Movie Theaters Are Disappearing — Can We Save Them? | Rustin Thompson Interview

Welcome back to The Evan Edition, where we talk movies, TV, comics, pop culture, and everything in between!Movie theaters across America are disappearing — but can they be saved? Evan sits down with filmmaker Rustin Thompson, director of The Last Picture Shows, to discuss his journey across 10 states and 123 theaters, why independent cinemas are struggling to survive, how streaming has transformed moviegoing, and why the theatrical experience still matters. Plus, we explore what theaters need to do to survive and why losing these community spaces would mean losing something bigger than just a place to watch movies.#movie #cinema #movietheater #documentary #filmmakingGUEST:🎬 RUSTIN THOMPSON — DIRECTOR OF THE LAST PICTURE SHOWSWriter and filmmaker Rustin Thompson joins Evan for a conversation about his new documentary and the fight to preserve the movie theater experience.IN THIS INTERVIEW:🎥 WHY ARE MOVIE THEATERS DISAPPEARING?The challenges pushing independent and small-town cinemas toward extinction.🍿 CAN MOVIE THEATERS SURVIVE THE STREAMING ERA?How streaming, consolidation and changing audience habits transformed the theatrical experience.🎞️ 10 STATES. 10,825 MILES. 123 THEATERS.The incredible journey behind The Last Picture Shows and the theaters Thompson discovered along the way.❤️ WHY THEATERS STILL MATTERWhat we lose when a local cinema disappears — and why some independent theaters are still thriving.🎬 WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF MOVIEGOING LOOK LIKE?Can independent theaters adapt, bring audiences back and keep the big-screen experience alive?Keywords: The Last Picture Shows, Rustin Thompson, Rustin Thompson interview, The Last Picture Shows documentary, movie theaters, movie theaters disappearing, movie theater decline, future of movie theaters, save movie theaters, independent movie theaters, independent cinema, cinema, moviegoing, theatrical experience, movie theater industry, movie theater documentary, streaming vs movie theaters, streaming vs cinema, streaming movies, theatrical releases, movie theater attendance, cinema culture, cinema history, historic movie theaters, small town movie theaters, movie theater preservation, film preservation, documentary film, documentary filmmaker, filmmaker interview, director interview, filmmaking, film industry, movie industry, movies, film, Hollywood, theatrical movies, future of cinema👇 Follow The Evan Edition📱 TikTok: @TheEvanEdition📸 Instagram: @TheEvanEdition🧵 Threads: @TheEvanEdition🎧 Apple Podcasts & Spotify: @TheEvanEdition🎬 Written, Produced & Edited by: Evan Bernstein