Whether it was true or not, everyone in my hometown considered Wehrenberg Theaters the best place to watch a movie. I preferred Wehrenberg’s Clarkson Road theater that later turned into a pet store and is now a Total Wine. It was a 15-20 minute walk from my house but I’d still walk it with my friends most summer weekends. I probably liked the air conditioning more than whatever movie we saw most days, but the whole place felt special. We had the run of the lobby and played in the arcade for hours. And sneaking into an R Rated movie (the only one I remember is The Rock) was always exhilarating. I loved the Clarkson Road Wehrenberg so much.
Even the theater’s smells stay locked in my memory - mostly the extra butter. Wehrenberg had the best extra butter. That butter turned me into Mickey Mouse when he’s floating toward and sniffing for a pie on a windowsill. See below.
But the best part of seeing a movie at Wehrenberg was the theme song. It was even my Transcendental Meditation mantra for a time.
Anyway, the party ended when Greg Marcus and his circus bought Wehrenberg and slapped his name on the front of every theater this side of the Mississippi. Greg’s trailer intros started out annoying, but they got progressively more psychotic as time went on. Here’s the link to all the intros if you don’t believe me:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwZVKhNumPMbQcBjOJ9-PO-dHwmflGOfB.
In one trailer intro, Greg acted like covid-19 was just a dream - way to spread disinformation, Greg. Glad grandma actually survived, Greg. And don’t forget the videos where Greg drags his poor elderly dad out for an intro. Let the man rest, Greg.
Anyway, it’s no secret that Greg Marcus gets my goat, so what I’m about to say is going to shock Hollywood. I agree with Greg Marcus on something: Hollywood can get back to the way things were pre-pandemic (think box office, not Harvey). So far, if you think about it, movies like Maverick, M3GAN, and 80 for Brady are bringing in demographics that haven’t really returned to theaters yet. Let’s face it, Grandpa Marcus isn’t going to see Babylon for 3 hours but he will see Top Gun. Movies are beating their box office predictions regularly across multiple genres for multiple demographics. Meanwhile, Quantumania’s numbers plummeted Week 2. Greg Marcus is right - the tone is changing and I think he’s correct in betting on the theater experience. It starts with the studios. They need to stop regurgitating old IP and release a more diverse selection of films. People will return if you give them a reason to visit.
So go see a movie at one of Greg’s theaters … but only if you also see a movie at an independent theater the next weekend. I’ll start doing stories on independent theaters across the country to highlight what makes them special - probably on the Industry Insights page. In the meantime, check out the Hi-Pointe Theater in St. Louis if you’re ever in the area. Cinema St. Louis recently purchased the theater to keep it independent. It will be the new home for the St. Louis International Film Fest. See https://cinemastlouis.org/hi-pointe.
No love for Rolando Rodriguez?
Yeah, the Wehrenberg intro music was so good. I used to walk from my house to the Des Peres 14 Cine, which Marcus also took over.