the event
final paradise screening Filmgoers say goodbye to the Paradise Cinema (1006 Bloor West) with a screening of Koyaanisqatsi Friday (June 30) at 11 pm. $6 (includes a free small popcorn). 416-537-7040. Rating: NNNNN
WHO : Nick Zubeck, branch manager of the Paradise Cinema.
WHAT : “A special screening to bid goodbye to the Paradise Cinema. We threw in the popcorn because we wanted to go out with a bang, not a whimper.”
WHY Koyaanisqatsi? “It’s a beautiful, beautiful movie and so is the Philip Glass score, which is one of his best known.”
WHY DID THE PARADISE GO DOWN? “Programming became hard. You can only program what’s available, which is why you saw the shift from rep films to more mainstream movies. Then DVDs were coming out much more quickly. And besides, there aren’t that many hardcore cinephiles here in the first place, and they do have Cinematheque.”
NOW THAT THE PARADISE IS GONE, WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE T.O. CINEMA? “The Fox in the Beaches. It’s one of the oldest theatres in the city — it opened in 1913, and the old pipe organ and original projector are still there. It’s almost like a museum.” FAVOURITE MOVIE SHOT IN T.O.? “A Home At The End Of The World. It’s not very good, but some of it was filmed at the Paradise, and I was at the shoot.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? “I’ll concentrate more on my music – I’m a singer/songwriter. But I’ll miss the Paradise. My whole social life happened there.”
DO YOU SNEAK SNACKS INTO THE MOVIES? “Oh yeah.”
