As a big fan of independent movies Cinemapolis has been on my radar since I arrived at Cornell last semester. However, it wasn’t until last weekend that I finally got the chance to not only see a film there but to learn about how the theater works. Cinemapolis is a theater that specializes in independent and foreign films. Due to the way that distribution works for films in general, Ithaca gets many independent films a few weeks after they arrive in theaters that are located in major cities like Chicago or Los Angeles.

From the moment I walked in and saw the posters for upcoming films like Everybody Wants Some!!! or Green Room I was impressed. The theater reminds me of the IFC Center in the village. The even more astonishing thing happened when I saw the projector, which is now completely digital and needs little human interface to work. When manager Brian Bossard discussed how exactly the theater gets its films I realized how little I know about the movie theater business. It’s funny, all these years of practically immersing myself in the world of film and I never bothered to learn how a company acquires the right to distribute a film or how indie film companies work with art-house theaters like Cinemapolis.

I also got a chance to see the film Demolition, directed by Jean-Marc Valee (Dallas Buyer’s Club) and starring Jake “Donnie Darko” Gyllenhaal. While the film is not perfect, it did manage to balance black comedy and drama pretty darn well. All of the performances were good but I still have a bone to pick with Chris Cooper, the actor who plays Phil in the film. For the last few movies I’ve seen him in he plays a New Yorker but still sounds like what people from the Midwest think New Yorkers sound like. Yes, it’s a nitpick but it just keeps getting on my nerves, I know he can afford a voice coach or something. All in all, I give the film a Matinee, Gyllenhaal gives a standout performance and the movie has a decent message about moving on after tragedy.

*The title to this post is not exactly my most creative but I’m tired so it will have to work.