It can be hard to remember, in these days of shared links and 900-channel cable subscriptions, just how big a role the movie theater used to play in the American cultural landscape. It was especially so during Hollywood’s Golden Age, when television was still in its infancy; then, there was no chance of wasting a night wondering what you should watch on Netflix. Instead, you went out to the local movie house, and whatever they were showing, you watched.
I don’t think any of us would argue for turning back the clock to those days, but there’s no denying that scarcity of options made the local theater a community hub in a way that seems quaint today. Really, its closest analogue might be the neighborhood church — a place where a wide swath of people come together to share moments of transcendence. Only this church held services at night. With popcorn.
Those are the days on display in a special live multimedia presentation this Friday and Saturday nights at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls. As presented by Pothole Pictures, whose film projectionist Jonathan A. Boschen will guide the show, The Golden Age of Shelburne Falls Movie Theaters will look at the history of three area theaters that were vital hubs for area residents: The Memorial Theatre, the Buckland Theatre, and the Mohawk Trail Drive-In. And while the subject matter hearkens back to a less-cluttered media landscape (the program notes proudly point out that the show is “not available on home video nor on the Web!”), our digital era proves its usefulness as well, stepping in to offer virtual tours of both the Mohawk and Memorial Hall’s original interior — a late 19th-century creation that was lost to fire in the 1920s. The shows begin at 7:30 p.m., but as always at Pothole Pictures, live local music will fill the Memorial Hall stage for a half-hour before the curtain goes up. My advice? Get there at 7, and take in a night at the movies the way it used to be. Netflix will still be there tomorrow.
Also this week: On Monday at 7 p.m., Amherst Cinema brings in Breaking a Monster, the story of a trio of amazing young musicians and what appears to be their big break. Malcolm Brickhouse, Alec Atkins, and Jarad Dawkins are Unlocking The Truth, a metal/speed-punk band that calls Times Square home base. Their well-attended outdoor performances — unlike anything you’ll see in downtown Northampton — draw in industry vet Alan Sacks, who guides the young musicians to a $1.8 million deal with Sony.
But the music industry isn’t all sunshine and roses, and part of what makes director Luke Meyer’s film so engaging is the interplay between these three bright-eyed young men and the well-traveled Sacks, whose career dates back to co-creating the ’70s-era sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. As Sacks tries to keep them on track for success, his three young charges — whose love of injury-rich skateboarding nearly gives their new manager a fit — are in the process of becoming men.
Meyer, whose earlier film Darkon gave viewers an entrancing look behind the scenes of a complex role-playing club in the Baltimore area (think Game of Thrones meets Roseanne), will be on hand to discuss the newer film. Presented as part of the Hampshire College Creative Media Institute — which brings industry vets to the campus to share some real-world lessons — the screening is free for Amherst Cinema members on a first-come basis.•
Jack Brown can be reached at cinemadope@gmail.com.
