Saw this about the Siskel Film Center...

I did lament that there isn't a movie venue downtown. It was known for many movie venues, but many of them have been either razed or converted to other uses.

For example down the street from the Gene Siskel Film Center (a marquee posted to the left) in either direction. Block 37 had been vacant for many years to the south near State & Randolph but there were a number of movie theaters there before that block was razed in the late 1980s. Then a little north was the old State/Lake theater which is now a TV news studio for Chicago's ABC affiliate.

Then directly across the street is the Chicago Theater. These days it's more of a live theater venue. Many years ago it played host to an episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Anyway today I'm reading this Chicagoist post about the Siskel Film Center operated by the Art Institute of Chicago. It's a good read and while this venue mainly shows more art and specialty features it indicated how the film exhibition business is changing and attempting to adapt to the current climate.

Interviewed is Marty Rubin who is the Assistant Director of Programming at the film center. This is merely the second part of a series.