The Bookshelf

The Bookshelf We are an independent Bookstore, Cinema, Restaurant, and Bar in Guelph, Ontario. A bookstore that shows movies . A cinema that serves dinner .

A bar that launches books . Find us on twitter and instagram:

A piece of Bookshelf history. These covers from Off The Shelf offer a glimpse into life at The Bookshelf over the years....
08/17/2026

A piece of Bookshelf history. These covers from Off The Shelf offer a glimpse into life at The Bookshelf over the years. Film screenings, author events, live music, and of course, plenty of books.

Looking back, we’re reminded of how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

Do you remember picking up a copy of Off The Shelf?

We’ve got a pair of classic films gracing our screen this week!First up, our summer Spielberg series returns after a wee...
08/14/2026

We’ve got a pair of classic films gracing our screen this week!

First up, our summer Spielberg series returns after a week off with everybody’s favourite sci-fi movie of 1977: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND! We’ve got three shows booked:

Aug 14 | 5:30pm
Aug 16 | 4:30pm
Aug 18 | 5:30pm

And WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER hits the big screen once again for its 25th anniversary! We also have three shows booked:

Aug 14 | 8:45pm
Aug 15 | 8:30pm
Aug 18 | 8:45pm

Cinema opens 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available in the cinema before showtime.

08/12/2026

Steph brings us through some books that are actually worth the hype.

Which ones lived up to it for you?

08/09/2026

The Bookshelf has made its way to a few unexpected places over the years…

Barb takes us back to one of our favourite memories: The Bookshelf T-shirts travelling around the world, with the photos to prove it.

Your peak into The Bookshelf archives.

PRIMAVERA opens today in the cinema!Set in 18th-century Venice’s famous Ospedale della Pietà orphanage for girls, PRIMAV...
08/07/2026

PRIMAVERA opens today in the cinema!

Set in 18th-century Venice’s famous Ospedale della Pietà orphanage for girls, PRIMAVERA follows Cecilia, a gifted young violinist whose fiery spirit cannot be contained. Yearning to uncover her origins and chafing against the orphanage’s strict rules, she’s offered escape through an arranged marriage to a wealthy boss. But when a new composer—an unknown Antonio Vivaldi—arrives, everything changes. Their shared passion for music inspires Cecilia to risk scandal and defy convention in pursuit of freedom, PRIMAVERA is an emotionally rich period drama that blends beauty, rebellion, and the transformative power of music.

Aug 7 | 5:30pm
Aug 8 | 5:30pm
Aug 9 | 4:30pm
Aug 10 | 6:30pm
Aug 11 | 5:30pm
Aug 12 | 2:00pm
Aug 13 | 5:30pm

And GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY S*X PASS opens tomorrow (Aug. 8th) in the cinema!

Small town hairdresser Gail Daughtry is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom. Her life takes a turn when a trip to a book signing leads to Tom meeting – and sleeping – with his “celebrity pass”. Reeling from the betrayal, Gail impulsively joins her friend Otto on a trip to Los Angeles, where a psychic convinces Gail that the only way to save her marriage is to “even the scales” with her own celebrity pass: Jon Hamm. Thus begins an epic journey through Tinseltown as Gail and Otto join forces with a talent agency assistant, a paparazzo, and actor John Slattery, all in the search for Hamm. Along the way, they collide with celebrities and are hunted by a group of Italian assassins as they get ever closer to finding the elusive star.

Aug 8 | 8:30pm
Aug 11 | 8:30pm
Aug 13 | 8:30pm

Cinema opens 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available in the cinema before showtime.

The cinema’s August slate has been fleshed out a little more!Showtimes are now up for the previously-announced PRIMAVERA...
08/04/2026

The cinema’s August slate has been fleshed out a little more!

Showtimes are now up for the previously-announced PRIMAVERA, the historical music drama opening August 7th.

David Wain’s new comedy GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY S*X PASS, about one woman’s journey to pursue Jon Hamm, opens August 8th.

We will also be playing Wain’s beloved cult classic WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER starting August 14th, in honour of its 25th anniversary!

Meanwhile, our summer Spielberg series will continue with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND on August 14th, and JAWS on August 21st (showtimes TBA).

And continuing with the rep screenings: Damien Chazelle’s almost-Best Picture winner LA LA LAND will open on August 16th for a 10th anniversary re-release, and Akira Kurosawa’s classic SEVEN SAMURAI will play August 20th at 6:30pm. One night only!

All showtimes are currently up on our website.

And once again, stay tuned for showtimes for Matt Johnson’s Anthony Bourdain biopic TONY, opening August 28th.

Cinema opens 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available in the cinema before showtime.

The 12th anniversary re-release of BOYHOOD opens today!Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s BOYH...
08/01/2026

The 12th anniversary re-release of BOYHOOD opens today!

Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (a breakthrough performance by Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, BOYHOOD charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay’s Yellow to Arcade Fire’s Deep Blue. BOYHOOD is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. It’s impossible to watch Mason and his family without thinking about our own journey.

Our 12th anniversary re-release screenings will feature a post-film Q&A recorded in Austin, Texas a couple weeks ago at the premiere screening with Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane and Patricia Arquette.

Aug 1 | 4:30pm
Aug 2 | 4:30pm
Aug 3 | 6:30pm
Aug 6 | 6:30pm

Cinema opens 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available in the cinema before showtime.

Our summer Spielberg series continues this week with his 1982 kids’ adventure classic E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL! We’ve ...
07/31/2026

Our summer Spielberg series continues this week with his 1982 kids’ adventure classic E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL! We’ve got four shows booked:

July 31 | 5:30pm
Aug 1 | 1:30pm
Aug 2 | 1:30pm
Aug 4 | 5:30pm

Also gracing our screen this week is the indie horror hit of the year, OBSESSION! This one’s got five shows booked:

July 31 | 8:30pm
Aug 1 | 8:30pm
Aug 2 | 8:30pm
Aug 4 | 8:30pm
Aug 5 | 7:00pm

Cinema opens 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available in the cinema before showtime.

Looking for your next great read? Start with the books our staff can’t stop talking about 📚
07/31/2026

Looking for your next great read? Start with the books our staff can’t stop talking about 📚

Akira Kurosawa’s THRONE OF BLOOD plays tonight (July 30th) in the cinema at 7pm!Returning to their lord’s castle, samura...
07/30/2026

Akira Kurosawa’s THRONE OF BLOOD plays tonight (July 30th) in the cinema at 7pm!

Returning to their lord’s castle, samurai warriors Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit’s prophecy comes true, Washizu’s scheming wife, Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit’s prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa’s resetting of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

(In Japanese with subtitles.)

Cinema opens 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available in the cinema before showtime.

Address

41 Quebec Street
Guelph, ON
N1H2T1

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 11am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 11am - 6:30pm
Thursday 11am - 6:30pm
Friday 11am - 8:30pm
Saturday 11am - 8:30pm
Sunday 11am - 6:30pm

Telephone

519-821-3311

Website

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