In this week's San Diego Reader, movie reviewer Duncan Shepherd announces that the Three Penny Cinema is "dead on arrival".
Curses!!!!
Why didn't I get a taste before it up and died? It's only a couple weeks old.
The idea was wacky and weird, but I like wacky and weird!
What was the Three Penny Cinema?
Well, as I understand it, the offices of the San Diego Reader on India Street in San Diego opened up a conference room where they projected DVD movies onto a screen. The first ten people in line paid only $0.03 (three pennies) and the rest paid only $3.00.
Anyone paying to see a film could also go through the Reader's collection of promotional movie stills and buy them for just $1.00 each. I would have looked for Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
Why did I not act and go for it last weekend, when they were showing some sweet sixties french films? I guess Wendy and I were sick, that's why. Otherwise, I was gonna try and go for it this weekend. Only it's too late.
The Three Penny Cinema is dead.
This kind of disappointment is not new to me, though fortunately, it only happens once in a while.
Years ago in the wayback time I remember seeing a crazy little event item in the Reader for a thing call "Garden Caberet". They were showing free movies in someone's back yard (?... or so it seemed, in reality it was the space behind and between a beauty shop and a BBQ restaurant) and you could buy coffee and pastries to eat while you watched.
Though I was always curious about that, I never went. Not until years later when they were charging and it was popular. Sure, it was enjoyable, and continues to be so, but I'll always kick myself for not going back when it was new and free of charge and fresh and... and new.
So what lesson has been learned here?
In life, you have to go for it. Don't wait. "...walk in the ways of your heart and in the things seen by your eyes..."
Unless you're sick. Not much you can do about it then.
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The Garden Cabaret is now known as Cinema Under the Stars.
ReplyDeleteGo for it! I'm going to follow that advice tonight, hope she doesn't slap me in the face! (I'm talking about buying her some flowers, in case you were wondering...)
ReplyDeleteYou're title is cool, too, btw.
ReplyDeleteDah Gooz ~ How did it go? And I ask that not even knowing who you're buying flowers for. Hope there was no slapping involved!
ReplyDeleteThe advice of course is always to be carefully followed.
The world is full of people with broken arms, crutches, and stitches who "went for it" but probably could have used some more caution.
Oh yeah, Dah Gooz, when I wrote this post I was thinking of that time you got a group to go see Casablanca at Cinema Under the Stars. How was that, anyway?
ReplyDeleteI was kidding about the flowers...my girl friends don't really like flowers. Flowers are much too cheap. They prefer cars, houses, that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteCasablanca was awesome! Only lost one friend over the entire deal, but met someone new to replace them so all is balanced.
Dah Gooz ~ Sorry to hear about your loss. Glad to hear about your gain. Friends are usually irreplaceable, though, so I hope your friendship is restored in future.
ReplyDeleteSeems like you got a taste for "high maintenance cost" women if they prefer houses and cars as "I care for you" gifts.
When Wendy asks (either verbally or with her eyes) "what did you bring me?" I always like to answer "me... home safe". Logically she can't argue with it, but it really doesn't hit the spot emotionally.
Recently I ran into someone who works for The San Diego Reader and I got the scoop on why they closed the Three Penny Cinema.
ReplyDeleteFor the first film showing, there were 10 people in line. They took in thirty cents at the box office.
For either the second night, or the second film of the first evening, they only had three people in line.
They stopped showing films after that, not even finishing out the weekend.