Paramount Theatre
The Paramount is located downtown. It's primarily a venue for live performances, but shows movies during film festivals, red-carpet premieres, and the theater's annual Summer Classic Movie Series.
During film festivals and gala screenings, lines for the films form outside the theater and wrap in both directions down Congress. The lines often look deceptively long -- just because a line is stretched around the block and halfway down the next street doesn't mean you won't get in. The balcony may not be open during movies that aren't expected to draw a big audience.
If you're carrying your own water bottle, stow it in your car/hotel or conceal it in a backpack or purse before you get to the theater entrance. The ushers take pains to ensure that no outside food or drinks enter the theater, although they won't check inside bags and purses.
Pros: The theater is so large that it's not difficult to gain admission to most film-festival movies here, even if you're not a badgeholder. This is the best venue for celebrity spotting and perhaps a red carpet or two. And let's face it, it's a beautiful theater.
Cons: The seats are narrow and close together, and you may feel a little too friendly with your neighbors. You are not supposed to shoot video in the Paramount at any time -- the ushers keep an eye out for this -- and depending on the event, you may not be allowed to take still photos either.
Best/worst seating: Avoid the box seats. The boxes also may partially block your view if you're sitting far left or right on the lower level. Some short people claim the best view is from the middle of the very last row of the orchestra/mezzanine level. Balcony seats have cramped legroom but offer good visibility if you're short. However, avoid the front row of the balcony; your view will be impeded by a big iron bar.
Screens and Capacity: The Paramount is a single-screen theater that seats nearly 1200 people (okay, 1199 to be precise). For screenings that draw a smaller crowd, the ushers may try to fit everyone in the lower level and not open the balcony area.
Parking: No Paramount-specific parking. You can park in nearby garages or, on weekends and after 5:30 on weekdays, on the street in metered spots. Parking at St. David's garage (E. 7th) is reasonably priced if you want to avoid the hassle of finding a spot on the street, although their rates often increase during special events (like the music portion of SXSW, or some weekend nights).
Bus routes: All downtown routes. You can take the #3 to easily get to/from the theater (or nearby at 7th and Colorado) to Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar.
Distance: You can walk to Alamo Ritz or the Hideout, to Austin Convention Center, and many downtown hotels, bars and restaurants. Alamo on South Lamar is too far for a walk; grab a cab or find a ride. A cab stand is located on the southbound side of Congress and Sixth, a couple of blocks from the Paramount.
On-site food and beverages: You can buy bottled water, soft drinks, and beer and wine. Food is limited to popcorn and candy.
Nearby dining options: Jette likes Roaring Fork in the Stephen F. Austin hotel next door, which offers weekday happy-hour food specials at the bar, and the Driskill's 1886 Cafe and Bakery, which has some reasonably priced items before 5 pm like soup and salad, and very filling breakfasts. Silhouette, across the street, has happy hour sushi. Sadly, most nearby fast-food places are closed at night (except Pita Pit and Jimmy John's) and even on Sundays.
If you're looking for a pre-movie cocktail, try the second floor of the Stephen F. Austin and sit out on the balcony, which is perfect for people-watching.
And our favorite place for grabbing a bite on the run before downtown movies is the excellent Royal Blue Grocery, less than a block down Congress (toward 6th) from the Paramount. I would never admit to or encourage anyone to pick up some quiet, non-smelly salad from the deli section and sneak it into a Paramount movie for a meal between movies (and if you do it, don't sneak it back out of your bag until the theater is dark and the ushers are not nearby).
Wireless: Walk a block toward Sixth Street to The Hideout.