Popcorn, pop culture and pornography

Remember back in the 1940s when Baltimore was a booming harbor city, when North Avenue was one of the richest areas filled with giant stone row-houses and the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus had half as many buildings, and when there were over 100 movie theaters in Baltimore City alone? A lot has changed since then, in a bad way.

Today, there are exactly four working movie theaters in the city; the days of the Parkway and the Boulevard are over. But we can still work with what we've got. As an introduction for you incoming frosh, here's a list of Baltimore movie theaters and where to see what.

Let's start big --The Senator Theater. The Senator is located on York Avenue across from Staples and sports the biggest screen and seating capacity in all of Maryland. One of the few remnants from the old days, the Senator has been a functional theater since 1939 and has kept the grand look of theaters from that period. With 70mm capabilities and a massive sound system, any movie looks good on this screen. Just a heads up: Lawrence of Arabia will be playing for two weeks starting September 20. Over the course of the year they bring new movies that just have to be seen on the big screen (Apocalypse Now Redux, Attack of the Clones, etc.). And every now and then they'll have an older film that you always wished you could see on the big screen (Spartacus, Rules of the Game, Rear Window). You can check out their schedule at

http://www.senator.com.

Next up is the Charles Theater, located at 1711 N. Charles St., near Penn Station. With five screens and stadium-style seating in four of them, this is your best bet for independent and foreign films. Originally, the Charles was a single-screen theater showing only older films. After devastating financial losses, they moved next door, added some more screens and hit up the newer market.

The Charles also has special revival screenings on Saturdays at noon for five bucks. There are great classics every week. You can find film listings at

http://www.thecharles.com. The Charles is perfect for film buffs and fans of independent cinema.

The next two Baltimore theatres that should be on your list are The Apex and The Earle theaters. Both are classic landmarks, and both are porn theaters. The Apex, located on Broadway in Fells Point, is slightly more sterile and cold for my taste. The Earle is located on Belair Road and has a much warmer and cozier environment, better suited for your smutty needs.

Both theaters have two new skin flicks every week, and something tells me you won't need to check the listings. Thanks to these theaters, after a hard week of studying for Orgo or whatever, there is rest and relaxation just around the corner. You might even spot one of The Earle's regular patrons, independent film director John Waters.

Some of you may be wondering, "Where can I check out the new Vin Diesel movie?" There are other multiplexes outside of the city: Towson Commons, Loews White Marsh, and Egyptian Muvico (at Arundel Mills). That should probably cover it for any other movie you would want to see.

Now to cap this list is our very own Shriver Hall (run by students in Weekend Wonderflix). Yes, your local auditorium can transform into a movie theater with Dolby sound and 35mm capabilities. Weekend Wonderflix will be showing all your favorites from the summer like Spider-Man, Austin Powers, and XXX, as well as free sneak previews every now and then. Check them out at

http://www.jhu.edu/jhufilm, as their schedule is frequently updated.