A buck.
You need three of 'em to make a round-trip on Metro, about five for a beer and several hundred to pay off the credit card. (Thanks a lot, Neiman Marcus.) But you only need one to get into Arlington Cinema 'N Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) on Mondays. Each week, $1 movie night comes to your (financial) rescue.
Never been? Just go hang your head in shame right now. The Cinema 'N Drafthouse is a landmark for any resident of the Commonwealth, located in an old Art Deco-style theater that would probably look more appropriate in Disney World than on a dreary strip of Columbia Pike.
You won't end up with any of that $12 stale popcorn coated in fake liquid butter (mmm, fake liquid butter … we just can't swear it off altogether). Instead, expect quesadillas, wraps, grilled salmon and desserts such as strawberry cheesecake and key lime pie. Three best words in the English language: "a la mode."
So pay your buck, find a few more for food, and select a painfully retro '70s leather chair. Servers will bring you the goods throughout the movie, and they do a decent job of taking orders without disrupting the movie.
Tonight it's James Bond flick "Quantum" at 7:30, followed by "Zack & Miri Make a Porno" starring Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks (pictured) at 9:50. Although we're not sure why you'd want to eat while watching the latter. Maybe just stick with the beer.
