The Milwaukee Film Festival announced this week that the return of in-person screenings would also come with the long-awaited return of the Times Cinema. But it turns out you won't have to wait all the way until April 22 to enjoy one of the best neighborhood theaters in the city.
According to the newly-changed marquee outside the Times, found at 5906 W. Vliet St., the lovely one-screen theater will reopen to the public on Friday, April 8 – complete with a new programming approach.
"The new format will be to feature a repertory approach to programming which will feature all previously released films," said owner Lee Barczak. "These will run based on themes or specific genres as well as simply when certain films become available."
The reopening will mark the Times Cinema's first screenings since March of 2020. The theater shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and since then remained closed – that is, until next month. As for its fellow Neighborhood Theater Group locations, the Avalon in Bay View reopened in September of 2020 while the Rosebud has stayed dark, with no reopening date currently announced. The marquee there, however, does say the theater is hiring, suggesting it could soon reopen.
Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more updates – and we'll see you back at the movies at the Times!
Bobby Tanzilo contributed to this report.
As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.
When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.
