What the St. Louis cinema scene lacks in screen volume, it makes up for with character. The luxury of the Chase, the ornate majesty and scheduling ingenuity of the Tivoli, the stridently highfalutin art-house standards of Plaza Frontenac, the seamless milieu of old and new at the Esquire -- there is considerable virtue to behold and accolades to bestow around town. But none parallels the icy cool splendor of the 81-year-old Hi-Pointe Theatre. Basking in a blue glow of minimalist chic that extends from its lone screen to the meticulous urinals of the little cowboy's room upstairs, the Hi-Pointe doesn't overplay its cinematic hand. It just plays the hand it's dealt to the highest possible standards, providing a cinematic experience that comes as close as any other to meriting the inflated price of popcorn these days. And it certainly doesn't hurt that there's a charmingly shabby bar bearing the same name next door for the post-flick brain dump.