More small cinemas
There was some reminiscing going on earlier this week about old cinemas in the city. I remember there being a handful, when I was a kid, before the huge multiscreens moved in. But there used to be loads, perhaps twenty at any one time.
The city is full of the old buildings. One was a theatre that started showing films in the 1890s. One doubled as a ballroom. Most were built in the 1910s or 1930s and there are many gorgeous art deco buildings. Now used as event spaces, conference centres, a care home, and in one case an undertakers. Many have been demolished.
The Fifties onwards started crunching the local suburban cinemas but well into the Nineties there were multiple cinemas. Then in 1995 the first 'multiplex' arrived. It has an art deco vibe, an homage that feels a bit more like a face-rubbing. The last dedicated Bollywood cinema hung on into the 2000s.
Now there's four. Right in the middle of town is the newest - for a couple of years there was no city centre cinema at all. One half a mile out. One in the out of town retail park, that first multiplex. And the arts cinema I've written about before, which moved locations but is still in town.
Would we be better served by lots of smaller cinemas? I can't help but feel we would. The economics obviously weren't working but it's arguable they aren't really working now either. Let's fantasise a little.
There's currently thirty-six screens, over four cinemas. In an area of over half a million people. What if they were more widespread. What about eighteen two-screens. What difference would that make? Ten two-screens and sixteen single screens?
Local cinemas people could walk or get the bus to. Catering to the market in a mile radius. One of our few cinemas is basically inaccessible by public transport. What if every neighbourhood had a cinema and you could stroll over at seven o'clock and see something. With your closer neighbours. I dunno, I kind of like that idea. Human scale, community-driven.
Also we could have specialisms. Currently only four of the city's screens are the 'arts' cinema and could be said to be specialised and not entirely blockbuster-led. We could have a kids cinema and an adults only cinema. Just because sometimes it's nice to go to a film and there not be kids screaming. Not for the X-rated stuff. Think how different the foyer could be then, that would be fun. You could have a 1930s bar or a plastic play pen.
Half the films at any of the multiplexes here are Bollywood films but we could resurrect the Bollywood cinema. Polly-, Tolly- and Lolly-woods almost certainly. Probably the city could stretch to a dedicated Nollywood cinema also. Perhaps the arts cinema wouldn't feel pressured to show blockbusters to survive. A cinema not doing current releases - all film festivals and theme nights.
There's definitely a value in being able to go to one place and see anything and everything. But there's also problems with trying to be all things to all people. I think there's something special about niche community spaces.
I'd recommend looking up old cinemas and theatres in your town. It's a fun little use of time.