The MovieDiary: Paramount steps in to fill theater void

By DOM CIOFFI – Published: November 19, 2009

When the area lost its only movie theater a month ago, a concerned group offered a solution: Instead of going to a new theater to watch new movies, why not go to an old theater to watch old movies?

And so, Big Flicks at the Paramount was born.

While the timing may be fortuitous, the planning has been ongoing for months. Fitted with a gigantic new screen and state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment, the Paramount Theatre is ready to display motion pictures for the first time in nearly 35 years.

On Saturday, the much-anticipated Big Flicks film series will begin with a screening of Victor Fleming’s Civil War-era epic, “Gone With the Wind.” In the following months, 10 more films (mostly classics with a few modern selections) will grace the interior hall of the Paramount.

But the question begs to be asked? Why head to a theater to see a film that’s readably available on DVD? The answer is simple: For the experience.

I’ve been going to the theater on a weekly basis for the past 16 years, and I can attest that nothing compares to the social experience of seeing a great film on a huge screen in a public forum.

The coordination of laughter, shock or awe among audience members, along with the sheer size of the projection, is the way movies were meant to be watched.

But can you imagine all the modern amenities of the film experience set within the confines of a true historical gem like the Paramount Theatre? It honestly sounds too good to be true. Let’s face it, this theater was born to show films like “Gone With the Wind” and “Citizen Kane.”

Earlier this summer, I borrowed a friend’s copy of “Gone With the Wind.” I’ve been on a personal quest to review every Best Picture nominee in history and although I had seen portions of this film on several occasions, I had never reviewed it from beginning to end.

And so, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I drew the curtains, dimmed the lights, grabbed a cold beverage, and settled into my couch for a three-hour journey into yesteryear. And then something truly mysterious happened: The door to my basement den opened and in walked my 5-year-old son.

“What are you watching, Daddy?” he asked. I replied that it was just an old film about a guy and girl who sometimes like each other and sometimes hate each other.

“Can I watch?” he inquired. “If you want to,” I responded. “But there are no aliens or superheroes.”

I figured that explanation and the fact that there was no visible animation would immediately send him searching for more compelling activities. But that didn’t happen. In fact, he propped himself up on the couch and continued with the questions: “Why are they dressed so funny, Daddy?”; “Why did she throw that vase?”; “Who set the city on fire?”

For the next three hours my young son sat next to me and watched “Gone With the Wind,” questioning every move, inquiring about every word. I was shocked, delighted and profoundly moved.

The more time that elapsed, the more astounded I became over his interest. And when the battlefields littered with dying men appeared, I resisted turning his attention elsewhere, realizing that in 1939 it wasn’t appropriate to display the gruesome nature of war. This was a movie that a 5-year-old could watch – he didn’t understand it, but it intrigued him.

His questions continued right to the point when Rhett Butler uttered the eight most famous words in cinematic history: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” And with that he popped off the couch and coyly stated, “Mom better not find out we watched a movie with swear words!”

So my advice is this: Go to Big Flicks at the Paramount. If you can’t make it to this week’s feature, catch one of the other movies in the coming months. And if you’ve already seen the film being offered, consider introducing a youngster to a proven classic. You may be surprised at what happens.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger. Show times for “Gone With the Wind” will be at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information and a complete list of Big Flicks movies, visit www.paramountvt.org.

Got a question or comment for Dom? E-mail him at moviediary@comcast.net.