Categories: Lifestyle

The Seattle Cinerama faces an uncertain future & you can help save it

Photo via Seattle Cinerama's Facebook

The concept of movies used to be such a normal thing. Go with your friends, solo or on a date. But these days it’s something we’re all slowly easing back into. The theatre business was hit hard by the pandemic and while many theatres haves reopened, the doors of the very notable Seattle Cinerama have remained shut.

Seattle’s historic Cinerama which opened in 1963, is one of the world’s 3 remaining Cineramas. And if you’re wondering what makes it so different from your regular old theatre, it’s a truly larger-than-life experience.

The process works by projecting 3 images simultaneously from three synchronized 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen providing viewers with a real widescreen experience.

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If it sounds cool, you’re right, it is. A visit to Seattle’s Cinerama was truly an experience and extra special thanks to the cheater’s chocolate popcorn. Not to mention, the theatre was purchased by Microsoft’s late Paul Allen in 1998 who did all sorts of renovations throughout the years. These days, the doors still remain shut and no update has been provided other than that the theatre is closed for the foreseeable future.

Considering the rate at which buildings in the area are razed and developed, Seattleites are nervous that this historic theatre will be lost. In an attempt to save the theatre, a petition has been created on Change.org and you can sign it. By doing so you will be:

“calling on 1) Jody Allen, the current head of the Paul Allen Estate (which owns the theater), to invest in this historic theater’s future and get it back up and running; and 2) the Seattle Neighborhoods Department Historic Preservation Program to designate the theater a Seattle Landmark, thereby protecting it from demolition.”

If you’d like to sign the petition you can click here and if you’d like to learn more about the theatre you can click here.