Some Local Movie News That Mattered In 2014

By Joel Wicklund in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 2, 2015 4:00PM

As film, television and videos intermingle under an ever-looser grouping of "content" viewed mainly online, actually going out to see something at a theater could soon be the last defining trait of movies as we know them. That may be why many of the news stories Chicago area movie buffs were most interested in last year dealt with theaters. From the struggle of neighborhood theaters to survive to the evolution of new luxury model multiplexes, it's clear that a generational shift in viewing habits may be reaching its tipping point.

But there was certainly other big news around town. From the Lucas Museum (The Force for good or just Dark Side enterprising?) to the passing of some major personalities, 2014 had plenty of news to keep us buzzing. Here are a few stories that generated an especially loud buzz.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Coming to Chicago
Chuck Sudo recently recapped the thorny political, economic and environmental issues surrounding The House That George Lucas Will Build. For serious movie fans, there's another question to ponder: in a city pivotal to film history, shouldn't we have had a movie-centric museum long before this? And why do I suspect the gift shop is going to be especially prominent here?

The Portage, the Patio, and the Future of Neighborhood Theaters
The ups and downs of the Portage Theater and the Patio Theater have been well documented, from facility problems to programming challenges to the unsteady guiding hand of Eddie Carranza. But while these two Northwest side venues have had an especially stormy few years, their struggles represent a bigger question about the place and purpose of neighborhood theaters. The Logan Theatre's renovations point to one path for success, but most independent theaters don't have the funds for that kind of extensive overhaul. The Davis Theater seems to be getting by with less-than-glorious aesthetics thanks to a good location and reasonable admission, but the next story in our year-end review suggests that kind of funky, no-frills venue may be an endangered species.

Block 37 and the Age of Luxury Theaters
The announcement that AMC's Block 37 theaters will open in early 2016 came with news that the theater will include "Cinema Suites" with recliners and food and drink brought directly to your seat. This posh and pricey option isn't a new concept in Chicago. The ShowPlace ICON at Roosevelt Collection has their VIP Premium Reserved seats, and movie theaters functioning as cushy bars and restaurants is a growing trend. Even the stalwart Music Box added beer and wine to their concessions and their current lobby remodeling seems geared to keep drinkers there longer. But, business strategies aside, you have to wonder if this all doesn't have more to do with selling a lifestyle than selling cinema. The fine programming at the Music Box is probably secure, but the notion of moviegoing as an event (rather than casual, affordable entertainment) seems certain to change expectations for the movies themselves. In other words, if you are planning to blow $18 to $20 on your ticket, and another $20 to $30 on food and drinks, maybe you want that movie to be a little bigger than life to justify your smaller bank account?

Hooray for the Local Boys, Part 1
When the owners and operators of the Music Box Theater got into the film distribution business as Music Box Films in 2007, skeptics might have said they got lucky. After all, how could you not know that the original Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy was going to make money in the U.S. (even with an American remake around the corner)? But while that series may have been a case of the little guy capitalizing on the big guys' stupidity, the surprising success of Ida shows this company knows how to market more challenging fare as well. Music Box Films has had their misses, but if they can turn a profit on a downbeat, black-and-white Polish drama with no stars, the sky seems the limit.

Hooray for the Local Boys, Part 2
DVD seems to be a dying format, as our gizmo-driven economy pushes everything toward mobile and cloud-based technology. But movie lovers who want the best possible quality, as well as something they can actually display on a shelf, aren't ready to give in. Thanks in part to Chicago-based Olive Films, they don't have to. As other companies have cut back on their DVD and Blu-ray releases, Olive Films has stepped in to license and release a wide variety of classic and cult movies. Their library now includes everything from John Ford's The Quiet Man to Otto Preminger's insanely misbegotten Skidoo. With video-on-demand and other digital platforms part of their acquisition deals, Olive Films is keeping an eye on where viewing habits are headed. But let's hope their future includes more quality discs for those of us who love them.

One Final Toast
As evidenced by the frequently awkward Academy Awards memorial reel (which dead person will get the most applause?), a roundup of any year's significant obituaries is a dicey exercise. So apologies ahead of time for not including others, from notables I have overlooked to teachers and technicians who contributed to Chicago's movie culture in relative anonymity. But in this limited space, we raise our glasses one more time to Kartemquin Films co-founder Jerry Blumenthal, longtime WGN broadcaster and film/theater critic Roy Leonard, and Harold Ramis, who made most of his movies elsewhere, but did much to support the movie, theater and comedy communities in his hometown.