Brookline Theater Appeals to Niche Audience with Classic Films

At the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, classic films such as “Goodfellas,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” can still be enjoyed on the big screen. It's part of the theater's business strategy to appeal to a niche audience that seeks a traditional theater experience.

“Repertory film does well. It does extraordinarily well,” said Billy Thegenus, programming and outreach coordinator for the Coolidge Corner Theatre, in an interview with Brookline.News.

Films are selected three months to a year in advance. Titles such as “Jaws,” “The Lord of the Ring” trilogy, “Point Break,” and others are shown once a year. Coolidge Corner Theatre has also enjoyed success with its film series, such as “Cult Classics” and “After Midnight,” which includes showings of “The Room” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Several months ago, the theater planned a film screening honoring Gene Hackman's legacy. After Hackman's death in February, the theater has screened eight of Hackman's films throughout April.

“A key thing I'm learning is you program for the audience as much as you can. Don't just program for yourself, because it can't just be based off of your taste. It has to be what you think people will show up for,” he explained.

Although many of the older films shown at the Coolidge Corner Theatre are available on streaming platforms, Thegenus said that younger audiences, including millennials and those from Gen Z, still come to theaters for movies of all types, including screenings of films released before they were born.

“Whether those folks are coming alone or coming with friends, that's always really awesome to see that people are willing to take chances on movies,” he added.

Learn more and preview upcoming film screening on the Coolidge Corner Theatre's website.