Was there earlier this week for the Ryerson's Documentary Media Festival.
First and foremost, I was a fan of the old Bloor Cinema, if only because I like to support my local cinema. It was great due to its history, inexpensive and generally off the wall movie selections, like documentaries, classics and foreign films. Just like the Carlton, except with just one screen and bigger... okay so not so alike at all. But still an enjoyable night out.
Then HotDocs bought them and closed it down for renovations for about 3-4 months. That kind of sucked specially if you had a membership which I had for a few years. But no worries, the Bloor Cinema has reopened and I am happy to report the renovations are quite worth it!
The old, charming but creaky seats have been replaced with larger, more comfortable bum-cushions. There is a new paint show throughout and they have demolish a wall right through to the front so you can see right into the theatre when you walk in. Cool.
The second floor remains almost the same as before with a few posters showing the history and the shots of the renovation.
I am happy to see the Bloor Cinema was given a breath of fresh air although there are a lot of remnants of the old if you know what to look for but still, a worth addition to the Annex and still a enjoyable night out.
One of my favourite real cinemas in Toronto.