As the Independent Film Festival wrapped up yesterday in Boston, the Daily Arts Section took a moment to acknowledge the theaters that bring daring, different films to the public on a regular basis. While megaplexes offer the newest and the hottest of blockbuster action flicks and romantic dramas, art houses dedicate themselves to serving a particular niche — and to providing exposure for up−and−coming and avant−garde filmmakers. Kyle Parrish, a manager at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, explains what makes indie theaters work and why they matter.
Jessica Bal: What is it that makes art houses and independent theatres unique?
Kyle Parrish: In our case, one of the things is a sense of history, because Coolidge has been continuously operating since 1933. We had our 75th anniversary a little over a year ago. We were open around the Great Depression, when movies were new. [Coolidge] has been a mainstream theater, and it's been an art house. The building and the space are historical; we've got some of the original art deco on the ceilings and the walls — it's renovated, but it has many of the original design elements.
In the '30s, the theater was just one screen. What's our second theater now was originally a balcony, and the whole thing had 600 to 700 seats. They showed a new film each week in the '30s and the '40s. Going to the movies then was closer to how people watch television now. On some nights, you'd go out to watch movies — it didn't necessarily matter what was playing. In the same way, some people just turn on the TV now to see what's on.
JB: How is the experience at Coolidge or other independent theatres different than the one audiences might get at a megaplex?
KP: More recently, we've renovated and have smaller spaces that seat 44 and 17 people. The advantage of that is that we can show films that maybe only 15 or 20 or 25 people are going to come and see. One of the reasons why bigger megaplex theatres don't take a lot of risks [on films] is because if they have a space for 150 people and they only sell 20 tickets, they lose money. They need the films to be a sure thing.
JB: Do you think that takes something away from the experience? Do people miss out on something by choosing the megaplex over an indie theatre?
KP: I'm not opposed to big−budget films with famous actors, but playing the things you're certain all people are going to see ... you only get the mainstream. You miss out on the films that take a risk. [At Coolidge] we play a documentary per week. That's something that's important to the medium — to report or tell a story about real people that people can connect to their everyday lives and that motivates them to some sort of action. But [documentaries] aren't going to draw crowds like when Bruce Willis blows things up.
JB: I know what you mean. But I saw "Man on Wire" (2008) at Coolidge, and that was maybe my favorite documentary yet. Actually, make that one of my favorite films ever, documentary or no.
KP: Yeah, we were able to show "Man on Wire" for months because everyone loved it and told their friends about it. It was a steady business for a long time. Blockbusters have a real spike in attendance and in money and then it drops sharply. That's more about what's fresh, what's new and diverting. One of them — a lot of times — is just as good as another.
JB: So independent films and documentaries, you've noticed, have a different sort of trajectory?
KP: Exactly. The films we show are often not promoted on TV. The more likely thing is that people will see it, like it and then recommend it to other people. We may do better with one film in the third or fourth week.
JB: What's the demographic like at Coolidge Corner? Who do you see coming in to the theater these days?
KP: We have a real variety. There are lots of locals — Brookline residents who are often older, middle−aged and probably own a house in Brookline, have lived here for years and come regularly. Then there's Brighton, Allston, Jamaica Plain, all the surrounding neighborhoods where there are a lot of college students. We definitely get a lot of young folks, and we try to make our programming for events show that diversity. There are midnight cult films, burlesque shows and a Halloween horror film marathon that runs from midnight until 11 a.m. or noon the next day.
JB: Does that mean that you mostly get regulars? Or do you think that there are plenty of people coming to Coolidge who are new to the theater?
KP: We're a neighborhood fixture, for sure. But sometimes we're the only theater, or one of only two theaters, that's showing a particular film. Different people [than our usual crowd] for whatever reason heard about it and want to see, and they come here for the first time.
JB: What are some of the challenges in running an independent theater?
KP: You are hoping to show films that people can't see everywhere else; that's part of our identity, but that also means there are films that most people might not be interested in. You have to strike a balance. No matter how good a film is, if it doesn't sell tickets, we don't make money. We want to show something that fits with our mission statement and that represents the best possibilities in filmmaking.
Coolidge was one of the first theatres in the area to show the hit "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008). Within a few weeks, it opened in other places, and then went on to win all these awards. It started as more of an indie film for what we thought would be a niche audience, but it really caught on.
JB: Did that take away from your mission statement at all? Showing a film that people could then see at almost every theater across the country?
KP: I think we felt like we sort of had dibs on it [laughs]. But no, we're happy it succeeded. It was a good film, and it's hard not to be glad when something like that succeeds. We're rooting for unusual films that take a risk, that aren't predictable.
JB: What's a film you've seen recently that you'd recommend?
KP: At the Independent Film Festival in Boston recently I saw "The Good, The Bad, and The Weird" (2008) — a Korean Western. It's got Korean actors and is set in Manchuria in the '30s. It's an over−the−top action movie, but it's beautiful and fresh and daring. There's this sense of joy to it. It reminds me of the first time I saw "Pulp Fiction" (1994) — thinking the director was doing something exciting and different, [and] wasn't afraid.
Coolidge offers a student discount on Thursdays and a discount on the yearly membership when bought with a student ID.
