Page 4 - Tigard Monthly December 2013

4 TIGARD MONTHLY | Thursday, December 19, 2013

PROFILE

TIGARD MONTHLY

Going back to its movie roots

A resurgence brings the historic Joy Cinema back to life

Story by Geoff Pursinger
| Photography by Jaime Valdez

Two years ago, the old movie theater
on Pacific Highway was boarded up
and forgotten.

Today, the marquee is on, the lights
are shining, and the line of customers on some

nights is out the door.
That change is thanks to Jeff Martin of
Portland, who re-opened The Joy Cinema in

June 2012.
“It’s been busy,” said Martin of the theater

that has had a troubled history in recent years.
“It was almost a furniture store.”

For decades, The Joy was the only place to
watch a flick in town.
But the past several
The theater
years have seen an
has gone back influx of theaters

to its roots across the Tigard-area.
showing The Tigard Cinema,
Bridgeport Village
second-run
Stadium and Cinetopia
films, fresh at Progress Ridge have

off the larger been major competitors
for the small, one-
screens
screen theater.
at Tigard, In 2011, the theater
Bridgeport showed exclusively

and Cinetopia.
Bollywood films — a
popular form of musical

cinema from India —
but the theater failed to gain an audience and

closed its doors after about a year.
Martin’s approach has been different. The
theater has gone back to its roots showing

second-run films, fresh off the larger screens Proud Joy Cinema owner, Jeff Martin, surveys the recently remodeled and upgraded theater room in the historic movie house.
at Tigard, Bridgeport and Cinetopia.

Martin lowered the prices on his tickets, something for families.”
seen on the big screen in years.”
Laurelhurst Theater have been able to find a
offered discount days once a week and In addition, Martin has made sure to sprinkle
In October, the theater showed a different
niche for themselves.
upgraded the projector to be able to show 3D in a variety of obscure, cult and classic films. classic monster movie each week, and each
It’s a different story in Portland’s suburbs,
films.
“A lot of it is just my idea for what a theater week, the theater offers free movies of often where there is a smaller audience for
“I took my kid to a movie, and it was, like this ought to be,” Martin said. “Second-run obscure cult films.
independent films, art house projects and cult

literally, almost $30 for two tickets,” Martin (films), that’s our bread and butter, but that “Things like that give a theater more movies.
said. “I wanted to do something for families. doesn’t mean that you can’t also play some cool personality,” Martin said.
“Any old film, whether it is a classic film or

We have 3D here for $5, and on Monday, it’s $2. movies or cult movies that people haven’t seen It’s an approach more often seen in Portland, cult flick, they are cult for a reason. You are, by
It’s a good business thing, sure, but it’s also just
anywhere else, or movies that people haven’t
where smaller art house venues like the
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