Movie Theater, Movie, Popcorn, Film Industry, Projection Screen
Philosophy, Drinks, and Film Come Together in Lancaster
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Asia Tabb
Movie Theater, Movie, Popcorn, Film Industry, Projection Screen
AIRED; September 4, 2025
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At Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse in downtown Lancaster, community members gather once a month to watch films, sip cocktails, and dive into deep conversations. The series, Philosophy | Drinks | Film—known as PDF—is curated by Dennis M. Weiss, who started the program in 2019.
“PDF is a monthly series which is curated by me and hosted by Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse,” Weiss explained. “It’s a great environment for food, for drinks, and for cinema. About five years ago, I teamed up with the owners there to start this series that features philosophical film, specialty cocktails, and lots of community conversation.”
Weiss said the idea connects to philosophy’s roots. “If you go all the way back to the early parts of philosophy, philosophers in Greece used to get together and drink while having philosophical conversations. The alcohol is a little bit of a social lubricant in that regard,” he said. Pairing that history with Zoetropolis’s unique setting—a distillery, restaurant, and independent cinema—seemed like the perfect fit.
The first film, screened in July 2019, was Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, a story about artificial intelligence and ethics. Since then, Weiss has seen the series steadily grow. “We’ve seen participation increase. We’ve also seen regular attendees, people who come back every month and look forward to having the opportunity to have those conversations,” he said. “The attendees begin to create a sense of community. They see the same faces month after month. They’re having conversations before the film, after the film—even as I leave the theater.”
That community feel is central to what makes PDF different. Zoetropolis itself, Weiss said, offers a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere: “The theater is kind of funky. They have chairs, easy chairs, couches, little café tables. So it’s definitely an independent art house cinema. It’s very relaxed, it’s very casual.” Each night begins with a short introduction by Weiss, a film screening, and then an open discussion where audience members share thoughts, questions, and insights.
Weiss believes film is especially powerful at sparking reflection. “Film, like philosophy, is really interested in big questions, in being thought-provoking, in challenging us, in forcing us sometimes to confront things that we might not otherwise confront,” he said. “It provides us an avenue to work through those ideas and to ponder them—and it does it in an entertaining way.”
The rise of streaming makes the communal aspect even more valuable. “Streaming services have really kind of eroded that community theater experience,” Weiss said. “When we watch a movie alone, it often leaves us with questions—but we don’t have anyone to talk with about those questions. What makes this different is that social community aspect, that sense that watching a movie is a communal experience.”
Philosophy | Drinks | Film continues on the third Thursday of each month at Zoetropolis, offering Lancaster residents a chance to enjoy good films, good drinks, and good conversation—all while exploring life’s biggest questions together.
