The Loft Cinema

Silent Bob. The name might conjure up cinematic black-and-white images of a portly fellow in a trenchcoat chain-smoking while his skinny, longhaired friend freak-dances outside a convenience store. If so, you were the target audience last month for The Loft's Late Night Cult Classic series' showing of director Kevin Smith's 1994 ode to the life of slackdom: "Clerks." "It's one of those movies that's going to be classified as 'classic,' " said Chris Loomis, 27. His favorite scene in a film he's seen several times is one that only careful wordplay can describe in mainstream media: the moment the main character, Dante Hicks, finds out his girlfriend has been less-than upfront about her sexual experiences. Not many theaters regularly run movies released more than a decade ago, and the nonprofit Loft is not a gazillion-screened, stadium-seated multiplex. According to Loomis, "Clerks" is worth repeated viewings, much like past Loft cult classics "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "The Big Lebowski." Christian Timmerman, 33, said that he enjoyed it when The Loft ran the epic tale of "The Dude" in "Lebowski" and that attending the weekend film series makes for interesting people-watching. The film series is not just a chance to mingle with the like-minded who have found the hidden treasures in repeated viewings. It's the chance to see these cherished gems in the theater, as they were intended. Carlos Gomez, 25, said that he has watched "Clerks" tons of times, but that he came to the Loft's late night series to catch it on the big screen. "I just love the whole movie," Gomez said. The Loft has a large, formal theater downstairs filled with blue seats and a smaller theater upstairs that boasts couches on which to lounge and watch a movie. If you arrive to a showing early, you can relax on a couch in the lobby and possibly hear the employees behind the snack counter debating the merits of rock bands like Led Zeppelin and The Clash. "I have really awesome co-workers," said employee Prairie Thybony, 26. The theater's lobby is adorned with posters. There are vintage posters for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which is played religiously and mimed-out by actors with audience participation every Saturday night at midnight. The gathered, costume-clad "Rocky" crowd makes for interesting visuals when you exit the earlier cult classic Saturday showing. The staircase to the upstairs theater displays autographed movie posters from directors who have visited The Loft. Another slap-in-the-face that you aren't inside your average multiplex: You can purchase alcohol at the snack bar. The Loft's beer selection ranges from bottles of Fat Tire for $3 to draft Red Hook and Heffeweizen for $2.50 to Bud and Bud Light bottles for $2.50. Wines range from pinot to chardonnay for $5 a glass, and if you're feeling festive, a glass of champagne is $6. In a town full of overcrowded mega-plexes, The Loft's multi-colored blinking sign signals a true alternative.

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