Interview:
Josh Frank,
curator/operator,
The Eastside Cinema
Austin lost too many movie theaters as a result of the COVID pandemic and the rise of the streamers. Remember the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, the Regal Arbor Cinema, and the Cinemark Round Rock Discount Movies 8? So the reopening of a seemingly forgotten movie theater is cause for applause. Originally opened in 1999 but closed in 2011, the Eastside Cinema at the Millennium returned from the dead in December with the help of one of Austin’s most resourceful theater owner/operators, the Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In’s Josh Frank. Located at the City of Austin-owned Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, the Eastside Cinema isn’t just Austin’s sole single-screen movie theater—it is one of only a handful of movie theaters to be found in East Austin. The theater underwent some renovations before its December soft reopening but the venue’s 100 1990s-era seats remain for practical and nostalgic purposes. The Eastside Cinema, which will hold its grand opening celebration on Jan. 20 with Galaxy Quest, places an emphasis on new releases and repertory screenings, the latter of which will be partially programmed by local film and community organizations. In addition to curating programming and operating the EastSide Cinema, Josh Frank owns and operates two Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In locations, the Downtown venue at 300 San Antonio Street and the Central I-35 location at 500 VFW Road.
Aired: Jan. 10, 2024. Web sites: https://www.eastsidecinema.com/ https://www.bluestarliteaustin.com/ |
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