Speaker 3 0:09 It's 9pm on Good Friday and Roncesvalles Avenue was uncharacteristically quiet outside. The party is just getting started at one movie theater that stands out on the street like a building in a early 90s photo catalog. Speaker 2 0:23 The concession line spills into the screening room, while chatter vibrates with a dimly lit almost grungy alternative-esque space. Everyone seems to know one another, even if they entered 30 seconds ago with a different group. Speaker 3 0:37 It's a complete timetrip. Posters from classic film that Miss Congeniality and Mad Max cover the walls and they're not just regular posters, no, the exclusives, special editions, like something out of the 80s. Speaker 2 0:51 And what's playing tonight you ask? Well, of course, it's the new wave Australian sci fi comedy musical from 1988 called sons of steel. Speaker 3 1:00 Never heard of it. It's okay. We didn't either, but Speaker 2 1:04 many people have and once cinema in Toronto continues to find these niche called classics and connect them with the right audience who just seems to get them. Welcome Speaker 3 1:13 to the review, Toronto's oldest and might we add, coolest independent movie theater. Unknown Speaker 1:26 Hey, this is Hania and I'm Akosua Speaker 2 1:29 We're here with another episode of JRN 306 podcasts, this time diving into Toronto's independent theater scene by taking you inside the Revue, 110 year old movie theater in Toronto's West End. Speaker 3 1:41 When the iceberg took the Titanic out in 1912, The Revue opened its doors a pioneer of Toronto's theatre industry, it's lived through all types of disasters, like the world wars and even the Great Depression. Basically, while the economy was dying, the Revue was thriving. So as much as the review is a theater, it is also one of Toronto's designated heritage sites Speaker 2 2:02 in 2024 sure that theater may look somewhat different, but it remains at the core of Toronto's film community. However, keeping business booming is challenging for any independent theater, especially in the digital age with the rise of streaming and increased competition from huge multiplexes like Cineplex, Speaker 3 2:20 while the network of independent Canadian exhibitors, aka nice won't have a crisis, the Revue continues to sell it shows and handle annual memberships. So how do they do it? What's the magic formula? And what could it mean for the future of independent theaters in the city? Speaker 2 2:34 Wait a second, what exactly is an independent theater and what makes it different from the Cineplex down the block? Well, Speaker 3 2:42 instead of telling you myself, I'll let one of the board of directors at nice Sonya William, break it down for you. Speaker 3 2:47 Yeah, so independent theaters can be anything that can be a drive in movie theater, it could be, you know, like a screening series in a park. And a lot of them are these heritage buildings like the review, that are old cinemas that have now kind of taken on independent ownership. Independent theaters are the ones that have like fun popcorn toppings, maybe you know, they'll have sometimes they'll have you know, custom cocktails, they'll have special guests and birthday parties. Because independent cinemas are independent, there's a lot more attention given to the experience per venue. Speaker 2 3:21 As Sonya said, running an independent cinema definitely requires more work than an already established chain. So what type of person could be willing to take the lead and create a film selection so good, that people would line up outside in the cold to get in and catch a show Speaker 1 3:37 at the review? This person is SERENA WHITNEY, who serves as the theaters head programmer. Although she only came to the theater in 2018. She quickly made her mark by selling out shows leading her to become the programming director. When Speaker 2 3:50 Akosua and I sat down with her she told us what makes her Revue different from other cinemas. Speaker 4 3:55 I think that we have a vibe that no other theater can compete with. That is what I always tell the staff and the programmers with like our building may be falling apart. And we may lack a lot of the fancy, you know, we're not we're not fancy here, but what will we lacking that we make up and vibe our programmers are so unique, they provide a fun experience. It's almost like going to a comedy show some of them have jokes, some of them go on stage and provide like, you know, demonstrations of like, you know, martial arts demonstrations, bands, things that other theaters weren't doing. DJs Speaker 1 4:30 so you know, hits the mark. When people come to the view, they're not coming for a regular movie night. They're coming for an immersive movie experience that goes beyond the screening room. Speaker 2 4:39 When we went to see sons of steel. It was a strange sort of hybrid Concert Movie situation. The programmer brought out his own band Jack and Steele who rocked the stage with their songs and a special rendition of the film's title track sons of steel. This concert went on for at least half an hour before the movie even started, and a Cineplex advertisements would be occupying the slot. Speaker 3 5:08 But unlike a Cineplex audience, the crowd at the Revue was strolling along to the beat cheering up the top of their lungs and bursting into claps after each song. Speaker 3 5:26 So clearly commodifying the spiritual theater aesthetic is not a singular effort. Curating an event based on a film requires other elements like an engaged host. The right soundtrack Unknown Speaker 5:50 and even considering what people want to eat and drink Speaker 2 5:56 regardless of the different elements, the review brings through the theatrical experience, its strongest player continues to be the variety in its film programming destination love, drunken cinema, neon dreams and nightmare alley are just a few of their theme based film programs. The range Speaker 3 6:11 of