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Bringing Movies Back to Rutland

Rutland, Vermont - November 2, 2009

With the economic downturn affecting all of us in so many ways a common weekend activity with family and friends is no longer an option in the Rutland community. So people were left driving 20 and 30 minutes to catch a flick until a local landmark company did something to close the gap.

When the Movieplex 9 cinemas in Rutland closed their doors to the public they left their patrons looking else where for movie entertainment. People were forced to travel to Manchester, Woodstock or Middlebury to see a movie in the theatres.

"It's disappointing particularly for downtown Rutland it was one of the entertainment venues in our community, but now that its closed I think people are looking to other options and one of them being the Paramount," says Peg Bulgioni who lives in Rutland.

The Paramount Theatre had been planning a new era in the way in the local film experience, and the timing happens to be perfect.

"It's a wonderful piece of synchronicity before I saw this hall when I walked in the building I looked down and it said the paramount in a different kind of parkay tile than the tiles that surrounded it and I said of course the property was owned by Paramount Pictures so why not do movies?," says Bruce Bouchard of the Paramount Theatre.

"We never intended to be competing with them we intend our shows to be true events when we show them. True movie events.  Big movies that you are gonna want to see on a big screen with really great digital sound and be really blown away. So when Movieplex 9 closed, a lot of people came up to us and said are you going to try to replace Movieplex 9 and no, we have no intention of trying to become a multiplex. We're gonna stick to movies that are special. Because it is a special theatre," says Vermont filmmaker Dave Giancola.

The Paramount Theatre will begin their film series starting later this month, premiering with 'Gone with the Wind', with other classic movies to follow.  This will mark the beginning of their big sound, big picture, big screen film debut.

Molly Smith - WCAX News