Let’s face it folks. Unless you’re new to Savannah, there isn’t all that much to do downtown. Aside from the occasional play or art gallery, downtown Savannah (which seems to turn into a ghost town at about 8 p.m.) can get kind of boring for the average student. Going to the movies has always been a welcome diversion for the average middle class American (and that’s what we really are, no matter how much we like Hunter S. Thompson). So why aren’t there any movie theaters downtown?
Granted, Savannah has more than enough movie theaters. There are two Regal theaters, two Carmike theaters, and one lesser-known Trademark theater. The issue is that all of these are way uptown. A good portion of SCAD students don’t have a car and have no way to get to the theater. And most of the poor freshman were duped into thinking that there wouldn’t be enough parking at the dorms, so they didn’t bring their cars. Sorry guys.
But what about the trusty SCAD bus service? Well, we pulled out our archaic Mead folders from freshman year and dusted off the old bus schedule. We learned that they don’t go any farther south than Montgomery Hall, and there certainly aren’t any movie theaters anywhere around there.
There are a few logistical problems with putting a massive movie theater downtown. First of all, there’s a huge real estate issue. Downtown is already so oversaturated that finding a house to rent there is pretty challenging — not only for the availability, but for the price. With serious financial blows the movie theater industry has taken due to more convenient services like the Internet and Netflix, it would take a brave investor to put his money into a movie theater in the most expensive part of town. Did someone say Paula Wallace?
Still, there may be enough movie-crazed SCAD students to justify such a risky endeavor. The film major has been rapidly expanding, and having a movie theater within walking distance of Hamilton Hall might make the mandatory field trips actually worthwhile. Granted, both Trustees and Lucas theaters show the occasional classic movie like “North by Northwest” or “Back to the Future,” but they aren’t first run theaters that are showing movies on opening night. And why should they be? Usually there is some legitimate art happening at these theaters, like plays or concerts. Why would Trustees stop putting on plays so they can show a quality film like “Prom Night” 24/7?
Maybe, like the underground parking garage they’re “building” in City Market, a movie theater downtown just isn’t in the cards. Until then, just move out to the safe and quiet suburbs, where the movie theaters flow like the soda that costs $6 an ounce. And that’s another thing …
