The first moving picture, which depicted a horse running at full gallop, was quickly enhanced by the first special effects, which showed a horse exploding next to a 3-D spaceship. Enjoy advances in film with today's Groupon: for $9, you get one adult ticket, a bag of popcorn, and a beverage of your choice (up to a $19 total value) at Cable Car Cinema & Cafe on the East Side. This Groupon expires on December 31, 2010.

With a variety of foreign and independent talkies, Cable Car Cinema & Cafe entertains all who venture into its newly refurbished interior. Film fanatics can experience Tony Stone's Out Of Our Minds, a 28-minute exploration of mythology, music, and imagery as conceived by musician Melissa Auf der Maur (formerly of Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins). Beijing Taxi is a documentary that explores perceptions of the metamorphic Chinese capital from the points of view of three taxi drivers, and Total Badass portrays Austin's underground scene, counter-culturally interpreted by local deviant Chad Holt.

Many of the venue's films include post-screening Q&A sessions with directors, actors, or animated characters. Popcorn and a choice of beer or wine keep your mind out of your stomach and fully focused on the video screen, housed in a theater decorated with murals.

Must be 21 with valid ID to redeem for alcohol. Not valid for film festivals or special promotions.

Reviews

The Brown Daily Herald featured Cable Car Cinema & Cafe and its recent renovations. Yelpers give it a four-star average.

• The black leather couches at the renovated Cable Car Cinema offer the coziness of a living room back at home. But the murals on the right-hand wall - in one a red brick Providence building sinks deep into dreamy underwater blue - provide a touch of surrealism for a journey into the cinematic world. – Qian Yin, Brown Daily Herald
• I found the tiny theater size and the little black couches to be very charming (and excellent for date night!) – Bailiwick M., Yelp