I am a fan of "Grindhouse". It was over-the-top and gross and I loved every minute of it. I think one reason it hasn't done very well (aside from the fact that it is over 3 hours long and that it's an anthology film - usually box office poison)is that most people nostalgic for Grindhouse cinema were probably drunk at the time.
The majority of my life I lived in Toronto, and on it's main street (Yonge Street) there were two Grindhouse cinemas. I can't remember the name of one but the other was The Coronet. The marquee screamed "4 Great Hits for $5.00" They would get the movies and keep them for a month before changing.
My friend Aymen and I decided we wanted to watch "The Exorcist" and "The Howling" so we went to the Coronet (yes, they did have trashier films on the menu as well).
The inside of the theatre was an experience. Seats were missing and/or smashed. Mice ran along the sticky floors. Many of the patrons were vagrants (since the theatre ran about 20 out of 24 hours, this became a suitable shelter for sleeping). Fights broke out. The smell of stale popcorn and pop mixed with urine. People screamed and shouted for no apparent reason. The movie print was in rough shape.
We made it through "The Exorcist" but decided to get out while the gettin' was good. "Grindhouse" reminded of that time. Good times, good times.
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2 comments:
LOL Not sure if I'd be brave enough to watch a movie at the Coronet, but it sounds like an experience. :-)
Welcome Annette and thank you for your comment. I only had the guts to go in there the one time but that was more than enough (I value my life to much).
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