movies offered at the Revue is what brought teaching was seeing through the doors as a self proclaimed film enthusiast teaching us all of our Toronto's film scene, which makes the view the perfect place for him to spend his evenings. You have Speaker 5 6:23 so many different programmers and the variety so good that he can literally like one day Monday they'd be playing amigas and Tuesday they'd be playing in Bladon. Or like Ecuador, what do you call it? The action from Hong Kong. Speaker 2 6:36 So it seems to Revue has figured out the perfect formula, Speaker 1 6:39 diverse film programs, plus funky food and drinks and great vibes all around equals a loyal crowd who shows up time and time again. However, Speaker 2 6:47 most independent cinemas do not share the same luck. According to a recent survey conducted by nice, 60% of independent movie theaters reported a loss at the end of their fiscal year. A big Speaker 1 6:58 part of the problem comes from zones, independent seminars like the review can only screen new releases, after the newest Cineplex has finished showing the film. The strangest Speaker 2 7:07 part, however, is that two Cineplex locations next to each other can play the same film simultaneously. For example, zones, not impact that Cineplex are young and Dundas and Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto, even though they're approximately one kilometer apart. Speaker 1 7:23 In all honesty, the system doesn't make much sense. And Tanya William agrees with the Speaker 3 7:28 impact of zones, it just means that these independent cinemas have to work so much harder to really generate revenue and stay in business as Speaker 1 7:36 an independent non for profit theater, there are clear obstacles that should prevent the review from having financial success. However, the formula continues to work, Speaker 2 7:44 the review makes most of its money from concessions and sponsorship advertising, Serena tells us that the box office sales alone are not enough, since the distributor takes 35 to 40% of the total. Speaker 1 7:56 So clearly, it isn't just luck, that it's gotten them this sort of popularity, it's the time that they have spent creating the experience and the relationship that they have built with their audience that's gotten them this far. I Speaker 4 8:07 know about at least 50 people that come here all the time. And, and it's important as a program director or programmer in general to get to know the people that are constantly supporting you, you know, make some time to talk to them, then they make time to talk to you. I'll be outside and they'll come say something like say hello, and and yeah, so knowing everybody makes you know, it's, it takes some time. But honestly, when you see the same faces all the time, you're like, oh, okay, Speaker 2 8:39 The crowd at the Revueb is not like any other movie theater. Although they follow the social cues of a traditional cinema. They're much more involved and expressive during the film, their community, Speaker 1 8:49 you talk to the person you sit next to, and you know that they are they because they also love movies as much as you do Speaker 2 8:54 for attention or coming to the theater was another way to become immersed in the Toronto Film community Speaker 5 9:01 if you're lining up, so you just strike a conversation. So that adds up and then you slowly accumulate that we also this led us to add people to this WhatsApp or this Instagram group that we used to have. But yeah, that was quite fun as well. Just like having that group of people like 60 or 70 people just talking about films the whole day. Speaker 1 9:18 Maybe that's what it comes down to independent cinemas bring you closer to your favorite movies and lets you experience them wholeheartedly. Speaker 2 9:24 You may ask why you should choose independent over huge multiplex Sonia proposes why not Speaker 3 9:30 you know if you've ever left a movie and you've maybe changed your mind a little bit about something or maybe you wanted to call your mom. And you know it made you feel something you know how important that is. And independent cinemas will take a risk they'll show something that maybe the multiplexes won't show they'll bring in a guest sometimes you can have a conversation. You can really meet with other people. You can build a kind of community or you can also propose your own programming, you know, like bringing your own films kind of have More of a dynamic, interesting relationship. It's because with small businesses, you can make an impact. Whereas with a really large chain, you know, you're just one person and they're serving so so many people. So I think the independent cinemas, it's more of an authentic relationship. Speaker 1 10:17 During the last few moments of a conversation with Serena, we asked her what was next for the review, the theater seems to be continuously growing and evolving, and the sky truly looks like the limit. Speaker 2 10:27 But why fix something that isn't broken? The review works because it feeds into people's passion for film. Serena says that's what they will continue to do. Speaker 4 10:35 We're not in competition. We are in our own lane. We've already like, you know, we we don't compete with any theater. That's like we I feel like we are the trendsetters. And that's probably why. But yeah, it's never our goal to be like, we need to be like this other theater, we stand out. And I think that that was the whole point. Every time we get programmers, one of the things is don't I will tell them don't worry about anybody else's doing. Just do you and people will respect you for that. Speaker 3 11:05 Next time you're craving a rewatch of your favorite childhood film. Just remember that an independent theater near you might be screening it. Till next time. Unknown Speaker 11:14 I'm Hania and I'm Akosua. Speaker 3 11:15 Thank you for tuning in for this episode of JRN306 podcast. Transcribed by https://otter.ai