Some research this afternoon led me to an archive of FSU’s student-run newspaper, the Florida Flambeau, from 1985. Skimming over this issue from October 11, I paused to look at these advertisements for movies playing here in Tallahassee.
Look how many theaters there were! I’m counting eight theaters on the list, where now there are only three. And look at that variety! It’s not like now, where all of the theaters are playing basically the same features and differentiating their offerings based on screen size, food options, and app memberships. Instead of a cartel organized against streaming headwinds, this was a vibrant marketplace of competitors.
Aside from the number of theaters and the variety of features on their screens, I also thought about what has replaced these theaters in place. Where these independent cinemas once stood, there are now the following chains:
- Target
- YouFit
- Whole Foods
- REI Co-Op
- World Market
- AMC Theaters (still movies, at least!)
Plus an office building and an empty lot being developed into the new police headquarters.
Someone could probably tell me all the reasons why movie theaters and chains are better today, but I felt a rush of nostalgia anyway for this bygone era of variety and independent business when I saw this old newspaper page.
C.B. Crenshaw 