I am so tickled to find this site today and to see that people are still commenting on their experiences with Northpark I and II. I, too, was there for the final screening, but we saw the last showing of “Simon Birch.” I was tickled to see the news media interviewing the staff, validating our perception that a landmark was being taken away. About 20 people just sat quietly in their seats for several minutes after the lights came up. Finally one gentlemen walked forward, touched the screen for a moment, and then made his way back to the seats. A girl then proclaimed, “If we don’t get up, they can’t tear it down.” I’m so thankful for that man’s action because it gave the rest of us the freedom to do the same, take pics in front of the screen, and visit with others who were slightly teary eyed. We talked about where the wall sconces were going (demolished, apparently) and other artifacts like Benji’s star.
I now live in Seattle and have the gift of Cinerama, but even with it’s spectacular sound and projection, it can’t generate the connection we’d feel when squeezed into that nothing of a lobby at Northpark, passing money to a chain of complete strangers in exchange for them making our purchase at the snack bar. And the snacks and change always found their way back to us.
So I have a question for Mr. Maher: was there yet a later screening that we were not told of as we left just prior to midnight? Or are you referring to the shut-down of Northpark 3 and 4? I’ll live if I learn I didn’t make the cut for the final screening…
I am so tickled to find this site today and to see that people are still commenting on their experiences with Northpark I and II. I, too, was there for the final screening, but we saw the last showing of “Simon Birch.” I was tickled to see the news media interviewing the staff, validating our perception that a landmark was being taken away. About 20 people just sat quietly in their seats for several minutes after the lights came up. Finally one gentlemen walked forward, touched the screen for a moment, and then made his way back to the seats. A girl then proclaimed, “If we don’t get up, they can’t tear it down.” I’m so thankful for that man’s action because it gave the rest of us the freedom to do the same, take pics in front of the screen, and visit with others who were slightly teary eyed. We talked about where the wall sconces were going (demolished, apparently) and other artifacts like Benji’s star.
I now live in Seattle and have the gift of Cinerama, but even with it’s spectacular sound and projection, it can’t generate the connection we’d feel when squeezed into that nothing of a lobby at Northpark, passing money to a chain of complete strangers in exchange for them making our purchase at the snack bar. And the snacks and change always found their way back to us.
So I have a question for Mr. Maher: was there yet a later screening that we were not told of as we left just prior to midnight? Or are you referring to the shut-down of Northpark 3 and 4? I’ll live if I learn I didn’t make the cut for the final screening…