The ArcLight closing foreshadows a tragic shift in moviegoing
At a midnight screening of “Zombieland,” Oct. 2, 2009, the audience didn’t seem unique, hardly the level of energy now famous in a viral reaction video to the “Avengers: Endgame” climax. But when a trailer for a “Nightmare on Elm Street” remake interrupted that green glow between entries, four words unified us all in disapproval: “From producer Michael Bay.” Boos came from everywhere. Just over three months prior, Bay earned the ire of many a diehard cinephiles with the juvenile “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” This crowd didn’t forget. #WSJWhatsNow : Major U.S. stock indexes are up Wednesday after two consecutive days of declines pic.twitter.com/zgmKzzOt8X — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) April 21, 2021 I miss those midnight movies. Standing in line predicting what will transpire, beach balls flying around while folks wait, kindred souls sharing a moment in a darkened room. Cult classics like “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Nuart any given Saturday keep the midni...