NOW IN THEATERS! How does one describe filmmaker Rustin Thompson’s documentary, The Last Picture Shows? Is it an obituary, op-ed, critique, living history, or love letter? His film encompasses the wide scope of cinema through its community impact, surviving various changes, and future uncertainty. Thompson tells the history of small-town theatres across the American West by interviewing theater owners. Film historian Ross Melnick provides additional information and gives film history relatability for non-film buffs.
The Last Picture Shows is broken into six chapters and takes audiences across ten states. One-hundred and twenty-three theaters are given attention. Each chapter delves into various aspects of small-town cinema. Melnick notes that the film industry is in a constant cycle of change, and theaters have been opening and closing since the silent era. When movie theaters close, they either become converted into other businesses, stay abandoned, or transform into churches. Thompson spotlights theater owners who run single-screen, two-screen, drive-ins, and non-profit venues. These owners take care of these places out of a labor of love.
While the documentary highlights preservation and the importance of having a theater as an epicenter of community, there is frankness from theater owners. They are frustrated with short theatrical windows, the streaming bandwagon, and too much emphasis on big-budget franchise films. Another aspect that has hurt mom and pop theaters was the conversion to digital in the mid-2000s. Financial risk is also common because several of them run these venues as a side hustle, and they have to be wise about what films get shown at their venue. The effects of the 2020-2021 lockdowns are also touched on as a turning point for the film industry, especially in regard to moviegoing habits. Throughout the film, we are haunted by abandoned theaters and historical images from the early 20th century.
“Thompson tells the history of small town theatres across the American West interviewing theater owners. Film historian, Ross Melnick, provides additional information…”
Rustin Thompson brings an earthy and calm tone. In between the interviews, we get serene shots of glowing theater marquees, desert highways, and local crowds bustling in the lobbies of these venues. The cinematography is clean and honest, and it emphasizes the heart of America: ordinary, salt-of-the-earth individuals.
With its critiques on the current studio system, the film is subconsciously touching on the effects of globalism and loss of American identity. It is that folksiness, earnestness, and twang that has kept our country alive for 250 years! Hearing from the theater owners felt like living history because there is data from exhibitor magazines online that highlight audience taste on a microlevel. These sources can be found on Lantern, Media History Digital Library, and Internet Archive. It was a true “Eureka” moment for an armchair film historian! The sprinkling of clips from various films was a treat; everything from The Last Picture Show to Rio Bravo is integrated beautifully.
The Last Picture Shows works because it is personal, and I’ve seen multiplexes in my area die out before my eyes. An Edwards Cinema is vacant in a shopping center, and Cinema City is now a Tesla dealership. His film also pairs well with another documentary, Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace. If anything, Thompson’s film encourages urgency; we need investors (preferably those who are movie lovers) to participate in preserving cinema history and the moviegoing experience. Small town theater owners are just as important to the craft of filmmaking, right alongside historians and critics.
"…the film industry is in a constant cycle of change, and theaters have been opening and closing since the silent era."
