Tried to watch Waltzing with Bashir last night, and I it was bitterly frustrating. The film was in Hebrew with Czech subtitles, but the subtitiles were in light white/yellow and many of the backgrounds were white. Nobody could read the subtitles at all. Also, this place has become a whore for commercials, every bit as bad as Palace Cinemas, even to the point of showing beer commercials. I will give the place a couple of points for being clean, having clean bathrooms, a wonderful sound system that is not over blown and needlessly loud. I also liked the fact their underground bar is no smoking. Over all, it is ok, but by no means is it special.

You can't but love Svetozor, a great indie cinema in the very centre of Prague, just off of Vaclavske namesti. The cinema is run by true film enthusiasts and you can feel their enthusiasm everywhere - in the film choices, while reading their leaflets or watching their commercials... even the toilets are charming.

The cinema often hosts various festivals, ranging from Bergman to Bollywood- one of the best events being the annual European film marathon, enabling you to spend a night at the cinema.

There is also a little shop selling film posters, both old and new, as well as some T-shirts and DVDs; and a bar serving their unique Svetozor beer... I love them for not making the bar hip although the whole cinema has recently been renovated- I think they are still serving Mila, black tea and beer, just like the bars from the 80's. It always brings back nostalgic memories.

Aah - relief from the Multiplex!
Svetozor is a small "art house" cinema, meaning it shows current films that are a little more... experimental or non-commercial, but also the classics we know and love.

The atmosphere is great: relaxed and funky. The staff has, in my experience, been much nicer than their multiplex counterparts: those cranky, impersonal youths who sell you a ticket and then later glumly tear it in half.

The theatre is practically a club. Art openings and special events take place there, and the bar serves great fresh beer - which you may bring into the theatre - and lots of people seem to just hang out in the bar listening to tunes.

So the theatre itself is a little shabby, so what. And it has no air conditioning so look out in the summer time. The ventilation system leaves a lot to be desired as well, but hey, I smoke, so I don´t notice the air quality so much.

What matters most is this: ALL films are shown with English subtitles. So if there's a Czech film that seems interesting but you're waiting to get in on DVD so you can follow the script, you can see it here! All foreign films are shown with English subtitles, so it's a very expat-friendly place to catch a flick.

Another great thing is that it's right on Vaclavske Namesti, on Voiceover where the trams stop and the green line "A" goes. So get yourself on down there!