Originally Posted by Michael 61

The Brownwood Theatre closed during Covid 2020, two and a half years prior to me moving here. Buying just across 44 in Richmond, it would have been great to have had a movie theatre so close to where I live, but I knew it had a zero chance of reopening when I purchased here. This situation is not unique to The Villages - theatres across the country are either closing or struggling to remain profitable. People got used to streaming services during Covid, and most have not returned to the theatres. This is also coupled with the quality of movies being shown. Small and independent films are seldom screening at cinemas these days, opting to go straight to a streaming service. Action and superhero movies seem to have taken over, targeting a young male audience, that will see these movies over and over again. I know most folks I talk to here (including myself) are not fans of this genre of movies. I was an avid movie goer (2-3 times per week) most of my adult life, and looked forward to continuing this trend in retirement. However, based on the quality of films showing at theatres since Covid, I rarely go to the movies. Since moving here, I think I’ve gone to The Old Mill Playhouse maybe 6 times, and 3 of those times was to watch a special screening of an old classic movie.