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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Magic Lantern offering movies via virtual screening

Kris Hitchen and Katie Proctor in “Sorry We Missed You.” (Joss Barratt / Zeitgeist Films)

Whether you go once a week, once a month or maybe only a few times per year, seeing a movie in a theater is an experience. You peruse the showings and finally choose the film you want to see, select your must-have snacks and settle into the “perfect” spot.

But with quarantine in place for at least another few weeks, those theater outings are still on hold. With a little creativity, you can re-create the experience at home. Snacks and seating are up to you, but the Magic Lantern Theatre is giving patrons access to films via virtual screenings.

The idea to screen films came to Magic Lantern manager Jonathan Abramson after a distributor approached him about offering the service. “We figured there was nothing to lose by at least offering content,” he said in an email.

Last week, Magic Lantern screened films including “The Whistlers,” “Slay the Dragon” and “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band.”

On Friday, the Magic Lantern will make the following films available for screening: “Saint Frances,” “Sorry We Missed You,” “The Woman Who Loves Giraffes,” “Incitement” and “Bill Cunningham.”

Via links posted to the Magic Lantern website, www.magiclanternonmain.com, and Facebook page, those interested in watching a film can rent it, with prices varying depending on the distributor. Rentals will be avaialble for a few days, again depending on the distributor.

A portion of the rental price will be given to the Magic Lantern and used to support employees and “come back strong,” as per a post on the theater’s Facebook page.

In the meantime, Abramson hopes these virtual streams help movie fans connect with one another from the comfort of their own homes.

“We have a Spokane Cinema Meet Up group, and it actually might allow them to watch movies and then hold Zoom meetings afterwards to talk about them,” Abramson said. “Hopefully it is a way to bring some connection to the community, as well as offer some great films that we would have been showing anyways.”