Friday, January 08, 2010

Low country movie theatres

I love old movie theatres. Not all that shocking, I know. Whenever I'm travelling I always take pictures of old theatres. Always. There is nothing more beautiful than an old theatre that is being taken care of and loved with their marquees of neon and vivid colors. I can't get enough of these places. My ultimate dream in life would be to live in one! I was completely blown away by The SCAD and its Art Deco lobby. I would love to have gotten to see Notorious there on January 15th.

That being said, there is nothing more architecturally sad than a dilapidated, empty movie theatre that is crumbling, fading and falling apart. For years I've been taking photos of these ghostly structures in a project I've dubbed "Dead Cinema." See The Lyric below for an example of Dead Cinema. No telling how long it has sat, being ignored, dying, in its small town street. Gut wrenching.

On our recent trip through the low country, SJ and I came across some theatres in Georgia. These photos are more happy than depressing as there are three examples of the magnificent and one of the heartbreaking. That's a nice ratio for this kind of thing, three to one.



The SCAD
Savannah, Georgia
December 2009



The Lucas
Savannah, Georgia
December 2009





The Lyric
Waycross, Georgia
January 2010





The Dosta
Valdosta, Georgia
January 2010

2 comments:

Rumblefish said...

If you're ever in Durham, NC, visit the Carolina Theater. I was in charge of that theater when I worked at the Full Frame Film Festival in 2007. It's well-maintained and beautiful. The guy in charge (Matt Pennachi) is a film freak who fully appreciates the place where he works.

Joshua Blevins Peck said...

Rumblefish: The booker for the Circle (Dylan) has sent me to their website and I've looked at it a few times--looks like a great, great place!