Micro Movie House

["bill london" <bill_london@hotmail.com>]

The Micro Movie House has closed.

In many homes in Moscow, that leaves a big hole in lives, in long winter 
evenings, in accessibility to great cinema, and in that special place 
where the Micro schedules were kept.   Everybody, it seemed, had at 
place set aside for that purpose.

Some left a couple of magnets on the refrigerator to hold up the latest 
schedule.  Others had a  hook on a wall or in a closet where the 
schedules were left, the latest on top for all to see.  (A collection of 
former latest schedules then quickly built up, each increasingly 
tattered as it aged.)

At our old house on Polk Street, we tacked up the latest schedule on our 
hallway bulletin board, using the previous schedule for scratch paper.  
At our new home, one of the first things I did was pound a nail in the 
pantry room wall and stick the Micro schedule on it.  But alas, my idea 
(that we would, this time, let the previous schedules stack up on that 
nail) is not possible.  There will be no more Micro schedules.

There will be no more Micro.  

Ah, the Micro, where the show started as the audience entered and 
interacted well before the movie was first shown.
The Micro, where Bob Suto reigned as Movie Expert and Cinema 
Impressario, a fountain of knowledge about what is good, what will win 
an Academy Award, what movie you would never even know about if he 
didn't tell you.  

The Micro, where some recall the burning of illegal tobacco-like 
substances during movies like "The Harder They Come."  The Micro is also 
where some speak in hushed tones about movies they saw there and will 
never forget.

I wonder what we will do, now, for a movie…

Beyond the sense of loss, the closure of this unique theatre reminds me 
of the strength of the forces  in this culture that seek to homogenize 
us.  It also reminds me of the fragile nature of this social fabric here 
on the Palouse.  The ties that bind us ripped through in a big way as 
this social center ceased operation.

Bob, and his silent partners George and Gabe Ball, are remaining 
generous to the end.  They are throwing the party to bring closure to 
this event.  Sunday (10/18) at 6pm, the doors open.  Micro fans welcome 
for free....They will show a free movie (Monty Python) and then cut some 
celebration cake and raffle off some movie posters and say good-bye.  If 
you enjoyed the Micro, please consider coming by one last time to say 
thanks to Bob and all....see ya' there....BL


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