by Jason Asbell
What would I like for Christmas?
How kind of you to ask. What I’d like for Christmas is for all of you to come out to see at least one screening at The Civic and Shoebox Theatres before the year’s end.
It has been a rough go for the cinema industry and your local non-profit cinema in particular. Streamers, poor content, and, yes, illness have oriented viewer habits to the living room, but I’m here to remind you of what the living room can’t replace. I could geek out on all the reasons why the new laser digital cinema projector and cinema sound system makes even the Shoebox Theatre’s smaller 10-foot wide screen far superior to the biggest home cinema set-up or those impressive TV screen dimensions, but the real irreplaceable element is going out, seeing the community and sharing the ride of a fabulous tale.
I’d wager many of you did come out to see Top Gun: Maverick after hearing the buzz. Reminiscing on the original while being taken along for a new original journey together 36 years after the first film. And you probably had a good time didn’t you? Well after a long 13-year wait since the first breakout hit, Avatar, James Cameron has patiently waited for the technology to catch up to bring us the next spectacular visual experience in, Avatar: The Way of Water. So mount up for a good time.
To ramp up the connection and help realize the goal of seeing that Civic screening before the year’s end, we give you the perfect opportunity, The New Year’s Eve Pajama Party. This is a family friendly event where the screening starts at an early 5:30 p.m. to finish with ample time to watch the ball drop in Times Square in real time, so you can ring in the New Year with your kids at a very manageable 9 p.m. Bubbly apple juice will be given to toast-in the moment and Thor’s pizza will be on hand at concession to give a nice meal option to the usual popcorn and candy.
But for all you grown-ups who don’t need a family friendly way to ring in the new year, head over to The Shoebox for Damian Chazelle’s new film Babylon and all the debauchery of early pre-code Hollywood. Stunningly lavish sets and costumes, the frenzy of the film starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li is reminiscent of some of your wilder New Years parties.
Other ways to support NCTS and all its great on-screen and community programs can be done by purchasing gift certificates, becoming a member, buying one of our great holiday gift bags, booking a private screening, or making a charitable donation. Visit our website at civictheatre.ca for more information.
Wishing you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays from NCTS.