Historic theatre screens free film
Published on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 by Beckye RandallRead More Arts & Entertainment
Many people in north Snohomish County have fond memories of the "old" Everett Theatre, especially from its days as a movie theatre during the 1950s and beyond. And the film that seems to come up most often in conversations about the restored theatre is Steven Spielberg's "E.T."
The ground-breaking film, released in 1982, gets a repeat showing at the Historic Everett Theatre Saturday, August 28, at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the movie is free, celebrating the recent acquisition of a digital projector and the return of movie nights to the downtown venue.
"The theatre is mostly used for live shows now," explained Mike Olson, technical director for the Historic Everett Theatre, "just like it was when it first opened in 1901. But it was a movie theatre for most of its life, and it will be fun to bring that element back to the downtown area."
For several years in the 1990s, after the building was rescued from the wrecking ball and restoration work was beginning, the existing vintage film projectors were put to use, screening classic movies like "Rear Window" and "Casablanca," along with independent films like "Clerks" and "Bullets Over Broadway." However, it's much more difficult these days to find movies in a format that are compatible with the theatre's ancient carbon-arc projectors. The purchase of a digital projector, coupled with a DVD player, opens a world of possibilities for rental of current movie titles.
"Lots of people remember seeing 'E.T.' here when it was first released," said Olson. "The line for admission stretched around the block, I'm told. We'd love to see a similar crowd for this free showing. Hopefully we'll find a new audience for the theatre."
The next film scheduled at the theatre is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" on Saturday, September 11, at 9 p.m. Tickets for the cult classic are $8 per person.
Matt Terry, who is the volunteer lead for movie programming, hopes the earlier time slot will be attractive for locals who remember the classic midnight shows. "Dress up or come as you are," said Terry, referring to audience members' tradition of dressing as the film's characters. "Just show up and prepare to do the Time Warp...again."
The ground-breaking film, released in 1982, gets a repeat showing at the Historic Everett Theatre Saturday, August 28, at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the movie is free, celebrating the recent acquisition of a digital projector and the return of movie nights to the downtown venue.
"The theatre is mostly used for live shows now," explained Mike Olson, technical director for the Historic Everett Theatre, "just like it was when it first opened in 1901. But it was a movie theatre for most of its life, and it will be fun to bring that element back to the downtown area."
For several years in the 1990s, after the building was rescued from the wrecking ball and restoration work was beginning, the existing vintage film projectors were put to use, screening classic movies like "Rear Window" and "Casablanca," along with independent films like "Clerks" and "Bullets Over Broadway." However, it's much more difficult these days to find movies in a format that are compatible with the theatre's ancient carbon-arc projectors. The purchase of a digital projector, coupled with a DVD player, opens a world of possibilities for rental of current movie titles.
"Lots of people remember seeing 'E.T.' here when it was first released," said Olson. "The line for admission stretched around the block, I'm told. We'd love to see a similar crowd for this free showing. Hopefully we'll find a new audience for the theatre."
The next film scheduled at the theatre is "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" on Saturday, September 11, at 9 p.m. Tickets for the cult classic are $8 per person.
Matt Terry, who is the volunteer lead for movie programming, hopes the earlier time slot will be attractive for locals who remember the classic midnight shows. "Dress up or come as you are," said Terry, referring to audience members' tradition of dressing as the film's characters. "Just show up and prepare to do the Time Warp...again."