Budapest tips by locals | Spotted by Locals city guide » Cinema

Örökmozgó – Lots of old and rare movies

Kálmán Faragó — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:29:08 +0000

Image by Kalman Farago

Örökmozgó is a small cinema specializing in both old movies – some from the twenties or thirties, some more recent -, and more recent, artistic ones that you just can’t catch in the larger cinemas.

Besides having a very interesting selection, Örökmozgó is also highly bilingual – almost everything is either subtitled or voiced-over in English. If you’re interested in old movies, and especially if you want to see some old Hungarian ones, Örökmozgó is where you want to be.

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Örökmozgó | Cinemas | Ticket from HUF 500
Erzsébet körút 39 | Central Pest | +3613422167
16:00 – 22:00 daily

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Kino – Coffee, culture

András Nagy — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:10:23 +0000

Image by András Nagy

Those speaking German would think of a cinema but when you get there all you see is a cafe. A really nice one but where are the films? Hidden in the back of course because Kino is not a multiplex cinema in a fancy mall showing the latest blockbusters, it rather guards the fire of art movie culture.

The design elements of the cafe leave no doubt about the connection to the movie world. Until the screening starts in the afternoon, the cafe serves the guests with breakfast, sandwiches, newspapers and a wide selection of drinks. Anyhow, there’s a lack of places in Budapest where you can have proper breakfast, I mean omelets, muesli or fresh sandwiches like here.

Why not come an hour earlier before your film begins and stay afterwards? The two functions of Kino are totally integrated creating one cultural space where you can have a Kino-coffee, watch a movie and discuss the experience with others. No restrictions apply for other arts, theatre plays are also on the menu.

One more thing for the cinema: Wednesdays offer a discounted price of 700 HUF.

Some more photos here.

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Kino | Bars, Cinemas | Cinema ticket HUF 1200
Szent István krt. 16 | Outer Pest | +3619506846
08:00 – 00:00 daily

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Szikra – Open-air theater in the city center

Eszter Szilva — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:08:02 +0000

Image by Szilva Eszter

Facades of classic cinemas with their black letters and neon commercials always impress me. The entrance of Szikra Cool Tour House opposite Nyugati station is one of these spots. The name of this complex institution is a Hunglish word pun: kultúrház (yes, to be pronounced Cool Tour House) means cultural center especially since the early socialist era where different events were organized from official celebrations to concerts of local choirs. Szikra’s programs are just as diverse.

Built in the 1920s, Szikra functioned as a cinema until the end of the 1990s. Its main sensation is the roof of its theatre room which can be opened and closed thanks to a clever machinery. When I was there last time at a Pecha Kucha night, the audience gathering to listen to designers and architects was just as amazed by discovering the starry night above their heads as cinema goers of the 1920s could have been. There’s something magical about sitting in a traditional theatre and watching the sky framed by golden stuccos.

Szikra admittedly goes against Budapest’s famous ruin bar trend by evoking a cabaret milieu. The ornate and shiny decors and the posh bar go perfectly with the atmosphere of the theatre. The program ranges from mainstream to alternative, from jazz concerts to independent theatre performances or DJ sets. The building houses a bar and bistro which you can reach from the street from as early as 8 o’clock in the morning. The snacks and drinks keep you sated until the show begins.

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Szikra | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Music, Snacks, Theaters | Espresso HUF 250
Budapest, 1066, Teréz krt. 62. | Central Pest | +3619110911
Sun – Tue 10:00 – 02:00, Wed – Thu 10:00 – 04:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 06:00