VARSITY THEATER STRIKES BACK

BY KATHRYN GREEN / Oct 29, 2001
Brigham Young University's Daily Universe

The Varsity Theater will reopen--sort of. After half a semester devoid of midnight movies and the smell of popcorn in the Wilkinson Student Center, Student Leadership announced Monday it has come up with a solution to bring back movies to the 37-year-old campus icon. In an advertising campaign, the BYU Bookstore will screen one film a month on Friday and Saturday nights.

It's dubbed "Student Night at the Movies," and Student Leadership - which partnered with the Bookstore on the project - thinks it will rekindle campus life. "There's just a general feeling that something is missing at BYU without the Varsity," said Ron Jones, director of Student Leadership.

The BYU Bookstore will pay for the equipment and the Information Technology services to run the movies, Jones said. In return, the Varsity will feature Bookstore ads prior to movies and during intermission time, he said. Roger Reynolds, director of the BYU Bookstore, said the arrangement is only on a trial basis to see if it will promote the Bookstore. However, Reynolds said he personally would like to see the Varsity back in use.

"As an alumni of BYU, I grew up with the Varsity, and I'd like to see students enjoy it as much as I did," he said. The Bookstore will pay a fee for each night the movies are shown, Reynolds said.

As before, the Varsity will maintain BYU standards and promote Clean Flicks, Jones said. For example, the Varsity plans to show "Mulan" in January and "The Princess Diaries" in February, Jones said. However, movies are not going to be as abundant as they were in previous semesters, Jones said. Movies are only going to be shown on Friday and Saturday nights, and there will only be one movie each month.

The Varsity's movie format is also changing, Jones said. Instead of showing 35 mm films as in the past, Jones said VHS tapes would now be used. "It will be the same if not better quality in the show," Jones said.

The Varsity Theatre will kick off its comeback on Saturday with a free showing of "The Longest Day," a movie about D-Day. The show is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ROTC, Jones said.
Beginning Nov. 30, the theater will show "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" in step with the approaching holiday season. Movies will cost $1 and popcorn and drinks will cost 50 cents, Jones said.