The Disappearance of Great Theatres

Having grown up in Saint Louis myself, I am pleased that I’ve had the Tivoli Theatre to appreciate while developing my love of film. Unfortunately, this is  almost all we  have.  We do have the fantastic Fox Theatre, but it no longer plays motion pictures. We do still have the Esquire and while it’s been renovated to maintain  much of its charm, it’s now run my AMC and only plays the mainstream movies you see in any AMC theatre. We have the Hi-Pointe, but it’s a single screen and has taken some beatings as it houses more rock concerts that it does movies. The truth is, movie theatres that have character and charm of their own are depressingly a dying part of our American culture. Few probably realize that Saint Louis has had over 100 movie theatres in the last 100 years. A few of these still exist as retail or office space, such as the Kirkwood Cinema,  or as performing arts halls, such as the American Theatre. Some of them are still  standing but vacant. Many more have been demolished. The current trend of building massive cavernous multiplexes with 10-20 screens makes me think of the age of the shopping mall (which I believe  are in  their dying phase, but that’s a whole other blog), or  more appropriately Wal-Mart.  When the historic shopping districts and main streets began to die, the town’s character began to die with them. I believe the same applies to movie theatres. Motion Pictures are an integral part of our American culture and to see them assimilated into the collective Borg of corporate enterprise means we’re allowing one of the few defining cultural heritages that we Americans can call our very own disappear. Now, I am not suggesting that the big multiplexes are without their place. I too am guilty of frequenting their awe-inspiring digital projection screens and THX digital surround sound systems. It’s fitting for the huge blockbuster sci-fi and action thrill rides that Hollywood develops. However, I also support my local movie theatres that play the indie, foreign and otherwise lesser-known films. In my opinion, these are the movies they’re meant to play. For those of you in Saint Louis, I ask that you join me in celebrating the theatre culture we still have by patronizing them as often as you can. Believe me, the multiplexes won’t feel a thing. For those of you outside Saint Louis, I also call upon you to support your own local theatres. I know they’re out there. I’ve traveled and been to several myself. If you’re unfamiliar with your town’s theatres, please spend a few minutes online  at Cinema Treasures to educate yourselves. I also recommend checking out Landmark Theatres, a company that has focused their business on supporting indie and foreign films, often adopting and renovating old movie theatres. I hope in reading this, you’ll find a renewed interest in movies, as  one movie geek  feels they’re intended.