Moving is never fun. Scheduling. Packing. Coordinating. Downsizing. More packing. It’s an awful process, but the object is for the end result to be worthy of the effort. I grew up hearing the “location, location, location” mantra and one of my past moves really took that to heart!
Three blocks from the house was a multiplex cinema with ten theaters. On the edge of town, it literally brought one of my favorite passions right to my doorstep. I was accustomed to seeing a movie almost every weekend and suddenly Hollywood’s blockbusters were just down the street, in walking distance! But it didn’t end there.
The neighboring town also had a multiplex… on the edge of town. Yes, the same edge. I was living a few blocks away from two multiplex theaters sitting adjacent to one another, separated only by the town line. I was ecstatic, over the moon and quickly filled my days with comedy, horror, action, and sci-fi. I never looked into the zoning oddity or catastrophic misstep that put two multiplexes side-by-side. I just knew this was definitely the location for me!
You might think this was overkill (it really was) but the overlap in the movies playing at each complex was minimal. Were there times we arrived at one theater only to discover our chosen movie was playing next door? Of course. We’d chuckle and dash over to the other one. Then came Amelie, a terrific film.
It looked fun and got good reviews, but Amelie wasn’t playing at either multiplex. How could this be? This was my introduction to independent movie theaters. A few towns away was an indie theater playing Amelie. There was no blazing marquee or endless neon lighting. It was a cozy building with two screens and a moderately disappointing snack bar. A drastic departure from the bright lights and hum of our neighboring multiplexes.
It was like being thrust into a whole new movie experience. The vibe was different as were the films themselves. This quickly became my favorite theater although I wasn’t going to pass on my favorite blockbusters unleashed beneath the blinding lights of our multiplexes. I discovered documentaries, dramas, and films that catered to that cozy audience without the need for all the glitz and glamor.
As I saw more films at the indie theater, I became fascinated by the characters and the stories they told. It wasn’t long before the indie theater became part of my regular movie routine. As much as I craved the blockbuster movies at the multiplexes, I couldn’t resist the smaller independent releases.
As my life moved to other locations, seeking out an indie theater rose in priority. When I came to Cape Cod over two decades ago, I was excited to find a wonderful indie theater in Dennis offering a wide range of films and events, like the 35mm showing of Oppenheimer during the 2023 Barbenheimer summer as well as the more recent Led Zeppelin documentary.
If you love movies, keep an eye on indie theater listings. Hollywood blockbusters will aways command attention, but that little theater tucked away off the beaten path often has films that hit just as hard!
By CapeCod.com Staff
