News of Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas closing hit me while I was on holiday break, and I confess, I simply did not have the heart to deal with it. But the whispered rumors from mid-December are now cold, hard facts: Jan. 5 will be your last chance to see a movie on the screens of Hillcrest Cinemas.
I have so many wonderful memories of films and experiences there. The first memory that jumps to mind is attending a press screening for "Reservoir Dogs." I was pregnant, and then-manager Steve Russell took me aside with great concern and said that he had heard the film was especially violent, prompting visceral reactions in people. He feared it might cause me to go into early labor or irreparably harm the fetus. I survived the screening, and after my son was born, I would duck into the projection booth with my infant so he wouldn't annoy fellow critics Duncan Shepherd and David Elliott. I specifically remember watching Mike Leigh's "Naked" from the booth. My son does have a penchant for violent action films, but I don't think I can blame that on the Hillcrest Cinemas.
The decline of art house cinemas
I have witnessed The Unicorn, The Fine Arts, The Guild, The Park, The Cove, The La Jolla Village and The Ken all close. It hurts.
As someone who lives and breathes movies, the closing of each cinema deeply saddens me — especially because these particular cinemas were not just places to passively watch movies but rather cinema churches where I could join a community of filmgoers to worship at the altar of the holy movie screen. Afterward, we could congregate to discuss our opinions or what the film meant. No matter how much we disagreed, we all shared the same faith.
But even faithful cinephiles are getting out of the habit of worshipping in-person. A friend posted on Facebook about Hillcrest Cinemas closing and wrote, "I used to go to this theater weekly!!" They key phrase is "used to." More and more people are abandoning the ritual of going out to the movies on weekends.
If die-hard cinephiles are staying home to stream movies or enjoy a new 4K restoration disc in their home theater, then art houses will continue to close. We will be left with the more impersonal mall theaters showing mainstream Hollywood fare, and indie and foreign films will become harder to find on the big screen.
Landmark has been a beacon for foreign and independent film in San Diego since the mid-1970s, when it took over the single-screen venues of The Ken Cinema (Kensington), The Guild (Hillcrest) and The Fine Arts (Pacific Beach). It opened the multiplex Hillcrest Cinemas in 1991.
On Dec. 30, Mark Mulcahy, head of brand and marketing for Landmark Theatres, emailed this statement: "Landmark Theatres is constantly evaluating its business strategy and has decided to close our Hillcrest Theatre. The last day of operations will be Jan. 5, 2025. We are proud to have served its community over its many years of operation and thank our dedicated guests and staff."
Russell, who worked for Landmark from 1985 to 1996 managing multiple cinemas, was dedicated to building community around what he called "magic screens — making our cinemas into centers of various local cultures depending on the film program."
As he planned his last trip to Hillcrest Cinemas to see "Queer," he told me: "While 'the end of an era' is an overused phrase, it surely applies to the closing of the Hillcrest Cinemas. There was a time in San Diego when we could speak of 'film culture' as a localized phenomenon, made up of the many cineastes who faithfully followed the bookings at the Ken, Guild, Cove, Park, Roxy, Unicorn, Sherwood Auditorium, and Fine Arts theaters, among others. Film screenings were communal experiences, and we chattered for hours in nearby cafes after the movies were over."
Harbingers of change
Although I am devastated by the news of Hillcrest closing, I cannot say I am shocked. There have been a number of harbingers along the way making this seem inevitable.
The switch from 35mm film to digital projection meant anyone who could push a button could essentially run a film. The care and love that Michael Proft, a projectionist at Hillcrest Cinemas, dedicated to inspecting each reel of film and ensuring it looked good on the big screen were skills that would no longer be needed. While that might seem trivial, it marked a change.
In addition, Proft used to decorate the theater lobby with his amazing art inspired by the films playing. It was always a joy to see what silhouetted stencil art you might find as you walked up the stairs to the bathroom. Sometimes they were mobiles that would spin against a soft backlight. I even bought the art he created for the film "Whale Rider," which now hangs in my mom's house. It was that personal and passionate touch that made Hillcrest Cinemas such a fabulous place to see movies.
