Just west of the UC Berkeley campus, on University Ave, stands the UC Theatre, built in 1917. This movie palace seats nearly 1300 souls and has run a program of one night stands of art films since 1976 on its giant screen.
September 14, 2000
Threats of closure of the UC Theatre, due to mounting cost resulting from earthquake retrofitting, have been printed in the free weekly press. It is alleged that the venerable movie palace will be closed forevermore at the end of the month. There are rumors of the sinister withholding of such information from the employees and the public. There is talk of previous threats along these same lines.
September 18, 2000
Rumors circulate in the lobby between the evening's double feature program of Sergio Leone films that the UC Theatre will continue to be open through October, running a weekly, rather than daily schedule. This is yet to be confirmed.
September 28, 2000
It looks like the UC Theatre will be open through October, for four more films, which will include Kurosawa's Ran and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
October 11, 2000
At tonight's showing of Ran, the manager of the UC Theatre alludes to the results of sucessful negotiations with property managers, distribution companies, candy salesmen and popcorn suppliers.
March 28, 2001
Over, it is over. On Friday night, the UC Theatre shall close. The staff has no hope that last minute negotiations (which are, again, rumored to be ongoing) shall be fruitful. All this week there have been invitation-only screenings of staff favorite films. Tonight is Death Race 2000.
March 30, 2001
During the final screening, which, in a curious symmetry, was the very Fellini film with which the theater opened, the popcorn machine was ripped out of the lobby.
Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head.