The historic Aurora Fox theater is bringing back monthly matinees for classic films
share
AURORA, Colo. — With the recent closures of iconic metro theaters The Esquire in Capitol Hill and Chez Artiste in University Hills, northwest Aurora hopes to fill the void for fans of independent theaters.
Fox Flix, a monthly film series bringing nostalgic films back to the big screen at the Aurora Fox Arts Center on Colfax launched March 1.
“Seeing everybody’s hearts break over arthouse theaters closing, how can we pick up some of that slack?” said Rich Cowden, executive producer of the Aurora Fox Arts Center.
Cowden hopes that the $5, once-monthly Saturday afternoon film series will bring back community and the nostalgia of weekend matinees. Cowden curated this season’s lineup for a family-friendly crowd with films like “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “The Goonies.”
“When I described this lineup to my wife, she said, ‘So basically, the theme for this year is movies that kids have to watch to understand your references to things that happened in the 80s,’ and yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Cowden said.
Only a handful of independent theaters such as the Mayan Theatre and Sie FilmCenter remain open in the Denver metro area. Tickets to corporate-owned movie theaters such as AMC often cost more than $20 during weekend evening showtimes.
Corporate theaters also don’t show as many arthouse films and cult classics. Before closing last year, The Esquire regularly programmed screenings of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Room,” bringing together a consistent community of moviegoers.
The Fox originally opened as a movie theater in 1946. The theater closed in 1981 after a fire caused extensive damage. Civic groups and private companies worked with the City of Aurora to reopen the space in 1985.
It’s been a live performance space ever since.
The Fox — located on Colfax in northwest Aurora — has tried to bolster traffic in the area over the last few years.
The theater produces plays and musicals from the Fox’s own theatre production company —named after the theater— and is operated by the City of Aurora’s Library & Cultural Services Division. The company is in its 40th season.
The space is also available to rent for musicians, dance companies and other performers throughout the year when company shows aren’t in production.
“One of the benchmarks that we're shooting for here is to have this theater open as many nights and days a year as possible. It’s good for the neighborhood,” said Cowden.
Cowden says that Fox Flix will be a low-lift addition to the traffic in the neighborhood, bringing in families who want to see a classic movie.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said he frequented the Fox as a child, when his father served at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, which is now the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
“This is an island that reflects the past, the Fox Theater,” Coffman said. “[Northwest Aurora] is really a monument to the extraordinary history of this city.”
Cowden said the theater is planning to install a new projector and screen for this program in an effort to give Fox Flix an authentic feel.
“I love it when kids come into a theater like this for the first time, whether it's to see a play or a musical, or even to see a film, and you just see their eyes light up,” said Cowden.
The program opened this past weekend on March 1 with a screening of “Labyrinth”.
Fox Flix next showing will be the 1984 film, “The NeverEnding Story” on April 19.
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.