Film Becoming A Distant Memory, Technology to Blame For Showplace South Closing
By: Tabnie Dozier
Updated: February 19, 2013
As we reported to you Monday evening, a long-standing Evansville theater is shutting it's doors later this year and it says Hollywood is to blame. Showplace Cinema South is the only theater in the Showplace chain still using film. The evolving age and price of technology is forcing the closure. Here's the numbers, Showplace says to convert the South location to the digital projectors at its other theaters would cost more than a million dollars, and that's too hefty of a price tag for this discount movie spot. Fred Ratliff says the thin and sleek ways of film fill most of his memories. "This is what we watched when we paid 25 cents to get into a movie." But soon these classic tools will be a distant memory. "Hollywood made us make this decision, blame Hollywood," says Showplace General Manager Mick Stieler. He tells us movie companies will stop making film in the next few months, and the upgrades needed for this theater to adapt are expensive. "First there's digital sound, then there's digital projection, then stadium seating, keep having to make all those adjustments just to stay competitive and it takes alot of money," Stieler says. Adding, "Really there's no decision to be made because we won't have any product to play, it's a no brainer, we don't have any product to play, it'll just sit there empty." Empty like these chairs that's sat through thousands of hours of laughter and tears, this building can spark many nostalgic conversations. This is a family business for Stieler, "All my sisters have worked there, my nephews and nieces have worked there so its tough." Ratliff adds, "Really a shame but you got to keep up with technology and digital is taking over everything." The wave of technology crashes here, there's no happy ending for this movie theater. A final shut down date hasn't been set but the closing is expected this summer. Showplace says it'll place it's South employees at other theaters and continue to offer matinee specials.
