“Save your local cinema”

My local cinema started a post with this sentence on social media recently and my heart skipped a beat. Panicked that they were announcing their closure, I read on as they gave a grave warning that it was ‘use it or lose it’ time for them. A rallying call for the local community to get bums on seats to secure the future of this important space in our community.

As a small, independent cinema it’s no surprise that they are struggling right now. The cost of living crisis is affecting the spending power of those who would love to go to the cinema but just can’t afford it. In 2019, the UK annual box office was £1.35 billion but last year was £978 million. When an average cinema ticket can be around £10, then a family trip could be £40+.

But as the only cinema in my local area that isn’t a 25 minute drive away, the thought of it not being there any more is so upsetting.

The sheer panic I felt made me realise the importance that the cinema (or the pictures if you are Scottish) has played in my life. I always thought it was the films that were important but now I realise that the physical venue has such an important part to play.

If Taylor Swift has showed us anything its that we all have different Eras and I never realised until now, how mine have been defined by the cinemas that I have spent my time in.

The Pre-Teen years

Ah, the 80s and early 90s. Back when no one had a phone so they couldn’t go off in the cinema just as the tense climax was approaching. No soft glow of light as someone checked their Instagram. There was just you, the screen, and if you were really lucky, the lady that sold ice cream down the front at the interval.

My formative years were spent in the Dunoon cinema (which is still there). There were two screens to choose from and when we spent Summer holidays at my Grans, we were taken to the pictures as a treat. This is where I saw my first Indiana Jones movie. And where I sat next to my Mum as she laughed her head off at a fart in a lift scene in one of the Police Academy films (no idea which one).

The teenage years

My teen years of cinemagoing started at my local cinema, the Waterfront cinema in Greenock. It was 1996 and the first Scream film had just come out. I had been reading about it in film magazines religiously for months beforehand and had bought tickets for the first weekend. I dragged my older sister along with me and I can honestly say that film changed my life. A lifelong Slasher fan was born.

The University years

In University my local cinema became the Showcase Cinema in Linwood, near Paisley. Armed with a student discount card and a media student boyfriend, this is where my film education truly started. Between 1998 and 2002, it’s no word of a lie to say that pretty much every Sunday night was spent in one of those screens. I saw some awful films, I saw some iconic films and I saw some films that have stayed with me like old friends.

Mid-20s to 30s

This was the era where it was pretty much whatever cinema suits. If I wanted to see a film, it would be whatever cinema that I could easily attend after work. I also started to grasp the idea of event cinema, watching films in aircraft hangars, art deco buildings and outdoors. It was the film plus the experience that I was interested in.

The current era – the 40s

Lockdown made the world feel smaller. In some ways, that was good as many of us rediscovered the small businesses that are on our doorstep. For me, that was the Waterfront Cinema and it’s become a big part of my life. In a full circle moment, I went to see the new Scream requel with my 25 year old nephew, the same cinema that I went to see the original with his Mum 26 years earlier.  I’ve finally gotten the chance to see A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday 13^th thanks to their Halloween Horror Festival. I can pop out to the pictures on a whim without much planning or wondering about transport.

All of this, and the tickets are only £8.50 each. For a new release. And even less if you book in advance! I went to see two films in the last few weeks and they cost less than a trip to Glasgow to see just one.

Summing Up

I have no idea if anyone will read this or even be interested but I hope it might strike a chord with someone. This is my cinema journey, my love letter to every screen I have ever had the pleasure to sit in front of. Venues like the Waterfront Cinema are a gift and should be treasured. We should be supporting the local film festivals, buying people gift vouchers as presents and checking out the latest releases.

Local independent cinemas remind us that where we watch the film is just as important as what’s on the screen.

Waterfront cinema photo credit – Discover Inverclyde