The news that one historic theater would live on had people cheering at another historic theater on the other side of downtown Seattle on Thursday night.
Film fans who turned out for the opening night of the 49th Seattle International Film Festival at the Paramount Theater were delighted to hear that SIFF had acquired and will reopen the Cinerama, three years after the beloved movie house closed.
After a screening of the film “Past Lives,” GeekWire caught up with several attendees to discuss new life for the Cinerama, which originally opened in 1963 and was saved by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1998.
Some praised Allen’s legacy, others applauded what the acquisition means for reviving downtown Seattle, and a couple had strong opinions about the theater’s famous chocolate popcorn.
Lowell Deo is an actor and appointee on the newly named Seattle Film Commission. He called SIFF’s acquisition “a definite win” and a boost to Seattle and its film community.
“It shows that we are serious because we’re investing all around, trying to lure production houses and producers from California and New York,” Deo said. “And now we’ve got [Cinerama] which is basically a chance for people to really come see films the way they were meant to be shown.”
Deo praised Paul Allen’s impact on the community and said continuing his legacy was important.
“For the longest time, it was like, ‘The Cinerama is Seattle. If you wanted to see a movie, you have to see it at the Cinerama.’ I think for many of us, we thought that it was lost, we had pretty much given up. So this was just an incredible gift from SIFF to say, ‘We’re bringing it back and it’s for you.'”
Actor and model Adara Toop said they better bring back the chocolate popcorn.
“I’ve definitely missed the Cinerama for its films and its atmosphere. It is a beautiful theater,” Toop said. “But I definitely missed the chocolate popcorn the most.”
Paige Lee used to work for the SIFF Film Center and was previously thrilled when SIFF stepped up to save the historic Egyptian Theater on Capitol Hill. She said she also donated to try to help save the Harvard Exit Theater.
“When I heard that the Cinerama went down, I was really, really sad,” Lee said. “So hearing that it was going to be saved by [SIFF] was really exciting.”
Lee said the last film she saw at the Cinerama was one of the newer Star Wars movies. She called the theater a “historic piece of film history” and said it’ll be a good draw for getting people back downtown.
“I think it’s going to add more entertainment and culture and encourage more people just to get back out there,” she said.
Longtime Seattle actor Tom Skerritt (“Top Gun,” “Alien”) said he hopes the acquisition will be good for the city and good for Seattle’s film community.
“Cinerama is unique to this country and certainly unique to Seattle,” Skerritt said, admitting that he doesn’t get out to the movies too often these days.
“Seattle is coming together in terms of where it has to go for the future, not what Hollywood wants. We’re not a film industry, we’re a community,” he added.
Ingrid Hopmoen is a Seattle tattoo artist who said she never expected the Cinerama to be one of the things that could be taken out by COVID-19.
“That was very much a meeting place for me and my friends when I first moved here and met people because everyone cherishes it, so I came to cherish it as well,” Hopmoen said. “And then I was really f***ing bummed when it closed.”
Hopmoen said she’s not especially “stoked” about tech industry growth in Seattle and she hopes that bringing back something that’s local and loved by artists and film fanatics will be a welcome change.
“I think it’ll bring back some of that art appreciation for the city that’s kind of gotten, in my opinion, pushed out a little bit,” Hopmoen said.
Abie Ekenezar is a Seattle film director and producer who previously worked at the Cinerama. She was heartbroken when the theater closed.
“It was really depressing to see something [close] that the community built up, and that was a part of the community … we saw so many buildings closing and we were thinking it would never happen to the Cinerama, and then it did,” Ekenezar said.
She said she had thoughts of trying to raise the money to save the theater herself. Now she just plans to buy the first ticket to the first movie when it reopens.
“I don’t even care what it is, it can be one of the crappiest movies ever,” Ekenezar said. “I’m buying the first ticket.”
“This is the scoop of the year, that SIFF will take over Cinerama,” said Perry Low, who admitted to being in tears when the news broke Thursday night.
Low said Cinerama was a big part of Seattle’s film community, industry and festivals, and that it “left a big gaping hole when it went away.”
Sam Whiting called the Cinerama his “favorite movie theater of all time” — with one controversial exception.
“I hope they don’t bring back the chocolate popcorn,” Whiting said. “You walk in there and the smell of that place. At first you’re like, ‘Oh, delicious,’ and before you even get up to the counter you’re just so sick of the smell.”
“Popcorn, no butter!” Low yelled.
Ed Ventura and Sue Ventura are retired Microsoft vets who live in Belltown, the Cinerama’s neighborhood. They’re excited to support SIFF and the reopening of the theater. And they praised Paul Allen’s vision.
“It was so awesome to hear tonight; the theater erupted,” Sue Ventura said about the crowd’s reaction to the news at the Panorama Theater. “You know Paul [Allen] is cheering this on,” she added. “He bought that theater to save it. And for this to be the next SIFF theater, it’s just great.”
“You have a lot of people who work their jobs, but some of their greatest work and best contributions are after they leave their job,” Ed Ventura said. “And you look at Paul Allen — Seattle Seahawks, Cinerama — I think you’re going to remember the things that he’s done for this city.”