Cinemas also had to compete more and more with streaming services and on-demand video that catered to the immediate needs of filmgoers who could conveniently watch at home. Plus, home theater equipment started to improve, making staying on the couch even more enticing. Then, intensifying these challenges, COVID-19 kept people out of cinemas. The final blow came with the programming of mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. If Hillcrest Cinemas was screening "Barbie," "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Wicked," what foreign or indie films weren't finding screens in San Diego?
Feeling the loss
The Hillcrest Cinemas were also home to FilmOut's monthly film screenings. It was the perfect location to showcase LGBTQ+ films to rowdy crowds.
"The closure of Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas is indeed a significant loss for the San Diego community, particularly for those who value indie cinema and the LGBTQ+ culture it has supported," said Michael McQuiggan, FilmOut's program director. "Over the past decade, FilmOut has had the privilege of screening over 100 films at this venue, creating a space where people could gather, watch diverse, thought-provoking films, and celebrate LGBTQ+ stories alongside cult classics that have become beloved by audiences. The closing of both Landmark Hillcrest and Landmark Ken Cinema marks the end of an era, as these cinemas were vital in preserving and promoting indie films in the area."
Ethan Van Thillo, executive director of Media Arts Center, which operates Digital Gym Cinema in East Village, shared similar sentiments. "Sadly, the closing of Hillcrest Cinemas is just a trend that we've been seeing for so many years. Landmark slowly closed all of their wonderful movie houses here in San Diego. Even when Hillcrest was still open, you could also see the trend of them screening more and more commercial movies and less independent films in recent years. Streaming services, such as Prime and Netflix have forever changed the landscape of cinema here in the U.S. And during the pandemic, audiences completely stopped seeing movies in person. Although we've seen some positive signs in recent years with 'Barbie' and other big blockbusters, independent movie houses and nonprofits such as ours, have a whole lot of work ahead of us. Over the next few years, we need to dig deeper, teach media literacy and educate an entire new generation on how important it is to see independent and foreign movies together and in a movie theater."
Russell acknowledged the recent trend away from art house cinemas. "Those days are gone," he said. "Were it not for the Digital Gym Cinema and the outdoor Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills, we would lack for any such outlet. It is truly a shame that Landmark Theatres invested so little effort into sustaining the remarkable Hillcrest Cinemas facilities. We can only hope that a truly community-oriented entity might find a way to operate them in the future."
The future of the cinema after Landmark leaves is uncertain. The closure has already created an immediate impact on McQuiggan, who has little time to find a new home for FilmOut's monthly film series.
"It's disheartening to witness the decline of such cherished spaces, especially when there are limited alternatives for indie film screenings in the region," McQuiggan said. "While venues like The Digital Gym continue to offer a platform for these films, mainstream chains often don’t give indie cinema the same level of focus or support."
McQuiggan just secured UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center for the next FilmOut screening in February. However, getting the FilmOut audience to shift from Hillcrest to Mission Valley will be a challenge.
"While this loss is painful, there is hope that other venues — Alamo Drafthouse, anyone? — may step in to revitalize the indie cinema scene in San Diego," McQuiggan added. "Many of us who are passionate about indie films and the cultural community they create are hopeful that new opportunities for such venues will arise and once again allow San Diego's film lovers to enjoy the unique experience that indie cinemas provide."
While the loss of the Hillcrest Cinemas is sad, the venue had been running more mainstream films in recent years. That change was another signal of its ultimate demise. Still, Van Thillo is passionate about what remains in San Diego.
"For our nonprofit movie theater, the Digital Gym Cinema, the closing means we have to work even harder to bring foreign and independent cinema to the region," he said. "It's more important than ever to preserve the in-person, communal and big-screen movie-going experience. Digital Gym Cinema will continue to bring unique cult, classic, genre, independent and foreign movies to local audiences. We hope that new audiences find out about our Digital Gym Cinema and those that loved Hillcrest Cinemas will continue to support a movie theater such as ours."
If movies matter to you, make a point of going out to Digital Gym Cinema or Angelika Film Center, or even the IMAX-meets-grindhouse venue Tenth Avenue Arts Center, where Popcorn Reef programs are vital. I don't want to see more cinema churches close because people "used to" attend services — I mean screenings — in person.
And I am keeping the faith by volunteering to program films with Film Geeks SD at Digital Gym Cinema, Cinema Under the Stars and Comic-Con Museum.
