seating can be removed to make way for workshops, receptions and art-related events. In 2013 it converted its 35 mm projectors with 2010 Christie Projectors with Dolby Digital Surround Sound. There’s also an upscale concessions stand, ADA-seating options, and plenty of parking.
The Strand, Dover
The Strand, Dover
www.thestranddover.com
Built in 1919 as a movie and vaudeville theater, the Strand was converted into a performing arts center in 2015. The Strand is one of 28 Strand Theaters built across the nation; Dover’s is one of just 11 still in use as a performing arts venue. Its a veteran-owned and operated 501c3 with a 1,152-square-foot multipurpose floor that can be filled with tables or used as a dance floor, and 190 movie theater seats remain. It still has some original metalwork, and a 20-foot-by-30-foot movie screen. Visit the Strand, get some really good popcorn in an old-fashioned movie theater lobby just steps from the sidewalk, and enjoy the show.
The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, Plymouth. Courtesy photo.
The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, Plymouth
www.flyingmonkeynh.com
Built in the 1920s as a silent movie theater, and formerly called “the New Plymouth Theater,” the Flying Monkey was known for featuring silent films on a grand stage. It later fell into disarray, but in 2010 the Common Man’s Alex Ray helped turn the building into a stellar venue. Today it hosts live events and film, standup comedy, children’s programming and community theater. See world-class musical acts here. Past performances have included the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jim Messina and Patty Griffin, and local acts like Recycled Percussion. During “Taco Tuesdays,” catch up with classic films as “Reservoir Dogs” and “The Big Lebowski” grace the stage.
