South Surrey's Rialto Theatre closes

SOUTH SURREY — The Rialto Theatre has shown its last film as the theatre closed its doors Monday. Empty movie poster spots adorned the theatre’s exterior as the marquee that typical advertises upcoming flicks simply bore the message “THEATRE CLOSED.”

In a release sent out Monday, a spokesperson for owner Criterion Entertainment attributed the closure to the increasing difficulty of obtaining movies on 35mm film.

“This was a difficult decision, but as movie theatres across North America have converted to digital projection from 35MM film, the shrinking demand for 35MM prints has forced our hand,” read the release.

Cloverdale’s Clova Cinema also saw declining business in recent years due to the narrowing availability of 35 mm film, which eventually led to the sale of that building earlier this year. According to the release, less than five per cent of movie theatres in Canada still run 35 mm film and Canada’s only remaining 35 mm lab closed last year.

“Unfortunately this has made it increasingly difficult to secure suitable product for the Rialto market.”

The operators had looked at possibly converting the Rialto to digital projection but due to the theatre’s age, size and overhead, the move was deemed “too prohibitive.”

The closure came as a surprise to longtime moviegoer and South Surrey resident Herb Spencer, who regularly attended the theatre with his wife, Eileen.

"We're absolutely disappointed and quite shocked. The guy who ran it picked very good movies and frequently had sell out audiences, so it's quite shocking to see that it's closed," said Spencer. "Often we'd have to go half-an-hour early on a Saturday night just to get in because the movies were so popular."

Spencer said he and his wife last went to the theatre three weeks ago and will miss having a place nearby that showed some of the less mainstream films.

"You'd otherwise have to go to Fifth Avenue (Cinemas) in Vancouver to see some of the stuff they showed here," he recalled. "The manager was very good at picking films that the older community here would enjoy."

While the theatre will be missed, its sister theatre, the Caprice, remains open at this time.

The Rialto would have celebrated its 20th anniversary this November.