“Only in Theaters” Review
Centered on the famed Laemmle family, “Only in Theaters” centers on how this family and their chain of independent theaters have survived over the years.
Despite many setbacks, like competing with streaming services and the COVID-19 pandemic, movie theaters still seem to have survived. Everytime I go to a multiplex for the next big film, there are plenty of people just aching to see the movie that everyone’s been talking about. But what about the small theaters? The ones that have a small group of people at the helm instead of a big corporation. How do they overcome such adversity? The sad truth is that many of them don’t. This is why Raphael Sbarge’s documentary “Only in Theaters” is so compelling.
Set in Los Angeles, Sbarge takes us on a journey with the Laemmle chain of arthouse theaters. Operating for over 80 years and with four generations of Laemmle’s in charge, these theaters have shaped Hollywood’s landscape by not only showing mainstream hits, but by also screening foreign, independent and arthouse cinema to the masses. This was the theater chain that was the first to screen “Luxo Jr.,” a 1986 computer-animated short that gave birth to the animation giant that is Pixar. So many cult classics premiered at a Laemmle theater like “The Room” and, throughout the documentary’s running time, it’s clear that the Laemmle family has a deep love for cinema.
With such a rich tradition, it would be a shame if this group of theaters were to go away. That’s what the movie is about. Over the course of a few years, the Laemmle’s are thrown many hurdles to leap over including declining attendance, a possible buyout and the COVID-19 pandemic. As you watch this film, you are on the edge of your seat like it’s a David Fincher thriller as you’re praying to every deity you can think of that this group of theaters survives.
Along with a suspenseful race against time, “Only in Theaters” is also an informative dive into the history of this theater chain. If the name Laemmle sounds familiar, you’ve probably watched a lot of classic Universal monster films because the founders of these theaters, Max and Kurt, were the cousins of Carl Laemmle, who founded Universal Pictures and whose son produced so many of the classics like “Dracula” and “Frankenstein.” With such a rich history involving cinema, the love for movies has only gotten stronger as seen in the interviews Sbarge shot with various members of the family.
Essentially, the film’s main character is Greg Laemmle, the president of the theater chain and the third generation of the family to operate the theaters. As we go on this journey with him, we see just how difficult it is to keep this ship afloat. As a movie lover, I do have a fantasy about having my own small movie theater and “Only in Theaters” brings a harsh dose of reality to that daydream.
What’s even harsher is the sacrifices that members of the family have had to make to keep these theaters alive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we see Greg having to sell his home in Los Angeles and move to Seattle to keep the marquees lit. However, there’s still hope at the heart of this documentary. Throughout the film, we see interviews with famed filmmakers like Ava DuVernay and Cameron Crowe as well as acclaimed film critics like Kevin Thomas, Kenneth Turan and Leonard Maltin, who praise the Laemmles and are sorrowful at the thought of these theaters going away.
Not only is this film educational and enlightening, but it also connects with my inherent love for seeing a movie in theaters. “Only in Theaters” is a love letter to the theatrical experience and the independent arthouse cinema which especially hit home for me.
In 2019, I lost my local arthouse theater in Champaign, IL when the Art Theater closed its doors and there are no plans for it to reopen at all let alone as a movie theater. This was the place where Roger Ebert fell in love with foreign cinema and where cult films like “The Room” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” would play every month. The Art Theater was where my Aunt Paige and I watched “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” and it was where I saw one of my first foreign language films, an Argentinian film called “El Clan,” on a field trip for Spanish class.
What I found in “Only in Theaters” was a reaffirmation of my love of those small theaters which are certainly abundant in New York. So, if you see this film, maybe take a trip to your local indie theater afterwards. As for me, if I’m in Los Angeles, I know what theater I want to see a movie in. One with the Laemmle name on top of the marquee.
