Entry No. 34 — the Minneapolis file — filed under: microcinema
Trylon Cinema
A volunteer-run, 90-seat microcinema that screens obscure 35mm archive prints, cult classics, and international genre films. It is famous among local cinephiles for its intimate atmosphere, rocking chairs, and annual all-night 'Horrorthon.'
The story
Tucked away on East 33rd Street in the Longfellow neighborhood, the Trylon Cinema operates on a simple premise that multiplexes abandoned long ago: film should feel like a physical, shared event, not a content dump. Operated under Take-Up Productions and run by volunteers, this 90-seat microcinema strips away commercial theater bloat in favor of archive prints, international genre cinema, and forgotten B-movies.
You won't find stadium seating or sticky carpet arcades here. Instead, the back wall houses a pair of true 35mm projectors sitting alongside digital rigs, throwing rare prints onto a modest 20-foot screen. Between deep-dive film retrospectives and their legendary, sleepless all-night Horrorthon, the Trylon acts as a quiet refuge for cinephiles who prefer the mechanical clatter and organic grain of physical celluloid over sterile stream queues.
What it's like
Stepping inside feels more like joining an insider film society than buying a ticket at a commercial chain. You'll grab a spot in one of the 90 rocker seats facing the 20-foot screen, where the room quickly fills with serious film nerds who actually stay quiet during the feature. Because capacity is capped strictly at 90, high-profile 35mm prints and cult screenings regularly sell out—book ahead online, then walk around the corner after the lights come up to debate the film's weirder plot points over drinks.
The move: Catch a rare 35mm screening of a forgotten B-movie, then walk around the corner to discuss the film's bizarre plot over late-night drinks.
- 📍 Longfellow
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2820 E 33rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55406
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- House of Balls — Follow up a surreal B-movie screening with a walk through Allen Christian's interactive, scrap-sculpture studio just two miles north.
- Little Tijuana — Pair a late-night cult film reel with playful cocktails and global street food down on Eat Street.
- Somali Museum of Minnesota — Combine an afternoon exploring traditional nomadic artifacts and hand-woven rugs with an evening screening of an archival 35mm print.
- Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center (CAFAC) — Spend the afternoon taking in heat-and-spark metal craft before settling into a rocker seat in front of the flickering projector.
Good to know
How many seats are in the cinema?
The Trylon is a microcinema with exactly 90 rocker seats facing a 20-foot screen.
Do they project on actual film, or is it all digital?
They run both digital projection and a dual setup of 35mm projectors specifically for rare archival prints.
Who operates the Trylon Cinema?
The cinema is a volunteer-run nonprofit space operated by Take-Up Productions.
What kind of movies do they screen?
The schedule focuses on cult classics, obscure 35mm archive prints, international genre films, and forgotten B-movies.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia · Facebook
last checked: 2026-07-21