Reeling in the Years

It's like the Steely Dan song of years gone by..."Reeling in the Years"...reels! I know a lot of you read yesterday's (Sunday's) Tribune and learned of the woes of our small town movie theatres. They all have to convert to digital as movies will soon no longer be available on the ol' reels. The days of film arriving in metal cans and being threaded through a projector are fast coming to an end. Problem is, it's around $70,000 to convert to the new digital format. It appears that the movie theatre in Rudyard will not be opening this year. I remember when they would NOT play one of Michael Moore's movies because of...well...the content I guess, and the fact that it was Michael Moore! Now the paper says they can't soon can't get ANY movies, much less any more Michael Moore! The Polson Theatre chain has already converted and we have witnessed this digital stuff right here in Shelby and Cut Bank. It would be a shame to see the Orpheum Theatre in Conrad have to close because of the $70,000 expenditure. That's why the Orpehum is presenting "Conrad's Fabulous Local Talent Show" this Sunday afternoon at 3. It's to raise money for the theatre's digital movie equipment project. I've seen some of the talent lineup already and it's going to be some kind of Sunday afternoon. I'll have more details for you later in the week but would certainly encourage all of you to come out Sunday afternoon at three and support this project and the Pondera Arts Council along with the Orpheum. The Pondera Arts Council, including our favorites, Helen Elliot and George Tornga, have done so much with the Orpheum and for our communities, it would be tragic if "push comes to shove" as far as the movie equipment expenditure is concerned. There will be a lot of great, family-friendly fun, many familiar names and some new ones to boot this Sunday at 3 at the Orpheum in Conrad. It's "Conrad's Fabulous Local Talent Show" and most of us already know how much talent is right here in north central Montana...especially Conrad. See you THIS Sunday afternoon at 3 at the Orpheum in Conrad.