NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� When Jennifer Kent鈥檚 鈥淭he Babadook鈥� a decade ago, it played at two cinemas. When it returns to theaters next month, it will be in 500.
鈥淚t鈥檚 strange but in a wonderful way. I can鈥檛 quite believe it鈥檚 been 10 years already. But it鈥檚 fantastic to go back and be a part of it,鈥� Kent says, speaking from Australia. 鈥淐onsidering that it only released on such a small number of screens, I feel proud that it鈥檚 still enduring.鈥�
a chilling parable of parenthood that ushered in a new era of daring, cinematic horror films, is just one of many movies making an anniversary run in theaters this year. Look at almost any movie theater marquee right now and you鈥檒l probably see not just new titles but a smattering of older films, too.
At a time when nearly everything is available at home with a few clicks, nothing is surging on the big screen as much as yesterday鈥檚 movies. Repertory cinema, once the home of the arthouse, is now in the multiplex, too.
And sometimes, the ticket sales can be eye-popping. In the last two weeks, the beloved 2009 stop-motion Laika Studios film 鈥淐oraline,鈥� by Henry Selick, has grossed more than $25 million 鈥� a staggering sum for a 15-year-old movie. Earlier this year, Disney鈥檚 re-release of 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode One 鈥� The Phantom Menace鈥� made $19.4 million globally.
This fall will see anniversary releases of 鈥淪haun of the Dead,鈥� 鈥淧aris, Texas,鈥� 鈥淲hiplash,鈥� 鈥淗oop Dreams,鈥� 鈥淚nterstellar鈥� and many more. It鈥檚 not uncommon, of course, for restored classics to return to theaters. ( and 鈥淭he Conversation鈥� are among those that have this summer.) But it鈥檚 a new feature of moviegoing that fairly recent movies are seeing wide re-releases 鈥� and that audiences are packing theaters for them.
鈥淭he Babadook,鈥� a small independent film propelled to cult status by widespread raves 鈥� even hailed it as an instant classic 鈥� will very possibly outgross the $1 million it made a decade ago in North America.
鈥淚t has grown a new fan base,鈥� says Nicole Weis, vice president of distribution for IFC. 鈥淭he majority of the fans didn鈥檛 see it theatrically. This strategy of bringing it back was so people could see a film they鈥檝e fallen in love with as they should, as it was intended to be, on the big screen.鈥�
Theatrical hasn鈥檛 returned to pre-pandemic levels. But that鈥檚 partly due to theaters not having enough movies to show. The number of films released nationwide in theaters has lowered for various reasons. The year鈥檚 movie calendar was significantly altered by .
Partly to help fill such voids, the nation鈥檚 three largest theater chains 鈥� AMC, Regal and Cinemark 鈥� in 2005 formed . It distributes, among other things, live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and special events like the annual Studio Ghibli Fest, which brings back classics from the Japanese anime studio. Its release of 鈥淐oraline,鈥� including 3-D screenings, set a new high mark for Fathom.
鈥淭he interest in classic movies has really gone up,鈥� Ray Nutt, chief executive of Fathom says. 鈥淭his year we鈥檒l see a 75% increase year over year in this category.鈥�
When Fathom started out, they mainly looked to play films on quiet days in cinemas, like Mondays and Tuesdays. But they鈥檝e steadily expanded. Earlier this year, one of their biggest hits was a run of the 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥� trilogy over Saturday-Sunday-Monday. Upcoming classics includes anniversary showings of 鈥淩ear Window,鈥� 鈥淏lazing Saddles,鈥� 鈥淢ean Girls鈥� and 鈥淭he Fifth Element.鈥�
鈥淲e joke around here a lot about what is the definition of a classic movie,鈥� says Nutt. 鈥淚t used to be something like 50 years or whatever, and now we鈥檙e talking about 鈥楥oraline鈥� at 15.鈥�
Some streaming services tend to hide older film from their home pages. But in such a digital sea of content, how new a movie can sometimes be less relevant. (鈥淭itanic鈥� and 鈥淭he Equalizer鈥� have both charted this summer on Netflix鈥檚 most-watched lists.) The differential between theater and home is becoming less about what鈥檚 new and more about the viewing experience. Do you want to see 鈥淛aws鈥� on your couch while flipping through your phone, or on a big screen with an audience collectively on the edge of their seats?
Mark Anastasio, the program director of the , a six-screen non-profit cinema in Brookline, Massachusetts, was struck by the appeal older films had when the Coolidge was reopening from pandemic closure. At the time, there were paltry first-run films to play.
鈥淏ut the interest in the repertory never went away,鈥� says Anastasio. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got six screens here. It used to be that once or twice a week we鈥檇 run an older film at 7 p.m. And we鈥檝e now increased our repertory offerings so that we鈥檙e showing an older movie every single night of the week, including Saturday and Sunday nights. And the demand is there."
Now, Anastasio is finding he can program increasingly creatively, reaching deeper into filmmaker catalogues 鈥� and the crowds keep turning up. This week he had a packed house for Spike Lee鈥檚 鈥淚nside Man鈥� in 35mm, the other day Friedkin鈥檚 1977 thriller 鈥淪orcerer鈥� was a success. The Coolidge's upcoming plans include three weeks of 70mm screenings (鈥淟awrence of Arabia,鈥� 鈥淚nception鈥�) and a 鈥淪chlock and Awe鈥� series of William Castle films, complete with their original gimmicks, like seats that buzz during 鈥淭he Tingler.鈥�
Such programming isn鈥檛 new for urban arthouses but it鈥檚 expanding. Increasingly, older films are being shown on screens usually reserved for first-run movies. Some of that is out of necessity.
鈥淭here鈥檚 about 20-30% less films being majorly distributed now than there were just five years ago,鈥� says Jeremy Boviard, the general manager of the four-screen in Millerton, New York. 鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely more holes in certain programming weekends.鈥�
Boviard has had to be more selective about what appeals to Hudson Valley moviegoers, but some choices really click. Last year, that included the 40th anniversary of Jonathan Demme's Talking Heads concert film It was released by A24, which prides itself on cutting-edge contemporary films but has begun experimenting with re-releases. 鈥淪top Making Sense鈥� made more than $5 million domestically.
The trend isn鈥檛 likely to slow down any time soon. Studios now regularly comb through their archives and patiently await notable anniversaries. For Kent, it鈥檚 a positive development in what she otherwise calls 鈥渁 dark age for cinema.鈥�
鈥淚 feel like people still crave that experience," says Kent. "I went to see on the weekend Dreyer鈥檚 鈥極rdet鈥� and Bergman鈥檚 鈥楾he Seventh Seal.鈥� Especially in 鈥極rdet,鈥� it鈥檚 such a transcendent film. The audience, we were collectively experiencing it. I could hear people crying at the end. It鈥檚 the reason that we went to the cinema in the first place 鈥� to have an experience. Not to sit on our couch while we鈥檙e looking at our phones watching some sort of content. It鈥檚 not bringing out the best in us or in the work.
鈥淔or me," she adds, "I take it very seriously, because I think we need it.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
