Letters to the Editor

by the Readers

Theater of the Absurd

(Re: News, “Filling the Boyd,” Daniel Brook, June 20, 2002)

For a city continually in awe of its perceived historical know-how, it continually amazes me to see so-called progress trample over what little of the "glory days" remain in Center City. Latest fatality -- the Sameric theater on Chestnut Street, whose impending demise even made the AP wire last week for the world to take in.

As usual, the city and those with the money and the know-how to conduct change have a routinely ass-backward way of moving the city forward. After all, if one disregards Philly's art-house chain of Ritz theaters and the cozy, low-grade confines of the Roxy screening rooms, the Sameric was the last bastion in Center City where one could actually stroll to a theater for good, old-fashioned Hollywood schlock. Otherwise, it's time to pack the kids in the car and head for the 'burbs to take in the latest wares from Tinseltown's elite.

Of course, I'm completely ignoring the Riverview 17, which is less of a place to go see a movie than it is to be completely aggravated by the species known as Common Man, which brings me to the largest overlooked point in this continuing debacle: the role played by the United Artists theater chain [in turning] this "mainstay" of Center City nightlife into a dilapidated shithole where even on the best nights, the combination of piss, booze, soda and mildew left a fine residue that took blocks to smear off. Of course, the upkeep at the Sameric was indicative of UA's top-notch approach to moviegoing in Philly, which consists of charging the Average Joe state-of-the-art prices for shitty service, projection and atmosphere. Where does all that profit go, I wonder? It certainly didn't go into the Sameric, and if the Riverview is any indication, it certainly doesn't cover the costs of maintaining a staff of ushers who can actually maintain a legitimate space for one to enjoy a movie rather than be irritated by the experience. And unfortunately for those forces gathering to oppose the demolition, whether or not the Sameric stands or falls fails to address the fact that Center City remains a commercial and cultural hub without a viable venue to fully enjoy those rare moments when mainstream cinema gets it right.

James Doolittle
Philadelphia

Corrections

A.D. Amorosi’s article on Duafe Hair Salon (Naked City, “Hair Aware,” June 13, 2002) incorrectly stated that Allen Iverson was a client of the salon’s owner, Syreeta Scott.

Nate Chinen’s interview with jazz pianist Fred Hersch (Music, “Song of Himself,” June 20, 2002) contained a few factual faux pas. First, Hersch found out he was HIV-positive in 1986, not ’84. His much-awaited trio CD comes out in January on Palmetto Records (as opposed to Nonesuch, as we reported). His Walt Whitman tribute suite and his duet album with Norma Winstone are both due to debut in March 2003, not this fall.

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August 29, 2002
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