I spent a lot of time at the movie theater growing up. I loved seeing movies opening nights, especially if I had been eagerly waiting its release. However, as I grew older, I was fine with waiting for a movie's second run at the dollar theaters. With age came patience, and the understanding that a ticket, drink, and candy could run up quite a tab. That realization became more apparent when dating.
The smell of freshly buttered popcorn and the feel of the crisp ticket still warm in my hand triggered a sense of comfort and excitement in me. For many, the movies were an escape from the stresses of life. For me, I forgot about the tests I had coming up, the thankless part time job. It all seemed to disappear as soon as my ticket was ripped.
Within the past year, Miracle 5 closed its doors for the last time. Having been around for decades, its passing left a hole in many devoted patrons' hearts. But with any loss, the key is to move forward and continue on enjoying the cinema.
Movies 8 could be seen as the slightly younger brother to Miracle 5, but one with a slightly different philosophy. Treve Kinsey, the new owner, explained that since he's taken over Movies 8, he plans to try and fill the void of Miracle 5 in a different way.
Miracle 5 was known to show more independent artsy films which attracted a smaller, yet more devoted customer base. That base can find solace in the fact that those types of films aren't gone from Tallahassee forever. Treve Kinsey explained to me that even though Movies 8 won't be devoting all of their theaters to showcase independent films, they are going to dedicate 1 theater to their showing. The names that will be lighting up the marquis will range from well known to the artfully obscure.
"The big thing we keep hearing since we got back is how happy people are that we took over." Treve Kinsey took over Movies 8 in May of last year. Since then he's made sure to put a lot of work into the theater. "The place is clean, and a lot of the maintenance on the facility has been brought current. We provide a safe, clean, inexpensive alternative to the full price theaters. In these economic times our customers really appreciate that they can take the whole family out and still make the mortgage payment."
In recent months, Movies 8 has put on the Rocky Horror Picture Show to the delight of many moviegoers. Bringing back cult classics to the big screen always ends in a memorable time and strengthens the bond we all have with each other. People don't just go to sit down and watch a movie, they go to relive memories and create new ones with their fellow patrons.
Sometime in late April or May, Treve is planning to hold a customer appreciation weekend which will cut the prices of concessions to a measly $1 each. Since Movies 8 is so grateful to all the great customers, it makes sense that they'd set aside a weekend to give back to the community through cutting the already low expense of going to the movies.
If you haven't been going to the movies because of the soaring ticket prices, see what's playing at Movies 8. Treat yourself and someone to a movie, some candy and a drink for around the same price of going alone to those full price theaters. It's a great place to save money on a date.
Tags: Movies, Movies 8, Nightlife, Tallahassee, Theater
Pedro SemperteguiPedro Sempértegui is a recent graduate of Florida State University's English department. After growing up in the quiet suburb of Coral Springs, Fl, he moved to the capital to pursue writing. Since Tallahassee's nightlife has introduced him to new music, awesome food, and delicious microbrews, it's only right that he tries to pass on that knowledge.
