Hundreds of guests crowd into the lounge area of The Last Picture House, 325 E. Second St., Davenport, on Saturday night, Dec. 9, 2023, during grand opening events for the boutique cinema. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The Last Picture House movie theater in downtown Davenport is creating something special in the Quad Cities – a community for people who love movies. That’s the view of movie lover Jay Clark. The Rock Island man was among hundreds of people who attended grand opening and ribbon-cutting events Saturday night, Dec. 9, for the […]
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The Last Picture House movie theater in downtown Davenport is creating something special in the Quad Cities – a community for people who love movies.That’s the view of movie lover Jay Clark. The Rock Island man was among hundreds of people who attended grand opening and ribbon-cutting events Saturday night, Dec. 9, for the boutique cinema and cocktail lounge at 325 E. Second St.
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Bryan Woods, left, and Scott Beck talk with movie-goers Saturday night, Dec. 9, 2023, at the opening of their new business, The Last Picture House, 325 E. Second St., Davenport. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday night, Dec. 9, 2023, commemorated the grand opening of The Last Picture House in downtown Davenport. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The Last Picture House, 325 E. Second St., Davenport, held its grand opening Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Downtown Davenport’s boutique movie theater and cocktail bar The Last Picture House has announced the grand opening of The Rooftop, an outdoor cinema and all-ages lounge which will be open to the public beginning Sunday, May 5. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Here is some of the seating in a theater.
Here are some of the movie posters on display.
Here is one of the posters on display.
“The sound is just amazing here. … There is a giant vacuum in the Quad Cities with the (Regal Moline) theater closing this summer. They’re building a movie community here,” he said.Members of that movie community got a good look at The Last Picture House Saturday night. The cinema is home to two state-of-the-art studios, a cocktail lounge, a collection of rare film art and props, a lot of movie posters, and a seasonal rooftop bar and outdoor screening space overlooking the historic Government Bridge, Mississippi River and downtown’s Motor Row District. The Last Picture House is owned by filmmakers and Bettendorf natives Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who are writers and creators of the hit movie “A Quiet Place.” (For more information about the filmmakers, visit here.)The two filmmakers put their own spin on the ribbon-cutting ceremony to help officially welcome the movie theater business. Instead of a traditional ribbon, the two used an old movie reel and clipped a film strip as part of the ceremony.In fact, almost every corner of The Last Picture House highlights the movie world. Some of those scenes include:
The front part of the business features several movie props that have been collected by Mr. Woods and Mr. Beck. Those include futuristic grenades and a gun prop used in the movie “Looper,” and a Victor Cine 16mm camera used in the 1920s and 1930s.
The lounge, which was crowded Saturday with hundreds of people, boasts a poster featuring the character “The Dude” from the movie “The Big Lebowski.” The poster states: “The Dude abides our lounge. Drinks and food for all ages, even if you don’t see a film.” The lounge usually opens 30 minutes before the first showtime of the day.
A series of spotlights lit up the skies outside the business on Saturday, giving downtown Davenport a bit of old Hollywood glamor.
Dozens of movie posters are featured in almost every corner of the business. Some of those posters are for movies like “The Straight Story,” “All That Heaven Allows” and, of course, “A Quiet Place.”
For the business owners, the many decorations and props are great, but it’s really all about the movies. And for Saturday’s opening, the big movie feature was the special advanced screening of the movie, “The Iron Claw.” Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Lily James, the movie is the true story of the Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.“This is a film that deserves to be seen,” said Mr. Woods. “People are going to be really moved by this story. It’s a tragic story.”He added that the Quad Citians are fortunate to get to see “The Iron Claw” at this time because it won’t be released nationally until Friday, Dec. 22.Movie lovers have actually been seeing movies at the downtown theater since the soft opening in late November of the 8,700-square-foot renovated downtown building.Since that time, Mr. Beck said employees at The Last Picture House have been listening to their customers’ comments and have already been making changes to please the customers. For instance, several people said they would like to see the documentary film “Stop Making Sense” about the musical group the Talking Heads. So, the business recently showed that film.“This has been such a surreal, beautiful dream come true,” said Mr. Beck, who added that they will continue listening to the customers and getting the films they want to see.One important aspect that many movie-goers like is that – unlike big-box movie theaters – the theaters are relatively small, creating a cozy experience for the audience. (“The Last Picture House was founded on the concept that the movie-going experience is best when shared,” according to the business website.)The theater has two screens – the larger has 150 seats. The other has 48 seats. (See a listing of the current movies being shown here.)“It’s a smaller theater and people are closer together, which is good,” said Mr. Clark, who joined in the festivities as a guest.Mr. Beck said he likes all the unique and fun features of the new business. As he puts it: “This isn’t your average cinema.”
