Nostalgic Cinema: Rio Paradiso
Jill Mandrake, The Peak
“What do you not like about going to the movies?” This was a question Mukesh (Mike) Goyal asked potential patrons as he renovated the Rio Theatre on Broadway and Commercial. While visiting his re-opened vintage 1938 movie house, I asked Goyal, “What prompted you to purchase a single-screen cinema in these fiscally challenged times?” He replied that you can count the number of single-screen theatres — the number of golden-era marvels — on one hand, and for this reason Vancouver really needed a new one. I agree with Mike, but whether people will come out and enjoy this venue remains to be seen.
Which returns us to the first question: what is it that people dislike about the current movie-going experience? Mike Goyal told me most of the people responded to this question by saying admission costs were too high. He hopes to have solved this by rolling back prices as much as possible — $8 for adults, $7 for youth, and $5 for kids and seniors. Tuesday nights and matinees are also $5.
Mike’s question was so fascinating that I conducted my own impromptu survey. I asked people what they didn’t like, and besides the high admission prices, I heard a variety of complaints: the ads before the feature film, audience chatter, ringing cell phones, people putting their feet on surrounding seats, uncomfortable seating, kids kicking the back of my chair, inconsiderate patrons in general, the high cost of food and drinks, the poor selection of first-run movies, and the fast food wrappers and other garbage lying about.
Okay, so how does Goyal address these issues? Impressive as it sounds, he can answer almost all of them. To begin, he won’t show ads prior to the main feature, only trailers (people I spoke to said they like trailers because, if nothing else, they give an idea what’s not worth seeing). The concession menu, which even includes healthy snacks, is moderately priced. The Rio also has state-of-the-art seating, and its interior is spotless, if not downright gleaming. The only two things over which Goyal has little or no control are the availability of good contemporary films, and the behaviour of certain moviegoers who think they’re in their living room.
I’m not sure how the latter problem can be resolved, but here is a thought: the Rio actually has ushers and greeters in the lobby. Wouldn’t it be a welcome bit of retroaction if they could scout out noisy patrons and tell them to hush up or leave?
And regarding the limited menu of commercial films, I can only say that cinemas at least have the option of hosting festivals and other not-so-mainstream entertainment that may surpass some of the mediocre choices out there. For example, maybe we could bring back the B-Movie Festival, given how popular it proved to be a decade or two ago.
We haven’t even touched on live entertainment, for which theatre buildings are now an untapped resource. The acoustics in a place like the Rio are superior — after all, sound engineering in the ‘30s was geared towards live concerts. If Goyal were to add music, poetry, open mics, or other performances to the Rio’s repertoire, there’s no telling where such a service could go.
At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, whenever I pass the Rio’s classic marquee with its 300 hypnotic lights, I feel that I’m entering a world where neighbourhood entertainment, and its cultural impact, has a chance to shine once again.