In Our Opinion: Theater's coming attractions

It makes good business sense for the nonprofit Amherst Cinema, owner of the Pleasant Street Theater in Northampton, to begin a search and fundraising effort to find a new location in the city for the funky little movie house.

As beloved as the downtown theater is, it will take more than the $130,000 spent on improvements two years ago to make it a strong competitor for moviegoers' dollars. Upgrades to the screens, sound system and general appearance helped, but given that the converted retail space is rented, it's impractical to do much more.

Though its slate of independent films is still a draw, members of the board of directors acknowledge that patrons are waiting for those movies to open at Pleasant Street's sister theater, the Amherst Cinema, where they can stretch out in cushy seats and experience a Dolby sound system rather than tolerate the relatively rustic accommodations in Northampton.

"Audiences are looking for first-class presentation," says board member David Mazur of Amherst, who used to work in film distribution in California. "The mom-and-pop-theater has died out."

Even Rita Bleiman of Northampton, who headed the effort to save the Pleasant Street Theater two years ago, acknowledges the problem. "I like the bohemian nature of the current Pleasant Street Theater, but a lot of people don't," she says.

Keeping a theater in Northampton is a good idea, given the city's size and its reputation as an arts and entertainment destination. Northampton also has an edge over Amherst because regional film distribution regulations allow the Pleasant Street Theater to show films that are playing at Cinemark in Hadley, while the Amherst Cinema cannot.

Using a combination of state and federal grants and community donations, the board of directors was able to come up with $3 million to buy the building where the Amherst Cinema offers two screens and 232 seats. It seems to us that the same type of effort would pay off in Northampton, once a suitable building is identified. Bleiman suggested close proximity to Smith College would be ideal, though it might be hard to find a spot with adequate parking there.

When it looked as though the Pleasant Street Theater would close in December 2007, the community rallied quickly and came up with cash to keep it going. The board should attempt to tap into that energy and loyalty again.

Despite the fact that many people can enjoy a theater-like experience in their homes, thanks to easy-access DVDs and big-screen TVs, the public still enjoys going out to the movies. According to Hollywood.com, box office gross receipts and attendance are up 10 percent so far in 2010. In 2009, gross receipts saw a similar increase over 2008.

A recent survey done by consultants for the Motion Picture Association of America indicated that a theater's amenities are high on the list of factors that get people off their couches to take in a film.

It seems like the right time to capitalize on that and give the Pleasant Street Theater a better chance to compete.