Hello! I’m Mark Olsen . Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. In what could be a major sign of changes to come across the industry, this week Sony Pictures Entertainment bought the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain , known for its idiosyncratic programming and dine-in theater experience.
As reported by The Times’ Christi Carras and Ryan Faughnder, Sony did not disclose the price of the deal but promised to “preserve Alamo Drafthouse’s distinctive movie-dining experience.” “Alamo Drafthouse’s differentiated movie-going experience, admired brand and devoted community fit well with this vision,” Ravi Ahuja, president and chief operating officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in a statement. “We look forward to building upon the innovations that have made Alamo Drafthouse successful and will, of course, continue to welcome content from all studios and distributors.
” Long-standing restrictions on movie studios owning movie theaters have been eased in recent years, setting the stage for this sale. As Shelleen Greene, professor of cinema and media studies at UCLA, told The Times, “This is another sign of acclimating to a shift in theater-going practice, in viewership, in the ongoing adjustment to streaming services.” One of the true discoveries of this year has been the restoration and reissue of Bridgett M.
Davis’ 1996 film, “Naked Acts.” At the time, Davis self-distributed the film and it reached only.
