Watching a movie can be fun, but what if you could live inside of it? Swimming underwater like Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” fending off a killer “Scream”-style, or perhaps the most unlikely: looking down on a city from the roof of a skyscraper like a flying superhero.
Believe it or not, at Rooftop Cinema Club in downtown Fort Worth, that final scenario can become your reality. Located on the mezzanine terrace atop 235 Throckmorton St, the Rooftop Cinema screens movies daily (sometimes multiple!) from hundreds of feet in the air.
I went to the RCC for the second time on Tuesday, November 4, to watch one of my all-time favorite movies: “La La Land.” The movie was set to begin at 7:30 p.m., so I arrived around 7:15 and was happy to discover plenty of open seating–Adirondak chairs with pillows, to be exact.
The standard seating tickets cost $21 each, and the heated, double-wide loveseats cost $30, which includes a mug of hot chocolate. Visitors opting for the regular Adirondack can add a hot chocolate for just $3, and those who prefer the loveseat can add a souvenir blanket for an additional $10. All customers can purchase a blanket for $15 or bring their own.
Allow me to reiterate that last point in case anyone didn’t catch it: visitors can BRING THEIR OWN BLANKET. I know that the concept of using a blanket in Fort Worth may seem implausible, even inconceivable at times. But rest assured, if you visit this theater in the late fall-winter months, you will need one.
Once we purchased our tickets (we being my mom, grandma, and me), we received a pair of headphones on which the film’s audio was played. If anyone has an aversion towards headphones (not sure what this would be. BlueTooth intolerance? Plastic allergy perhaps? I’ll find out…), you can still listen to the movie from speakers underneath the screen–it just may be a bit harder to hear, especially if the bell on top of Fort Worth City Hall decides to ring about 47 times like it did during my viewing.
I purchased some popcorn, which came in a small-but-cute bucket for $3. The concession stand also had candy, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.
After shaking some complementary jalapeño jack cheese seasoning powder on my popcorn (Lie. That sounds awful.), I went to my seat. There is only one screen in the outdoor theater, so only one movie can be screened at a time.
I spent the next 128 minutes watching the work of art that is “La La Land” for the 72nd time and would absolutely return to watch it again. You may (or may not–no hate) have gathered that the cinema screens movies that aren’t currently in theaters, like “Interstellar,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Grease,” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” as well as seasonal movies on special occasions, like “Elf,” “Home Alone,” and a “The Office” holiday marathon this coming December.
Overall, my experience was a great one, and my headphones’ uncomfortably-loud volume was no match for my love of the “La La Land” music. I was terribly cold (my fault), and I finished the popcorn before the pre-film ads were over (Their fault! Not enough popcorn!), but my enjoyment outweighed these flaws, and I highly recommend venturing over to the Rooftop Cinema Club–whether in Fort Worth, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, San Diego, or London.
The Cinema periodically hosts special events, like a “Gilmore Girls” marathon, dog-friendly viewing of “The Grinch,” and celebratory silent disco for Taylor Swift’s birthday. They also host private group screenings upon request for parties of up to 200.
So, I advise you to bring $21, a blanket, and 199 friends to Rooftop Cinema Club Fort Worth for a fun and immersive movie-viewing experience.
