The Brattle Theatre is a single-screen arthouse cinema in the heart of Harvard Square that has been running since 1890. It is one of the last surviving repertory cinemas in the country — a theatre that shows classic films, foreign films, and themed retrospectives rather than new releases. The programming is genuinely eclectic: a week of Kurosawa might follow a Howard Hawks retrospective, followed by a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Brattle helped launch the American cult for Humphrey Bogart in the 1950s, when it ran Casablanca so many times that students memorized the dialogue. It still uses a rear-projection system for some screenings. The theatre is nonprofit and depends on membership support, which means the community around it is engaged and knowledgeable. The small lobby has a good selection of film books and posters. Check the website for the monthly calendar.