Are You a Loca-Viewer?
- Posted By : Lynn
- Comments : 2
You’ve heard about loca-vores—people who try to eat food raised locally. Well, are you a loca-viewer?
When you throw the family in the car and head off to the multiplex, it’s not just costing you a lot more money, it’s also making it harder for your local movie theater to survive. The Clyde has been providing quality films (and enjoyable trash) to South Whidbey for more than 75 years. The theater also has been a community meeting place and a strong supporter of local nonprofits. When was the last time Regal Cinemas sent a donation to Good Cheer or Hearts & Hammers?
And then there’s the issue of money. Blake and I have kept the prices at the box office and snack bar affordable not because we can’t count higher but because we think of our business as a community service too. We want families to be able to afford a night out now and then. (There’s even a nonprofit theater in Tacoma that charges more than we do.)
How much do you spend on a trip to the multiplex? A family of 2 adults and 2 kids under 17 will cost you $37-43 on tickets alone, depending on the ages of the kids. Add in another $40-50 for a small popcorn, medium drink, and small candy for everyone, plus the gas money to go to Oak Harbor or $20-30 for ferry tickets. That’s more than $100 for a night out at the movies! At The Clyde, it would cost you $24 for tickets and $14 at the snack bar and a lot less time. And we throw in the chance to visit with your friends and neighbors for free.
Saving money and supporting a community institution are two great reasons to see your movies at The Clyde. Become a loca-viewer, if you aren’t already.
We are loca-viewers for sure! There is no better movie experience than at The Clyde. The projection and sound are excellent, the popcorn is affordable, Blake and Lynn are thoughtful members of the community, the audience is fun, friendly and respectful. We feel like we are SOMEWHERE really unique when we are at The Clyde.
I went to a mainland multiplex once. It was after having a martini at dinner with friends and realizing I shouldn’t be driving for a few more hours. Can’t remember what the time-killing film was but the theater was shocking–I didn’t know one person in all the multitudes, the food was as expensive as a good restaurant (and they didn’t have the great single chocolates the Clyde has), the sound level was painful and — no one was talking before the film started. Kinda sad. My smile about the Clyde is that there are so many conversations going on before the lights go off, the movie is almost an intrusion. And as an institution…one reason I was willing to move to Whidbey from NYC is that I saw the Clyde schedule–every film I would be trekking across NY to see was coming up at the Clyde. The only reason to see a film anywhere else is if it’s old and therefore not on the Clyde schedule.