Jan 6, 2024
Monarch Documentary: Movie Premiere A Success!
Jan 4, 2024
Monarch Documentary Continues Successful Run
Following the first run of screenings last week, the Monarch documentary has continued its run of successful screenings with more dates added. My thanks to the Medicine Hat News for all of their continued coverage following the premiere screenings of Your Cinema Needs You at the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The response has been incredible, and these stories have been a fun addition to the experience. Full story here.
Jan 2, 2024
Monarch Documentary: Encore Screenings
With all of the evening shows now 100% sold out, we've just added a 3PM MATINEE on Saturday, January 6th. These matinee tickets are the last tickets available for this debut run of the feature-length documentary in Medicine Hat before plans for the Canada-wide streaming release move forward. This is one last opportunity (if you don't have your tickets yet) to see the film about the Monarch Theatre in the Monarch Theatre!
Book your matinee tickets here.
Thank you for the incredible response you've already shown this film. We can't wait to see you back at the Monarch this week for the encore shows!
Dec 31, 2023
Premiere Screenings of Your Cinema Needs You
It's been 3 days of laughs, cheers, tears, and a lot of nostalgia as the Monarch Theatre received the long-awaited reintroduction that she deserved, and the feature-length documentary finally got the climactic conclusion that we always dreamed would be possible after first learning of the theatre's closure back in 2021.
If I'm completely honest, I was never concerned that people wouldn't "like" the documentary. We'd done enough previews and test screenings along the way to know that even the casual movie-lover was likely to find something to sink their teeth into. What I hadn't prepared for though, was for quite this many people to actually LOVE it. And I mean, paragraphs long messages, tears in their eyes, personally recommending it to all of their friends, love it. That's something you really can't know until you're in the moment and you're seeing it unfold directly in front of you each night.
This was all a bit of lightning in a bottle. The timing of the production lining up with the closure of the Monarch was one thing, but then getting the opportunity to reintroduce Canada's oldest, surviving, purpose-built movie theatre by hosting the premiere screenings as part of the official reopening was all incredibly serendipitous. As I said in my premiere speeches each night, "I couldn't have scripted a better conclusion than this."
"Your Cinema Needs You" has the privilege of being the last screening at the Monarch in 2023, and will now also be the first screening of 2024 with the launch of the encore shows beginning on January 4th. I simply can't say it enough, but thank you to everyone who has made this possible. This has absolutely been a dream come true. Happy New Year!
Dec 30, 2023
History Was On Hand: Monarch Documentary
Thank you to the Medicine Hat News for being in attendance and sharing this story following the opening night of the Premiere Screenings of Your Cinema Needs You at the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Read the full news story here.
Dec 29, 2023
Opening Night of Your Cinema Needs You
I didn't take a single picture (although the photographer I hired should have some great shots) so instead I was left to assemble a collage from some of the images that were shared on my socials last night when the screening ended. The kind words, excitement, and shared stories are so incredibly wholesome it's making my teeth hurt lol.
I can't really summarize this experience yet as there are still 5 more screenings to come, but one moment that sticks with me from last night was after the movie ended and the lights came up. This sweet little old lady approached me through a crowd of well wishers and grabbed my hand just to tell me, "It's made me fall in love with my childhood movie theatre all over again." It was so earnest, she uno-reversed me with the emotional feedback lol.
Thank you to everyone who was there. Thank you to everyone who made it possible. I'll never forget this. It was worth the wait to debut this in the Monarch first.
Dec 21, 2023
Monarch Theatre Turns 112 Years Old
Opened 112 years ago today, the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta may just be the coolest little movie house you've never heard of. With roots stretching back to some of the very first widely released films ever made, and a series of lucky streaks that have kept it alive this entire time - this may now be Canada's oldest purpose-built movie theatre left standing.
Encore Screenings of the Monarch Documentary
Dec 17, 2023
Monarch Documentary: Souvenir Premiere Tickets
If you have movie tickets to one of the sold out premiere screenings of "Your Cinema Needs You" at the Monarch Theatre later this month on December 28th, 29th, and 30th, remember to grab a FREE souvenir ticket stub when you attend.
I personally love having souvenirs from my experiences, but with everything moving online, you rarely get the memento anymore. I thought I'd create some vintage inspired tickets to give guests something to share, to take a picture for socials, or just to mark the occasion. I'll also have a hole punch on hand so we can punch the exact date you attended the screening (if you want to).
The souvenir tickets are purely aesthetic, so unfortunately they won't get you in the door. But, I'll probably be handing these out as people line up at the Monarch before the show.
And if you missed out on this first round of screenings at the Monarch, stay tuned for news to drop about additional screenings coming this Thursday (Dec. 21).
Dec 14, 2023
Your Cinema Needs You Premiere is 100% Sold Out
Dec 12, 2023
Premiere Posters at the Monarch Theatre
Dec 8, 2023
Your Cinema Needs You on the Monarch Marquee
Admittedly, I'm biased, but I think this looks way better on the Monarch Theatre's marquee than "CLOSED" did. Movie tickets for the premiere of "Your Cinema Needs You" are moving quickly. Purchase your tickets here for the screenings on December 28th, 29th, and 30th.
Dec 7, 2023
Monarch Theatre Premiere: Purchase Movie Tickets
Dec 4, 2023
Monarch Documentary: Premiere Is A Go!
After last week's post about the seeming unlikelihood of Your Cinema Needs You premiering this year, I couldn't be more thrilled to announce that the Monarch documentary will officially premiere at the Monarch Theatre before the year is out! December 28, 29, and 30th to be exact. Now the real work begins to pull this together and rally the community.
Here was the teaser trailer from today's surprise announcement (see below). Tickets for the screenings will go on sale this Thursday with a direct link to the ticketing portal posted here on Editing Luke as well as on facebook.com/editingluke. I hope to see you there!
Nov 29, 2023
Hurry Up & Wait: Monarch Documentary
Oct 16, 2023
Bombay Beach Drive-In at the Salton Sea
Part art installation, part scrapyard, I can appreciate the fact that the abandoned aspect of the Salton Sea's Bombay Beach has continued to evolve over the years. The Bombay Beach Drive-In is quite obviously not a working theatre, but its collection of classic wrecks is both playful and haunting in its junkyard depiction of the drive-in aesthetic in the middle of the blistering California desert. There's actually quite a bit to see. In my opinion, worth the stop.
Oct 15, 2023
Vintage Monarch Theatre Movie Ad Prints: Series 2
This second collection is a follow up to the first series of vintage movie ad prints created as part of the production for Your Cinema Needs You about the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Full details on this new collection here. Also, here.