I've seen several movie theaters in my area close in the last ten years. Though it's too soon to declare the death of cinema as a social phenomenon, it's also difficult to be optimistic about the future of movie-going.
When I learned back in '15 that my favorite multiplex was to close in January 2016, I was devastated but hardly surprised. A couple of years ago, a fellow cinephile, who also frequents the same multiplex, shared my forebodings about its imminent closing though we hardly expected it to happen so soon.
I realize its seems unseemly to mourn a multiplex, which have always been a symbol of Hollywood crassness but I've seen many great films at said multiplex--most recently The Revenant.
So on Monday, January 18th, 2016, one of favorite theaters will close its doors to make room for a forthcoming Audi dealership because the world needs more space for over-priced machines that help pollute the atmosphere. The theater chain's sister venue, which resides a couple of miles down the street, will remain open. Driving to that theater, past what is soon to be Audi-land will mean seeing the ghost that was once a cinephile's refuge. Other than a cinema art house where I spend the other half of my movie time, it's safe to say I've seen more movies at said multiplex than any theater in my life. That's fairly significant, considering a typical movie-going year for me consists of 250 films, more or less.
No, the multiplex stuff was not all bad, as most multiplex fare tends to be. The first time I saw Gone With the Wind was at this multiplex. I was also part of many test-audiences there; one film being Notting Hill, which I really like. I also saw the re-release of The Exorcist and on a more tragic note, the last crappy Star Wars Trilogy. I first saw Election and Rushmore; two films I now own on DVD, on those screens and can remember many others. No matter the quality of the selections, the theater's spacious lobby always seemed warm and welcoming.
But those experiences will be consigned to distant memories in a few days time. If I sound sentimental, it's because I am. As a great Kurt Vonnegut character was wont to say...and so it goes.
With the closing of this Showcase Cinema theater, the number of movie houses that have shut down in my area comes to four in the last decade. I find that sobering fact to be quite troubling.
As T.V. screens assume wall-sized proportions and binge watching becomes the dominant form of entertainment, movie-going is slowly/rapidly becoming a quaint pastime. There's no stopping that. For now, all I can do is lament the demise of a place I really liked for twenty years. The lesson to be gleaned from the closing is that one should never trust in permanence.
So goodbye, good ol' multiplex; I'll not see the likes of you again.
But if Audis' are your thing, I can tell you where to go to find one...and I can suggest another place you can go.
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