When I was a freshman just getting situated in the dorms, the first thing I did was hop a bus to the nearest art theater. I went to high school in the dinky town of Hurley, Wis., which itself doesn't even have a movie theater or video store. If you cross the Michigan border into Ironwood, you'll find only a Family Video (where I worked, of course) and a rather pitiful little four-screen multiplex (which I also briefly worked at) with a penchant for getting only the most mainstream movies. Sooner or later most Oscar contenders would come to us, but most of the time, if you didn't want to see 'Harry Potter' or the latest Julia Roberts movie, you'd be out of luck. So when I came to Madison, I was as excited about the Hilldale Theatre and Westgate Art Cinemas as I was about college girls and beer.
Compared to Hurley/Ironwood's meager exhibition circuit, Madison's wide selection of theaters seemed fantastic. After getting accustomed to the city and routinely going to Hilldale and Westgate, I started to see room for improvement. Both theaters are located in or right by some pretty depressing malls, lack stadium seating, and even between the two, we still don't get every notable indie or foreign film. Also, it seems that Hilldale typically keeps its movies for too long, while Westgate gets rid of many of its movies quickly to maintain a steady circulation.
However, despite its lack of stadium seating, Westgate is my favorite theater in Madison. It's exceptionally clean, matinees are reasonably priced, the employees are friendly and efficient and it usually attracts civilized audiences that understand how to turn off their cell phones and shut the hell up. But there's still the lingering problem of selection, and considering the fertile cinematic community we have here in Madison, we need more. And Robert Redford agrees with me.
I don't know where I've been for the last month, but I just heard that in early November, Redford and his Sundance Group announced plans to open the nation's first Sundance Cinemas in Madison. Redford stated 'the independent culture of Madison makes it a great environment for the Sundance Cinema concept, and we look forward to creating together with the local community, an experience that captures that unique nature.' Sundance Cinemas, which is being built as part of Hilldale's mass renovation, will be located at the south end of the mall, will have six screens with stadium seating and is scheduled to open in fall 2006.
The reason I'm bringing this up so late is that very few people I've talked to had heard about this. For serious filmgoers, this is huge news; if this pans out, Sundance Cinemas will be what we've been waiting for. Redford and Sundance are famous for the exposure they give to the little guy, and their premiere theater will undoubtedly expand and enrich our cinema culture. Not only will we have the opportunity to see damn near everything that comes out, but Madison's aspiring filmmakers will probably be spotlighted in a way that was never possible before. If everything goes well, Sundance Cinemas will change and improve Madison's cinematic climate and reputation.
Come next fall, Madison is going to be an even more exciting place to live. I have to admit that I envy next year's freshman film buffs, those lucky bastards who will get to spend at least four years in Madison with a new indie multiplex. In his press statement, Redford also said, 'I couldn't be more pleased that this location will launch this venture.' I would strongly echo that sentiment.
