Movies are distributed to cinemas via satellite (or even the Internet) these days, right? I mean, I assume trucking cans of celluloid around the country is more or less finished (correct me if I’m wrong…). So, the economics of running a cinema must have been transformed in the last few years. I notice that, after a major crisis during the nineties, the independent cinemas are enjoying a bit of a revival.
So, would you visit an independent cinema showing an intelligent mixture of first run blockbusters, indie pictures, oldies and cult movies; making use of digital distribution to keep costs down and flexibility up; serving good coffee and food and maybe using its flexible space to run other events (concerts, art shows, parties)? Do you think you could spin this simple idea into a chain of cinemas (perhaps run on a franchise basis)? Could cinemas be the next urban lifestyle phenomenon?