UPDATED 2/22/12: Well it looks like the Rosebud will remain open for the time being and be put under the control of a former owner. The article regarding this development can be found here. Good news for now, although AnchorBank still retains ownership of both theaters so it is uncertain how long they may remain open.
I was surprised and saddened today to learn that one of my favorite theaters here in Milwaukee, The Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, was closing. The article that relates the sad news can be found here.
The date of the closure is sometime early next month. The owner of the Rosebud, David Glazer, was unable to secure refinancing on both The Rosebud and a second theater he owns in the area, The Times Cinema, from AnchorBank. So now both will be foreclosed on and will have to close their doors.
I first heard about the Rosebud back in early 2001. At the time, I was looking for an alternative to the boring homogenized theaters owned by the Marcus Corporation. Of course there was The Oriental theater on the east side of Milwaukee. But that theater always seemed too far away and the parking was terrible there. I had wanted something closer to where I was living at the time. A friend recommended The Rosebud and I decided what the heck.
The first movie I saw at the Rosebud was Moulin Rouge. It truly was one of the best theater experiences I have had and quite frankly it was the perfect blend of film and venue. The lush velvet couches and old Hollywood interior of the Rosebud complemented perfectly the beautiful images and music that Moulin Rouge filled the theater with. My girfriend at the time thought it was silly how enthusiastic I was after the film was done, not just about the film (which I like very much to this day) but more about the theater in which I viewed it in.
You see the Rosebud was different. Besides the unique seating (velvet couches and coffee tables), there was the fact that they served real food- pizza, burgers, sandwiches- and alcohol, including their own private microbrew. They did events that Marcus would not, such as screenings of Rocky Horror Picture Show at Halloween, or older classic films late on Saturday nights. It just was such a different film viewing enviroment, one that worked to stand out and get noticed.
I returned to the Rosebud many times after, seeing films as varied as Harry Potter, Batman Begins, Willy Wonka, and even a special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Each time I left the theater happy and satisfied with the experience.
It was clear the people who owned the Rosebud cared and wanted your experience there to be unique. It was something new for the area, but also something that was necessary at the time.
Currently, there is a theater chain similar in nature to The Rosebud gaining steam in Texas. That chain is called The Alamo Drafthouse. Alamo currently has 6-7 theaters, most of which are in Texas. You can check out their website here.
They are a really great chain doing some truly unique things, one of which is a strict no talking/texting/or cell phone policy. I would love nothing more than to see them come here to Milwaukee and buy the Rosebud and reopen it as an Alamo Drafthouse. Sadly, I doubt that would be able to happen as they seem to be concentrating their expansion to strictly the southwest and west region. But a film fan can hope, right?
I just pray that whoever comes in and buys The Rosebud respects it and wants to continue to use it as a theater and valuable alternative to people like me who are sick of Marcus Cinema with their predictible spaces and uninspired events.
The Rosebud may not be dead and I certainly hope not. But it's future is very uncertain. If it does not return, then all I can say is thank you to the owners for providing me with some great times at the movies. In the end, that is all we can truly ask for.
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