Audiences have enjoyed movies in theaters for decades, but they were streamed and expensive. ticket prices influenced cinema habits. For independent theater owners and operators, survival means getting creative.
Kevin SmithThe creator of such cult classics as Clerks and Rats bought a movie theater in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, in 2022. This was the movie theater he went to when he was growing up. He renamed it Smodcastle Cinemas and hoped that even though it had been reeling from the Covid-19 shutdown, it could rekindle the magic he loved as a child.
“I learned more about myself sitting in that (theater) than I ever would have sitting in a classroom or sitting in a church or anything like that, and that led me into the rest of my life,” Smith said.
But the reality of running a movie theater was difficult, even for a celebrity like Smith. According to Smith, they operate as a non-profit organization because if they operated as a for-profit business, they would “die out.” Smith may invite celebrity guests to Q&A sessions and other events. The theater also hosts an annual film festival.
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“Saving the theater of my childhood with friends? It’s a dream come true, it’s the worst financial investment I’ve ever made in my life,” Smith said.
On the opposite bank, the movie store “Vidiots” brings new films for viewers for 40 years. When it opened in Santa Monica, Los Angeles in 1985, it operated as a traditional video store with an extensive and rare collection of films. In 2023, Vidiots moved to Eagle Rock and expanded into an exhibition space, revitalizing the historic Eagle Theater.
“We're open to uncertainty,” said executive director Maggie McKay. “We had no idea if people would come, and they did. And they've been coming ever since.”
McKay said Vidiots has become a touchstone for local children.
“One of the biggest and happiest surprises for us, and I think what I most wanted to see happen here, is for young people to come here,” she said. “Teenagers are brought by their parents. And because it's accessible, welcoming, open-minded, and safe, they come here all the time. We have kids growing up here who call the video store their video store. We have a child who calls it “my video store.” This kid has no idea that this is a unique thing to say in the 2020s.”
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Like Smodcastle, Vidiots operates as a non-profit organization. However, this is not the only path to success for such theaters, as the New York newspaper Metrograph proves. The two-screen theater on Manhattan's Lower East Side features international and arthouse cuisine and operates as a commercial establishment. Business is booming and the theater recently had its best summer ever, according to general manager Christian Grass.
“People love going to the movies, and people love the experience,” Grass said. The theater also houses a bookstore, a magazine, a streaming service, an extravagant shopping mall, and a swanky bar and restaurant. According to Metrograph programming director Inge de Leeuw, the establishment is focused on creating a sense of community that will ensure people keep coming back. McKay said she has also found that people are looking for connection, community and a place to go.
“Everyone wants movies in their life, whether they know it, realize it or not,” McKay said. “To save this thing, you have to make all the access points to it accessible. You have to go back to the social experience.”
Although independent theaters accept different paths to successthey have one thing in common: they want to continue introducing audiences to new and classic films.
“You want to learn something about someone, sit in the dark and watch movies with them,” Smith said. “You learn a lot about a person. You will know if they are sympathetic. You will find out what makes them laugh. You'll find out if there's a real person there, if there's a heart underneath it all, man.”
