Entertainment
How indie theaters are evolving in a new era: “Everybody wants movies in their lives”
Audiences have been enjoying films at movie theaters for decades, but streaming and expensive ticket prices have impacted moviegoing habits. For the owners and operators of independent theaters, survival means getting creative.
Kevin Smith, the man behind cult classics like “Clerks” and “Mallrats,” bought a theater in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, in 2022. It was the cinema he’d gone to growing up. He renamed it Smodcastle Cinemas, and hoped that even as it reeled from COVID-19 shutdowns, he could rekindle the magic he’d loved as a child.
“I learned more about myself sitting in this (theater) than I ever did sitting in a classroom or sitting in church or something like that, and it led me to the rest of my life,” Smith said.
But the reality of operating the movie theater was difficult, even for a celebrity like Smith. They operate as a non-profit, Smith said, because if they functioned as a for-profit business, they “would die.” Smith can bring in celebrity guests for Q&A sessions and other events. The theater also hosts an annual film festival.
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“Saving my childhood theater with my friends? Dream come true, worst financial investment I ever made in my life,” Smith said.
On the opposite coast, film store Vidiots has been bringing new movies to audiences for 40 years. When it opened in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, in 1985, it operated as a traditional video store with an extensive and rare collection of films. In 2023, Vidiots moved to Eagle Rock and expanded into an exhibition space, reviving the historic Eagle Theater.
“We opened to uncertainty,” said executive director Maggie MacKay. “We had no idea if people would come, and they did. And they’ve been coming ever since.”
MacKay said Vidiots has become a touchstone for local kids.
“One of the biggest surprises and the happiest surprises for us and the thing that I think I most wanted to happen here is that young people come here,” she said. “Teens, tweens are getting dropped off by their parents. And because this place is affordable and welcoming and nonjudgmental and safe, they are coming here all the time. We’ve got kids growing up here who call the video store their video store. We have a kid who calls it ‘my video store.’ That kid has no idea that that is a very unique thing to say in the 2020s.”
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Like Smodcastle, Vidiots operates as a non-profit. That isn’t the only path to success for these kinds of theaters, though, as New York City’s Metrograph proves. The two-screen theater in Manhattan’s Lower East Side shows international and arthouse fare and operates as a for-profit. Business is booming, CEO Christian Grass said, with the theater recently enjoying its best summer on record.
“People love going to the movies and people love the experience,” Grass said. The theater also has a bookstore, a magazine, a streaming service, an extravagant concession stand and a swanky bar and restaurant. The establishment has focused on building a sense of community, said Metrograph director of programming Inge de Leeuw, which ensures people keep coming back. MacKay said she’s also found people are looking for connection, community and a place they can go.
“Everybody wants movies in their lives, whether they know it or realize it or not,” MacKay said. “To save this thing, you have to make available every point of access for it. You have to make a return to a social experience.”
While independent theaters are taking different paths to success, they have one thing in common: They want to keep introducing new and classic films to audiences.
“You want to learn something about somebody, sit in the darkness and watch movies with them,” Smith said. “You will learn a lot about a person. You’ll find out if they’re empathetic. You’ll find out what makes them laugh. You’ll find out if there’s a real human being there, if there’s a heart underneath that all, man.”
Chase Infiniti looked every bit the star as one of the ongoing awards season’s breakout stars, appropriately on hand to accept the Breakthrough Performance prize at the 2026 National Board of Review gala.
Held on January 13, the evening saw a number of stars arrive in New York City to honour the past year’s best releases and their cast members.
While the 25-year-old rising star sealed her award for her highly acclaimed turn in One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderon and also starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, among others.
To receive her honour, Chase donned a figure-hugging midi dress, woven to perfection and sourced from Oscar de la Renta’s Pre-Fall 2026 collection.
The young actress finished things with matching cream-coloured heels to go with her dress of the same shade.
