The Joy Cinema and Pub, formerly known as the Joy Theater, is a single-screen
repertory cinema located in
Tigard, Oregon.
History
The Joy Cinema and Pub originally went by the name Joy Theater,[1] and was established in 1939.[2] The Joy's specialty was second-run or offbeat movies, and was known for many years for being one of the only theaters in the
Portland Metro Area to play
Bollywood films.[3][1] In 2010, the theater was owned by Arif Amaani, a
Seattle-based businessman who also ran a theater that showed primarily
Indian films in Seattle.[4][5][6]
In 2012, The Joy Theater was sold to advertising agent Jeff "Punk Rock" Martin, who renamed it to the Joy Cinema and Pub, as well as remodeling the interior to fit the
kitsch aesthetic of its
art deco exterior façade.[1] The theater's programming was revamped to show a mix of
blockbusters, family films, and
cult cinema.
The theater also hosted weekly "Weird Wednesday" screenings, which were free, late night showings of films that were either in the
public domain or had a questionable legal status, such as
Nosferatu and
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.[2]
During the
COVID-19 Pandemic, the Joy Cinema and Pub was closed for one year,[7] and gained notoriety for selling fresh popcorn and concessions while
Washington County law dictated that the theater could not show movies.[8][9]
Programming
The theater alternates between
first-run, second-run, and repertory showings. In 2023, the Joy Cinema and Pub introduced a new "Midnight Movies" event, showing cult films at Midnight on Fridays.[10]