365 True Things: 113/Movies

I just saw a notice in our local weekly newspaper that the only "art house" theater in Monterey, the Osio, is closing its doors, effective immediately. The management cites several reasons: debt from too little business, competition from online streaming services, and an expensive conversion to digital projectors three years ago.

I did not go to the Osio often, but I went there far more often than to the mainstream cinema. I've seen so many excellent indie and foreign films there.

Unfortunately, I did not care for the individual theaters (too small, had to arrive way early to ensure decent seating), and that kept me from going, except to see movies I was especially eager to see on a big screen. Also, the parking situation was lousy at best.

I do now tend to see most movies by streaming, but that's not really different from before, when I would wait until movies came out on DVD and then get them from Video-to-Go—which also closed a few years ago because of competition, followed shortly thereafter by the big Blockbuster chain itself, which had a store right across the street from Video-to-Go. I tried to support the little guy right up to the end.

Everything is done via the megamonsters now: Netflix and, for books (or to purchase DVDs, something I don't do), Amazon.

The last film to show at the Osio will be (with fitting irony) The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, at 7:20 this evening. If I wanted to see it, I might go, as a show of too-late support.

Now I guess I'll have to watch the movie listings at Santa Cruz's indie theater, the Nickelodeon, or Palo Alto has several indie theaters—though that would have to be more than just a movie outing. Or . . . I can simply wait until movies are released on DVD or streaming. And if I really need a big-screen fix, there's usually some more or less decent Hollywood film showing at Monterey's Cinemark 13.

Still: I'll miss the Osio. What a cryin' shame.