During a magical night, movie-loving families in Maplewood, New Jersey, will screen the same movie at the same time at screenings in more than 15 courtyards across the city.
From the Maplewood Film Society:
Movie night is taking place in Maplewood’s backyard!In this New Jersey, the city needs in-person video so much that it takes matters into its own hands and in its own backyard.
During a magical night, movie-loving families in Maplewood, New Jersey, will screen the same movie at the same time at screenings in more than 15 courtyards across the city. The Maplewood Film Society coordinates Backyard Movie Night on Saturday, September 7, where more than 150 citizens will gather to watch the original 1988 film Beetlejuice with their neighbors.
The aim of the occasion is not only to laugh and watch Tim Burton’s original film, but also to “show that our artistic city desires an in-person movie theater,” says co-founder Angela Matusik of the Maplewood Film Society. “We need to attract potential investors while also engaging our vast network of moviegoers,” MFS co-founder Lisa Cohen echoes.
The historic Maplewood Cinema, open for 93 years in the center of town, closed its doors during the 2020 COVID pandemic. Attempts to rent the theater and reopen it as a movie theater have failed, and the entire building is now for sale in the market. . The fate of this cultural monument remains uncertain.
“Our city has been a magnet for art and culture enthusiasts, and having a movie theater on our main street is a big component of that,” Matusik says. In a recent survey of more than 250 residents, MFS found that more than 30% of respondents worked in an art box and 80% strongly believe Maplewood would gain advantages from an in-person movie theater. More than 95% of respondents said they would most likely watch a movie on a big screen in Maplewood.
Although there are cinemas in nearby cities, such as South Orange, where the Village at SOPAC cinema is located, their offering is basically made up of blockbusters and new releases from the main Hollywood studios. But, as Cohen says, there is room for more. : “Across the country, independent arthouse theaters are reinventing themselves,” he says, adding that many have liquor licenses and exclusive in-person programming. “Audiences are hungry for non-traditional films on the screen, adding archival classics, independent films, documentaries and foreign films,” says Matusik. “We love video of all kinds. ” In fact, after seeing Burton’s 1988 film on September 7, MFS members will be encouraged to stop by to see its sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, at a theater near you.
For more information about Backyard Movie Night and the Maplewood Film Society project, contact Angela Matusik and Lisa Cohen at maplewoodfilmsociety@gmail. com, or @MaplewoodFilmSociety on Instagram or Facebook.
Editor’s Note: See a similar Village Green from the Maplewood Theatre here:
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