Whereas at a closer glance, the ensemble further included intricate pearl work, with the tiny gems adorning the dress’s body and shoulder straps.
Meanwhile, some of the other films to be recognised at the latest National Board of Review event were Sinners, Train Dreams, and more.
Furthermore, Chase Infiniti was just one among her film’s cast to bag an award during the gala, with Leonardo DiCaprio also walking away with the best actor prize, while Benicio del Toro and Paul Thomas Anderson secured supporting actor and best director wins respectively.
Pete Davidson is officially stepping into podcasting, adding a new chapter to his ever-evolving career.
The comedian and actor announced on Wednesday, January 14, that he is launching a new podcast titled The Pete Davidson Show, set to premiere later this month on Netflix.
According to a press release, the podcast will drop weekly and promises relaxed, candid conversations with Davidson at the center.
The former Saturday Night Live star plans to film the show primarily from his garage, a setting he joked is “where all the best conservations happen”, while also taking the podcast on the road for select episodes.
The show is being teased as a space for open, unfiltered discussions, with Netflix describing it as featuring “candid, no-holds-barred conversations.”
Davidson explained why Netflix felt like the right home for the project, saying, “Netflix was the home of one of my first stand-up specials, so it felt right to bring the podcast there, too. It’s me and my friends talking about anything and everything. It’s going to be a great time.”
His connection with the streamer runs deep.
He first partnered with Netflix in 2020 for Pete Davidson: Alive from New York, followed by his 2024 stand-up special Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli.
In between, he also curated and hosted Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends in 2022 as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest.
The timing of the announcement marks a busy and meaningful period in Davidson’s life.
Just one month ago, he and his girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, welcomed their daughter, making this new venture part of a fresh personal and professional chapter.
The Pete Davidson Show is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Friday, January 30, at 12:01 a.m. PT.
With his signature humour, a familiar group of friends, and a laid-back format, the podcast is expected to give fans a closer look at Davidson beyond the stage, continuing his long-standing relationship with Netflix while offering something entirely new.
Gisele Bündchen appears to have offered a subtle but meaningful clue about her youngest child’s name, and fans were quick to notice.
In a recent Instagram post shared Tuesday, the supermodel was seen wearing a delicate diamond initial necklace that seems to hint her baby’s name begins with the letter “A.”
The necklace features four jeweled initials, “J,” “B,” “V,” and “A”, representing her husband and children.
While the “A” was partially hidden by her hair in Bündchen’s own post, clearer snaps shared on jeweller Katharina Junkert’s Instagram made the full set of initials visible.
The designer confirmed the piece in her caption, writing, “Diamond initial necklace Melis, shipped to Miami this summer #giselebundchen.”
The appearance of the “A” has sparked interest as it may be the first public hint at the name of Bündchen’s youngest child, whom she welcomed with husband Joaquim Valente in February 2025.
Page Six previously reported that Bündchen quietly married Valente, and the two have been together since June 2023.
They revealed her pregnancy in October 2024, and a source later shared that Valente was “thrilled they finally tied the knot after having a kid together.”
Bündchen, 45, also shares son Benjamin, 16, and daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.
Alongside the necklace reveal, her Instagram upload offered rare glimpses of her 1-year-old, though his face was carefully kept private.
One snap showed the toddler turning away from the camera as his grandfather played guitar, while another captured him sitting on Bündchen’s lap at a table.
Additional photos showed moments at the beach, in a pool, and even atop a tiny horse, with a heart emoji covering his face.
In a quieter moment, the model was seen cuddled on a couch reading to her son, sunlight filling the room.
Reflecting on the time spent together, Bündchen wrote, “As the new year unfolds, my heart is full of gratitude for the moments spent recharging with my family.”
She added, “May this year bring you love, health, peace, and new adventures,” before wishing followers “endless blessings and a beautiful journey ahead.”
While Bündchen has not directly confirmed her baby’s name, the sparkling “A” resting alongside her family’s initials has spoken volumes.
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