Entry No. 13 — the Boston file — filed under: midnight-movie
Coolidge After Midnite (Coolidge Corner Theatre)
Inside a 1933 Art Deco movie palace built out of a former Universalist church, the Coolidge runs 'late-night programming for cinephile insomniacs' — horrifying, camp, avant-garde and cult films, often screened from actual 35mm prints, kicking off at 11:59pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
The story
Before it was a temple for late-night cult cinema, 290 Harvard Street was a house of worship. Built in 1906 as the Beacon Universalist Church, the building was gutted and reborn in December 1933 at the height of the Great Depression as Brookline’s first movie palace—a grand Art Deco theater complete with neon accents and a soaring auditorium. When suburban multiplexes and home video nearly killed single-screen art houses in the late 1980s, developers moved in to demolish it. A fierce grassroots movement step in, forming the non-profit foundation that kept the screen glowing.
The After Midnite series—stewarded by longtime program director Mark Anastasio—is the theater's darkest and most obsessive ritual. Every Friday and Saturday night when the clock hits 11:59 PM, the Coolidge hands its main screens over to cinephile insomniacs. Rather than running modern digital reissues, the series aggressively tracks down original 35mm prints, unearthing forgotten 1970s and 80s slashers, camp masterworks, and avant-garde nightmares. On select nights, they run 'Wicked VHS' screenings where the magnetic tape title remains a complete secret until the house lights fade and the static crackles on screen.
What it's like
Arriving under the massive neon marquee around 11:30 PM, you'll join a mix of horror hounds, film archivists, and late-night strollers queuing up in the Art Deco lobby. Grab a local craft beer or wine at the concession counter alongside standard popcorn before filing into the red velvet seats of the main house. The crowd is rowdy in the best way—cheering for original 35mm reel changeovers, howling at retro pre-show trailers, and shouting back at cult scripts—yet genuinely attentive once the feature gets rolling. Tickets for popular 35mm runs and mystery VHS nights frequently sell out online, so buying at the box office right at midnight is a gamble you'll lose.
The move: Grab 11:59pm tickets to whatever's running — a 35mm print of The Room, a secret 'Wicked VHS' slasher tape whose title isn't revealed until the lights go down, or a Sleepaway Camp double feature — then hash it out over late-night food in Coolidge Corner afterward.
- 📍 Brookline (Coolidge Corner)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 290 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Ritual Arts — Browse incense, crystals, and metaphysical supplies in nearby Allston before heading down Harvard Street for an 11:59 PM horror screening.
- Warren Anatomical Museum — Pair an afternoon examining 19th-century medical and pathological specimens with a late-night double feature of body horror.
- Roxy's Arcade — Spend the early evening playing classic arcade cabinets hidden behind a freezer door in Central Square before crossing the river for midnight 35mm celluloid.
- Judson B. Coit Observatory (Boston University Public Open Nights) — Stargaze from a roof deck teaching observatory atop a BU tower before ducking into the dark Art Deco auditorium at midnight.
Good to know
When do the midnight movies take place?
After Midnite screenings kick off every Friday and Saturday night at 11:59 PM.
What kind of films are screened?
Expect a mix of horror, camp, cult classics, 70s and 80s slashers, avant-garde cinema, 35mm print revivals, and secret 'Wicked VHS' tapes.
Can you buy alcohol and food at the theater?
Yes. The concession stand serves craft beer and wine in addition to classic movie snacks.
Where is the Coolidge Corner Theatre located?
The theater sits at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline's Coolidge Corner, right along the MBTA C Line.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · vanyaland.com · Wikipedia · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-20