In this economy, college students are trying to save a buck or two without having to give up valuable nights out.
But a night at the club may put a hefty dent in students’ pockets that could leave their stomachs devoid of even Top Ramen.
Box-office numbers have been skyrocketing in the economic downturn, and a $7 price tag has Americans turning to the age-old tradition that provided entertainment in good times and times of economic struggle — the motion picture.
In 1933, during the midst of the Great Depression, Dwight “Red” Harkins went out West with aspirations to be a filmmaker, only to create what could be considered a staple of Tempe’s history.
One of the few businesses successful during a time of great hardship, Harkins Valley Art Theatre was built in 1938 and has been serving college students and Tempe residents alike for more than 70 years.
Within walking distance of campus, accenting Mill Avenue and Fifth Street with historical attributes such as an outdoor ticket booth, Harkins Valley Art Theatre offers films that may be hard to find on the big screen otherwise.
The Valley Art Theatre hosts special engagements such as a midnight Halloween showing of Wes Craven’s “Scream” and an annual costume extravaganza for cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
The theater is currently showing the award-winning 2007 film “The Cake Eaters,” a dramatic feature about a dysfunctional family reunited by the return of a son.
The next film to hit the Valley Art Theatre screen is “The English Surgeon” — scheduled to begin showing next Friday. The documentary presents the commitments and ethical struggles one brain surgeon faces when attempting to save lives.
Showtimes, detailed summaries and reviews can be found at
http://harkinstheatres.com.
Reach the reporter at bryan.brougham@asu.edu.
