Neighborhood Flix Cinema & Cafe will cease operations today, but the developer of the cultural retail center at the old Lowenstein Theater believes it will continue to be used as a cinema, “and the hope is that it will happen quickly,” Charlie Woolley said.
“There’s nothing we’d like to see more than the lights back on and films being shown.”
Logical candidates, he said, include Landmark Theatres, Regal Cinemas and the Denver Film Society, which had been the originally announced partner for the site.
In 2005, the Film Society couldn’t raise the money it needed to build the cinema itself, and now, well, it’s built.
“I’m sure we’ll be exploring that as an option,” said interim executive director Tom Botelho. “For some time now, our long-term vision has been to build a new facility, or to find an existing place to own or lease.
“It’s funny how things work out.”
Any decision involving the DFS would have to made by the board and incoming executive director Bo Smith, who starts Oct. 14.
As the developer, Woolley has little say over the future of Flix, located on East Colfax Avenue and Elizabeth Street next to the Tattered Cover Book Store, Twist & Shout Records and Encore Restaurant. That’s because the real estate belongs to Flix owners Jimmie Lee Smith, his sister Melodie Gaul, wife Michelle Dorant and their investors.
Smith is preparing to file bankruptcy after shuttering the $5 million, three-screen cinema and upscale cafe he opened Nov. 2.
In the end, Dorant said Flix was done in by an inability to compete with Landmark and Regal for first-run films.
She said any independent, locally owned movie house like Flix depends on the smallest amount of benevolence from its larger competitors.
“Landmark and Regal Cinemas just would not let us have a seat at the table,” she said.
The larger chains get right of first refusal to the kind of independent films Neighborhood Flix wanted, and in almost every case, Dorant said, Landmark and Regal would not let them get their hands on them until it was too late to do them any good.
“Studios always offer first- run films to them first. All we asked for was just one out of maybe every 15 films — and they just would not ever acquiesce,” Dorant said.
“To not ever get to capture that first or second weekend of buzz was just killing us.
“And as big as Landmark and Regal Cinemas are, you have to wonder, ‘How could you be so threatened by a small theater that has only three screens?’ ”
In a letter to supporters dated Sept. 14, manager Leeanna Marsh reached out to the community for help.
“Since Neighborhood Flix opened its doors a year ago, it has had to fight against larger territorial movie chains for the fair opportunity to showcase first-run films,” she wrote. “In the film industry, the first few weekends of a film are the most lucrative.
“We’ve been working very hard to secure these opening films for our fans and to help us bring in the business we need to keep our doors open. Yet, we haven’t been successful due to the overwhelming influence, deep pockets and business practices of our competitors.”
The news of Flix’s demise was greeted by shock and sadness from local film buffs.
“I am crushed to hear Neighborhood Flix is closing,” said Janelle Kenny. “It had become my absolute favorite movie and social hangout in Denver. This is a real loss to Denver.”
One Flix fan even called for a boycott of Landmark Theatres. But others believe that Flix’s dependence on the benevolence of a corporate rival was naive.
“I see no reason why (Landmark) should throw bones to competitors,” said Keegan Perkins, a former Landmark employee who enjoyed going to Flix. “Why should they give up millions of dollars of profit just so Flix can have a nice weekend? No doubt the stockholders would love to hear the reasoning behind that.”
A major downside to Flix’s closing for area filmgoers is that Landmark tends to cycle out titles in just a week or two. Flix afforded consumers the chance to see slow-building buzz films like “Michael Clayton” and “Into the Wild” months after they otherwise would have left the Denver market.
Flix opened as an independent facility in a complex that houses all locally owned tenants. Flix’s three funky, state- of-the-art cinemas ranged in capacity from 94 to 189, with full bar and restaurant service.
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
