The Carlton

In a town of 5,000 residents, I was the popcorn girl at the one-screen movie theatre that functioned as the epicentre of town. The Vogue Cinema was perpetually dark and still had the original deep maroon velvet curtains that slowly parted to reveal the coming attractions. I believe I possessed the faint smell of popping kernels for over a year. The owner was a curmudgeon hawk-eyed man who was infamous for finding the one kernel on the floor that you missed.

Though it may possess more than one screen, the Carlton theatre is now my neighbourhood epicentre. Nestled behind my apartment building, I squint, trying to read the titles on the luminescent marquee from the sidewalk. The films are always independent, sometimes foreign and most likely to have done the festival circuit.

The large glass doors open into a carpeted lobby similar to a Cosby sweater. The acne-prone pubescent occupying the ticket window smiles as I tell him to have a good night when he slides my paper ticket under the window.

It still surprises me there is a proper cafe next to the concession stand. The smell of melted butter and popcorn compete with the aroma of espresso and baked goods. The uniformed attendant hands me a disappointing luke-warm cafe mocha with no foam. I glance at the vodka infused coolers and the variety of lager encased in the front refrigerated display and wonder how often the liquor license is utilized. It's still strange to me to have Coors light and brownies competing for storage space.

Old TIFF paraphernalia line the halls and the coming attractions posters leap off the walls with names and faces I have yet to know. The theatre is long and narrow with uncomfortable seats and cup holders that smash your knees if you're not careful. I wonder how they stay in business when the theatre is usually only speckled with couples and the odd solo viewer.

But when the lights dim and the sound goes up, I feel the same contentment I did in the Vogue Cinema. There is something strangely reassuring about the archaic nature of these theatres…..a place where you can dose off and feel safe under the dimmed lights.