Not only was there low attendance at the Bijou, Santikos began booking tentpole movies alongside the few independent films that had the prospect of pulling bigger audiences. The writing had been on the wall for years suggesting movie theaters could be left behind as technology advanced.Īs theaters slowly began to reopen when COVID numbers declined, it was evident that arthouse venues like the Bijou were in trouble. While a global pandemic became the impetus for studios adjusting the way they released projects, the health crisis didn't create the shift, merely accelerated it. When the spread of COVID-19 forced theaters to temporarily shut down two years ago, the movie-watching landscape was reshaped forever. The industry was still a couple of decades away from watching a studio and a platform such as HBO Max or Disney+ cut a deal to release a movie on a streaming service the same day as its theatrical release. Today, you can catch the film with a subscription to Amazon Prime. At that time, going to the Bijou was the only option for a young cinephile to see the critically acclaimed, coming-of-age drama before it ended up on VHS months later. The first film I ever saw at the Bijou was the Academy Award-nominated 2001 Mexican film Y tu mamá también by director and co-writer Alfonso Cuarón. But understanding the nature of that change doesn't make the Bijou's closure any easier for local cinema buffs. shores in early 2020, it was evident that the way audiences were watching movies had changed amid the boom in streaming platforms. Theater owner Santikos didn't respond to the Current's request for comment, but Andrew Brooks, executive director of sales and marketing for the Alamo City-based chain, told KSAT News a "changing dynamic of art films and our lease coming up for renewal" prompted the closure.Įven before the COVID-19 pandemic reached U.S. The Bijou, located in the Wonderland of the Americas mall, shut its doors early this month, ending the 35-year stretch during which it served as San Antonio's primary arthouse cinema. Sign up for our Events Newsletter.The Bijou is located inside Wonderland of the Americas mall. Get our top picks for the best events in San Antonio every Thursday morning. The latest turn for the Bijou also comes after an announcement late last year from the city of Balcones Heights that it was spending $5.4 million on a 46% ownership stake in the mall. Those theaters now operate as Santikos Westlakes, which began showing movies again last month, and Santikos New Branfuels, which resumed last summer. The Bijou's reported closure follows a buying spree by Santikos, which absorbed and reopened two of the Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse chain's local outlets. It took over after longtime operator Regal Cinemas shuttered the location, which it also operated as an arthouse property. Santikos has operated the theater since 2003, devoting some of its screens to foreign and art films while bolstering sales with food and alcohol. However, the Bijou no longer appears on the San Antonio-based theater operator's website, which lists 10 other area holdings. The Current was unable to reach Santikos Entertainment for comment. A sign posted Monday at the Santikos Bijou Cinema Bistro, the long-running arthouse theater inside Wonderland of the Americas mall, has announced its closure, news site MySA reports. The Bijou is located inside Wonderland of the Americas mall.
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