Google has unveiled a new feature called Street View, which lets you
navigate the streets of a town via photographic interface. My first
thought was to visit the UC Theatre in Berkeley, California.
My love for movies was born at the UC. Every day – every single friggin day! – when I was was growing up they showed TWO different movies. Two Hitchcock’s, two Truffaut’s, two Mizoguchi’s, two Russ Meyers’. My life was kinda difficult as a teen so there were some weeks I spent every day there – after a while the folks working the ticket office didn’t bother asking for money, they just let me wander in, Jujyfruits in hand to find solace in that dark church.
The UC Theatre on Google Streetmaps
As you can see the UC is now shut down. Another casualty of the ‘video at home’ revolution.
We have access, all of us reading this, to an infinity of ‘content’ on our screens, but the shared experience of bodies closely packed together, involved together in the moment is gone. I had no idea how lucky I was.
