Who doesn’t love a night at the movies?
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The smell of fresh, buttery popcorn; the first bite into the glossy dome of a choctop; the hushed anticipation as the cinema lights dim.
Take away the never-ending parade of ads and previews and it is an almost perfect evening spent with family or friends.
While it might be the big blockbusters that draw in the crowds, it is often the smaller films that make the biggest impact on the viewer. Sadly, those movies don’t always translate into box office takings and are left to languish in the can.
That’s when places like the Star Cinema in Eaglehawk come in.
Less worried about the bottom line, the community-run organisation can risk showing the independent movies or foreign films that commercial players ignore.
But they cannot do it without patronage from the public. Never has that been clearer than when the Star announced in December it was teetering on the brink of closure.
Fortunately, a $70,000 fundraising blitz – including a five-figure donation from a film-loving white knight – has allayed that fate.
But the lesson remains: it is one thing to talk about how much you love our cultural institutions, but they cannot continue to entertain without you parting with your hard-earned dollars.
That is easier said than done in a world that puts more and more pressure on the hip pocket.
But money and time permitting, why not give yourself over to the big screen and its stars every so often?
You’ll escape reality for a couple of hours and help out a local business in the process.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a film to watch, this writer thoroughly recommends Academy Award nominees Lady Bird, Darkest Hour and The Post.
- Mark Kearney, journalist