Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse
Happy Friday, Explorers! Per usual, it’s Hannah here to share a Clintonville gem that is by no means new to our city but was new to us!
The Studio 35 movie theater has been the local neighborhood theater in Clintonville since 19. Although it started as just one of many theaters at the time, it soon became one of the last. Through the years, it passed through multiple owners, each trying to bring back the success of the small movie theater. At one point, they even screened adult films to cater to a different crowd than the downtown movie-goers.
HISTORY:
By the late 50s, Frank Marzetti owned the movie theater, although he leased it to someone else who ran the joint. In the 70s, The theater started to come into its own. Frank and his wife decided to spearhead the theater instead of leasing it, which made all the difference. Renamed Marzetti’s Studio 35, His wife suggested they think about a liquor license to compete with the industry’s big dogs, and they replaced adult films with indie ones. They eventually started getting movies from downtown after they stopped showing them. Being able to smoke and drink while watching a film was a massive draw for the theater, even landing them on the cover of the Wall Street Journal! The Marzetti’s made the theater a main staple in Clintonville once again. After the Marzetti’s passed off ownership to current owners, Eric and Rita, they continued the legacy. With significant renovations in 2012, they added a second screening room, pizza kitchen, and more! They still think of new ways to stay relevant with the downfall of theaters everywhere, and we were blown away.
VISITING:
Now, I am obsessed with easy parking. After living in the Short North for a while, street parking and I are not friends. Studio 35 is strictly street parking, and there isn’t much beside it; you may have to drive on some side streets to find a spot. However, everything else they offer outweighs this so much that Josh and I decided this will be our go-to theater from now on!!
Due to just two screening rooms, they only show a couple of movies at a time, with only 2-3 showings of each per day. Check out their website to see what they are showing and what is coming up soon! They still offer older and indie films, but they also carry movies that are still in the big box theaters too! You can buy tickets ahead or at the bar when you enter the building. The theater still boasts a full bar in addition to a new pizza kitchen! Whatever food or drinks you order can be taken into the theater to enjoy. With over 40 beers on tap, tons of spirits, and even non-alcoholic beverages, there is undoubtedly something for every person. Josh had to try out one of their curated cocktails for the movie we were seeing, Cocaine Bear. The new John Wick will inspire the next round of cocktails when it starts playing there!
The two auditoriums are outfitted with reclining, cushy chairs with a cupholder and occasional food tray! We were in the smaller auditorium that only fits roughly 30 people, but there is one that seats around 200 as well. My jaw dropped when I lowered myself into the chair, and the excitement was barely contained when I found that I could lie almost all the way down. At the 4:45 showing of Cocaine Bear, we were two of four people in the theater. By the time we left, the bar was full of people waiting for the next showing.
The screening rooms can also be reserved for a private viewing, party, or work event, but all pricing is subject to change due to the circumstances of the event!
UPCOMING EVENTS/SPECIALS:
They have some exciting specials at Studio 35. For example, for forty dollars, you can get a giant, refillable popcorn bucket that gets free refills for the entire YEAR. Needless to say, we scooped one up. Everything here is just slightly cheaper than most theaters, too!
Beer tastings are paired with movies at times, curated cocktail events, and even “movie festivals” that they have created!! Currently, they are doing a director’s cut of Quentin Tarantino Movies, showing one per month. Keep an eye out for their infamous dude-a-thon because of the owner’s love of The Big Lebowski.
