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Movie lovers in Maplewood, frustrated by their town’s lack of a brick-and-mortar movie theater, are taking their own measures.
On Saturday, September 7, more than 150 residents will gather to watch the original 1988 Beetlejuice At the town’s first Backyard Movie Night, 15 homes will set up screens and simultaneously screen movies outdoors. Angela Matusik, co-founder of the Maplewood Film Society, said the event is meant to show that “our creative town needs a physical movie theater.”
The 93-year-old Maplewood Cinema in the heart of Maplewood Village closed during the pandemic; attempts to lease and reopen it as a movie theater were unsuccessful. It is currently for sale. Backyard movie nights are an attempt by the newly formed film society to “attract potential investors while engaging our large community of movie lovers,” said co-founder Lisa Cohen. “Our creative town needed a brick-and-mortar movie theater.”
In a recent survey conducted by the Maplewood Film Society, more than 30% of respondents said they work in a creative field, and 80% of respondents strongly believe that Maplewood would benefit from a brick-and-mortar movie theater. More than 95% of respondents said they would likely see a movie at a big-screen movie theater in Maplewood. “Our town has always attracted creative people and cultural enthusiasts, and having a movie theater on our Main Street is a big part of that,” Matusik explained.
Cohen said that while there are movie theaters in nearby towns, such as South Orange and SOPAC Village, they mainly show blockbuster movies and other films released by major Hollywood studios. Independent arthouse cinemas are being reinvented” she said, adding that many bars have liquor licenses and unique live programming.
“Audiences are hungry for non-mainstream films on screen, including classics, independent films, documentaries and foreign films,” Matusik said. “We like all kinds of films.”
After watching Burton’s film on September 7, participants will be encouraged to watch its sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuiceat a nearby cinema.
For more information about Backyard Movie Night and the Maplewood Film Society’s mission, please contact Matkusik and Cohen (email protected)or continue Instagram or Facebook.
（Related: For Zach Braff, filming in New Jersey is deeply personal）
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