Only one NJ theater made this list of greatest cinemas in the world

As strong as Hollywood is, going to the movies is not just an American thing. It’s a beloved experience around the globe. Movie theaters seemed recession-proof in the Great Depression, as it was the one form of fairly inexpensive entertainment people could enjoy to forget hard times and get out of the house for a few hours.

The movie theater model has survived the pandemic as well as streaming and downloads, which for a while felt like a death sentence. Movie theaters have enjoyed a renaissance among young people and are more popular than ever before, according to TimeOut.com, which published a prestigious list of “the 100 greatest cinemas in the world right now.”

Their Top 100 dug deep and is very eclectic

Including a Berlin cinema with its own nuclear bunker and a small Canadian movie theater with only 12 seats. With such a wide net cast, it is impressive that even one New Jersey cinema made this discerning list.

Reported by Northjersey.com, only one New Jersey theater appears on this list, and it is The Bellevue Theatre in Montclair. It only recently reopened after closing in 2017 and sitting vacant for years. Vacant but active. Renovations happened thanks to Montclair Film, which meticulously restored its original architectural details.

The history of The Bellevue Theatre in Montclair

The historic cinema dates back to 1922, and the organization responsible for the Montclair Film Festival.

“has done the hard graft of reviving its original architectural details, including the wooden and plaster façades, and modernised its three screens with state-of-the-art projection and sound systems,” says TimeOut.com. “It’s a truly special local cinema.”

Read More: Snowy Films: The Best Movies To Enjoy On A Cold Day

You’ll find this gem at 260 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair.

Save a seat for local Stephen Colbert

The Bellevue ranked 94th on the list. Here’s an added fun fact on these rankings. We all miss the drive-in movies New Jersey used to be known for. (There’s only one remaining film-time drive-in left in the state, which is the Delsea in Vineland.) Well, our neighbor to the east, Pennsylvania, boasts the only drive-in movie theater to make this Top 100 list with Shankweiler’s. Opened in 1934, this Pennsylvania treasure is the country’s oldest drive-in movie theater. It ranked 97th on TimeOut.com’s list. You can read the entire list here.