Big movies, small movies, I love ‘em all. A lot of us have the home movie thing all laid out. Flat screen TV, surround sound audio, even Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater microwave popcorn. With instant movie gratification from Netflix, cable, I-Tunes, the choices are numerous. What more does a moviegoer need?
An old-fashioned theater. I have to admit I miss it. Sometimes you just want that audience around you, laughing, mumbling, giggling, gasping. The big, big screen, with big, big sound shaking the seats. You look through the movie listings at your local theater. Some great movies, but the the lists all look the same. Generic blockbuster movies fill screen after screen with the occasional chick flick or animated movie completing the schedule.
It pays to look a little deeper. Central New York has its share of independent theaters and movie houses, even the occasional film festival. A couple of local opportunities for film fare out of the ordinary are coming up this month.
The first involves one of my favorite entertainment venues, the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY. The Syracuse Cinephile Society is hosting their annual Cinefest 30 at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool on March 25, 26, 27 and 28. The fest itself includes screenings of rare 16mm films, dealers selling film-related items and this year includes an auction by renowned film critic Leonard Maltin. The fest also features a bus trip to a nearby historic theater for a screening of 35mm classics as an extra option and this year’s destination is the Rome Capitol Theatre on Saturday, March 27. For a $25 fee, you can spend the day watching original 35mm films you won’t see anywhere else, enjoy a box lunch and listen to some fine organ music on the Capitol’s restored 1928 Miller organ.
Next time, I’ll take a look at the Hamilton Movie Theater.
