Shell Shocked: End of an era
Sanibel is a nurturing and people friendly community. It provides good food, music, T-shirts, blackened fish and alligators. But the community has just lost a major staple in our lives that brought us much pleasure — our very own movie theater.
I’ve been in Sanibel for more than thirty years and have always found joy in settling into my seat at the Sanibel Cinema and watching a current movie hit. The popcorn was tasty and I was always present in the company of true movie fans who, like me, loved to sit in the dark and watch the beauty of modern cinema.
Sanibel has traditionally included live theatre, cinema, great restaurants, wild life refuges, art galleries and museums among its cultural, culinary and wildlife offerings. But the pandemic has forced the closure of our beloved twin cinema theaters. And I am angry about this.
Not a single business person has come forward to save the day. Not a single soul has offered to bail the present Sanibel Cinema owners out and allow cinema to continue in Sanibel. The buildings are now shuttered and will make way for an extension of Bailey’s.
No one can tell me that a movie theater in Sanibel must fail. Fate and circumstance caused the closure of our present movie theaters. But they’ve been around for the thirty or so years that I’ve been in Sanibel. I remember arriving at the theater when a major box office hit had started playing — and found that the screening I was intending to be at was sold out. The theaters always had good crowds during the winter season. Show the right movie and the joint was jumping.
Going to the movies has always been one of my favorite things. I always looked forward to taking in at least a movie every few weeks. My wife and friends would catch an early show and then go for dinner afterwards. It was generally the 4 p.m. showing. We’d settle into our seats with a full bags of popcorn and a Coke, watch the ads and then the previews and settle in for the main feature.
Help, someone. Say it ain’t so. Say we don’t have to eliminate movie going from our lives in Sanibel. Yes, we could go into Fort Myers, but that was always a last resort. I loved the coziness of the two Sanibel movie theaters. The seats were extremely comfortable, the technology current and the pleasure immeasurable. Nothing like a good movie.
There is one issue that truly rubs me the wrong way. I haven’t seen any other protests against the elimination of movie going in Sanibel. Isn’t there anyone out there who shares my views on the importance of movie theaters in our community? If so, speak up. We need to show the powers that be that going to the movies is a God given right.
Let’s do whatever needs to be done while the pandemic is still with us. Let’s wear masks, get booster shots, social distance and such. Obviously, I’m addicted to movie going and would have to go to rehab if a movie theater doesn’t resurface in Sanibel any time soon. Please, for the sake of my mental health and wellbeing bring cinema back.
I’m begging you.
Art Stevens is a long-time columnist for the Islander. His tongue-in-cheek humor is always offered with a smile.