On seeing 'The Last Picture Show' at The Last Picture House
Here's what I experienced at the soft opening.
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There’s a new place in Davenport that I’m so stoked about, I could shout it from the rooftops: The Last Picture House, a new cinema that will not only bring more arts and culture to town, but that came into existence thanks to two Hollywood filmmakers who grew up in the Quad Cities.
I was out town this past weekend for the appropriately chosen showing of Field of Dreams for the grand opening, but I did participate somewhat unexpectedly in the soft opening period, when I found myself needing to soothe some not-great feelings on Thanksgiving night. Here’s what I experienced.
I’d seen some promos the week prior advertising that for the soft opening, the cinema would be showing movies with the word “Last” in the title, like The Last Action Hero, The Last Crusade, etc. None of those interested me, but The Last Picture Show had long been on a mental list of movies I intended to see. I knew that Larry McMurtry wrote the book it’s based upon. I knew it’s about a small town, and I happen to obsessed with small-town depictions, especially those created by people who actually grew up in one. But still, I’d figured I’d go to this new venue some other time down the road. (Maybe I could stream this legendary film sometime at home.) But then I got a bit of the blues on Thanksgiving, and needed to get out of the house.
I’m never usually alone on Thanksgiving, (and I hadn’t been earlier that day, either). Typically I’m at my childhood home down in west central Illinois, and I get to be home with my family and my mom cooks amazing food. This year, we gathered in Davenport instead, because it served as a good place for my brother-in-law’s family to meet and join us. (I didn’t host, though. The only way we could’ve done it at my place was if half the family sat in fold-up camp chairs and I nuked frozen dinners in the microwave. Instead, we dined at the luxurious Hotel Blackhawk.)
Afterward, when it was time for everybody to drive back to their separate homes, suddenly I found myself feeling lonely. I’d been a bit scattered and overwhelmed at work lately, so I hadn't thought this through and planned ahead. I could’ve tried to make plans with friends who might be around, but by this time they were busy doing other things. And because it was Thanksgiving afternoon, I didn't really want to do chores I might do on an unexpected weekday off. So I allowed myself the luxury of a little bit of rest for rest’s sake and read a book, which felt great. But by evening I was still feeling a little glum. So I looked up the hours for the Last Picture House, and sure enough there were shows that night. I quickly snagged a ticket. (And btw, I did go spend the rest of the holiday weekend with my folks! So don’t worry about me.)
Snacks, ‘SNL,’ and squirm-inducing scenes
When I arrived, I was a bit in awe of the cocktail lounge (even though I’ve been able to see it through the windows for several weeks). I chatted with the guy working behind the concession stand. And even though I’d eaten enough at the Black Hawk buffet hours earlier to split my pants, I ordered popcorn. With butter.
Inside the theater, I was pleased to see that several others had decided to spend their holiday evening in this way.
The guy who’d been behind the popcorn stand came in and introduced himself as the manager. He gave a nice welcome and talked about the types of films the boutique cinema will be showing — indies and not just blockbusters — and as he elaborated, it truly sank in for the first time: there’s an art-house cinema in Davenport! I honestly cannot believe this place exists right down the street from where I live! There's a rooftop screen, (which sounds delightful until you remember that 11 out of the 12 months you'll be swatting mosquitoes or battling potential frostbite while you watch). There two state-of-the-art theaters, vintage film posters, and plans for live events.
I enjoyed the movie, even though essentially it's pretty bleak, and despite several scenes that were cringe-worthy (or “so cringe” for any young people here), and not just because of their cultural insensitivities. (If you’re familiar with the film, let me just drop these phrases: “what led to the nosebleed” and “kidnapping.”) I definitely appreciated multiple realistic depictions of small-town life. I kept thinking about it after it was over, (and in fact stayed up until almost midnight googling and reading articles about the movie and about director Peter Bogdanovich.
But as much as I enjoyed the film, my favorite part of the experience was the little snippet at the beginning (I can’t remember if it was before the previews or after), that shows a bunch of film and TV clips that mention the Quad Cities and/or Davenport. Like scenes from “Tommy Boy,” “Dumb and Dumber,” and a clip of good old “Fred Garvin” from SNL. (I later learned, after I started working on this post, that this reel was created by Beck and Woods themselves. See the very end of this article for more on that.)
Beck & Woods, the ‘Boys’ from Bettendorf
Everything about the place is made all the more exciting when you consider that the whole thing exists because two guys who grew up here (in Bettendorf, (one of the four “Quads,”) who have gone on to Hollywood success, have made an investment in their home stomping grounds.
Watch this quick clip with their wonderful comments about the Quad Cities and why they pursued this project, or visit this story for much greater detail and full interview.
So, Quad Citizens, have you been? Will you go? And most importantly, have you met the real Fred Garvin? Let me know in the comments below!
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I’ll have to look up the movie. I was there for the grand opening and it’s a cool place!!
I can't wait to go! It sounds perfect! And I really do need to re-watch "The Last Picture Show". I haven't thought of that movie for decades!