To Those Who Would Try to Interrupt My Kung Fu:
David Silverman
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Opinion
An excerpt from an actual conversation:
Me: "Are you going to the free college movie night tonight?"
"What's the movie?"
Me: "Black Dynamite."
"I'll just buy it on DVD."
Me: "But it's free…you can see it and then decide whether to buy it or not."
Some background first. The Salina Art Cinema was allowed to open its doors if, and only if, they agreed not to compete with the Central 10 at the Mall-which, for the most part, works well because the Art Cinema tends to show independent and foreign films that wouldn't typically be shown at our local multiplex. The Central 10, at the time, was the only candy store in town.
That's right-for those of you who wonder why that box of Jujubes costs five dollars-it's because the economic model of the modern movie theater requires that the house makes its money from concessions, as the bulk of ticket sales go straight to the distributor.
Back to the question at hand. When the Salina Art Cinema approached me about hosting a college movie night for the students of Kansas Wesleyan University, I thought that it was a great idea. The Cinema agreed to donate their time, space and projectionist so long as we paid the rental for the film.
The trick was selecting a film for a February showing in late December.
One that that might attract college students, and one that had not (and was not going to be) shown at the other theater in town. Of the films available to the Art Cinema, "Black Dynamite" (winner of the Seattle International Film Festival's Best Film award) turned up as a likely candidate. The distributor was contacted, a 35mm print was secured, the athletic department donated two vehicles (thank you!), and our "free" evening was ready. The goal: fill the 90 seats at the Salina Art Cinema.
This paper published passes and a review. Posters were hung (and subsequently stolen). Students, it seemed were excited-especially if they watched the Redband trailer for the film.
In the end, Saturday night came and went, and 19 KWU students and faculty got a private screening of a film that, for one reason or another, wasn't shown publicly in Salina.
I want to thank those who went, thank those who helped promote the film, and thank the Salina Art Cinema for their tremendous effort to introduce their theater to the students of KWU. And to those who, for one reason or another, couldn't join us on Saturday night, I hope that you will the next time (and there will be a next time).
Until then, make the journey downtown to our local "antiplex" theater, show them your KWU ID for discounted tickets, sit back in their very comfy rocking chair stadium seats, and see some of the great independent films while enjoying the cheapest concession prices you're likely to see anywhere this side of 1995.
Me: "Are you going to the free college movie night tonight?"
"What's the movie?"
Me: "Black Dynamite."
"I'll just buy it on DVD."
Me: "But it's free…you can see it and then decide whether to buy it or not."
Some background first. The Salina Art Cinema was allowed to open its doors if, and only if, they agreed not to compete with the Central 10 at the Mall-which, for the most part, works well because the Art Cinema tends to show independent and foreign films that wouldn't typically be shown at our local multiplex. The Central 10, at the time, was the only candy store in town.
That's right-for those of you who wonder why that box of Jujubes costs five dollars-it's because the economic model of the modern movie theater requires that the house makes its money from concessions, as the bulk of ticket sales go straight to the distributor.
Back to the question at hand. When the Salina Art Cinema approached me about hosting a college movie night for the students of Kansas Wesleyan University, I thought that it was a great idea. The Cinema agreed to donate their time, space and projectionist so long as we paid the rental for the film.
The trick was selecting a film for a February showing in late December.
One that that might attract college students, and one that had not (and was not going to be) shown at the other theater in town. Of the films available to the Art Cinema, "Black Dynamite" (winner of the Seattle International Film Festival's Best Film award) turned up as a likely candidate. The distributor was contacted, a 35mm print was secured, the athletic department donated two vehicles (thank you!), and our "free" evening was ready. The goal: fill the 90 seats at the Salina Art Cinema.
This paper published passes and a review. Posters were hung (and subsequently stolen). Students, it seemed were excited-especially if they watched the Redband trailer for the film.
In the end, Saturday night came and went, and 19 KWU students and faculty got a private screening of a film that, for one reason or another, wasn't shown publicly in Salina.
I want to thank those who went, thank those who helped promote the film, and thank the Salina Art Cinema for their tremendous effort to introduce their theater to the students of KWU. And to those who, for one reason or another, couldn't join us on Saturday night, I hope that you will the next time (and there will be a next time).
Until then, make the journey downtown to our local "antiplex" theater, show them your KWU ID for discounted tickets, sit back in their very comfy rocking chair stadium seats, and see some of the great independent films while enjoying the cheapest concession prices you're likely to see anywhere this side of 1995.
Be the first to comment on this story