The Reel Deal

Jenna Petrak

It’s the big screens, the comfortable seats, and the popcorn that draw people into this popular hang out: the Brookings Cinema Five movie theatre.

“We have a great atmosphere here. Our seats are comfortable. Our snacks are good and our service is great,” said Manager Cody Nicholas.

The theatre houses five movie screens and shows five different movies each week, starting Friday and ending Thursday.

“It’s a really great way to spend family time,” said Kerrin Hardina, assistant manager.

She said what draws people into seeing a movie is the thrill of it all—the experience someone can’t have if they wait to rent the movie later.

“You get to see it right away and on a big screen with great sound. You just can’t get that at home,” she said.

And what’s a classic movie theatre experience without the popcorn?

“People really do enjoy the popcorn,” Hardina said. “It’s not a secret recipe or anything. It’s just regular popcorn kernels, flower salt and butter.”

The popcorn kettle may be what makes their popcorn so good, because it’s a uniquely designed machine that, Hardina said, makes people say “yum.”

“Anywhere you go, whether it’s a bar downtown or any place else, it doesn’t taste the same as movie theatre popcorn,” Nicholas said.

There’s also different seasoning salts that people can use to add additional flavor to their popcorn.

Hardina said there might be a little fact about the theatre that may surprise viewers.

“A lot of people do not know our whole set up of the movies upstairs,” Hardina said. “They think that we are digital and just pop a DVD in. But, there’s just huge platters up there full of the film that needs to be threaded through a projector.”

Nicholas said threading the movies through the projectors is the toughest part of his job as the manager.

“I think it surprises people to know that all of this film runs their movie and it’s not a DVD,” he said. “But within the coming year we plan to go digital, so all of the movies will be downloaded and run off of a computer.”

Digital or not, Hardina said people will always enjoy the movie theatre experience, especially at the Brookings Cinema Five.

“We offer a great relaxing place for people to come to and enjoy themselves for a few hours,” Nicholas said. “And who doesn’t love seeing a good movie?”

The Brookings Cinema Five shows movies starting at 1 p.m. on weekends and 4 p.m. on weekdays. The price is $8 for all adults ages 13 or older and $6 for shows before 6 p.m.

For more information, movie schedules and upcoming movies, check out their website at http://brookingstheatre.com.