Review: Only In Theaters (2022)
Theaters were hit hard by the pandemic and subsequent quarantine closures, but the impact of the crisis on small businesses and independent movie houses was catastrophic. Only In Theaters, a 2022 documentary from Raphael Sbarge, begins a year or two before the global crisis and focuses on Greg Laemmle's family history in the motion picture industry and their life-long devotion to cinema. And that word--cinema--is very important because Laemmle Theatres never showed big blockbusters and commercial studio fare; rather, they were an island in an ocean of excess, focusing on independent, foreign, arthouse, and auteur cinema. Through Laemmle, many films were given a theatrical showing that enabled them to be eligible for Academy Awards. Owning a theater chain must be great, right? Right! Well, yes and no. The dramatic conflict of the story comes from the fact that the independent film business isn't what it once was. Many audiences seem to be only interested in thrill rides and sp...