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UPDATE: The Eaton Theatre has met their $40,000 goal — ahead of schedule!! Congratulations to the Eaton Theatre!
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I’ve lived in the small town of Charlotte, Michigan for almost four years. It’s has a quaint downtown with shops and restaurants and The Eaton Theatre. When I heard the theatre was in danger of closing, my heart sank. It’s a beautiful art deco building, and being able to see new movies in our little town is a wonderful thing.
Eaton Theatre is in danger of closing because the big studios are going to release films in digital format only by the end of the year. Any theatre without a very expensive digital projector will not be able to show new releases. Eaton Theatre has launched a Kick Starter campaign to raise funds for a digital projector. They say:
The Eaton Theatre was established in 1931 and, like many other small theaters, is at risk of closing due to the forced digital changeover. Thanks to the digital film shift that movie companies are making, small theaters are forced with a choice… to survive and go digital OR stick with traditional film and die off.
Right now the Eaton Theatre uses 35mm film that runs through a projector but movie companies have announced that the 35mm film will no longer be available as of the end of 2013 with the remaining companies following suit.
Movies are important in our house. Every Friday evening, without fail, my husband and I go out to the movies. I love the smell of the popcorn. I love the previews. I love the giant buckets of soda pop and just forgetting the world for a couple of hours. And we have all that in our little town of Charlotte.
I signed up to be a backer. I couldn’t give as much as I wanted. I would buy the damn projector myself if I could, but I can help spread the word about how wonderful this little theatre is and hope others are willing to help.
Help the Eaton Theater if you can. It’s a wonderful place for Eaton County, and I would hate to see it go away.
Lindsey Bliss 