[bunderbunder]

In my area, a lot of small, independent book and toy stores have opened up over the past decade or two, and it seems to me like their business has been picking up in the wake of the implosions of Borders and Toys R Us. That works for me, TBH - I have little nostalgia for Toys R Us, but I have very fond memories of the small children's book & toy store my parents used to take me to.

Perhaps the same will happen with theaters? The local AMC cineplex isn't doing much for me; the movies it shows are more-or-less disposable, so I'm just as happy to watch them on a small screen at home while I'm working on a hobby project or whatever. OTOH, an independent theater that I used to live by would show classics, Rocky Horror, limited distribution stuff that's hard to find anywhere, and even old silent films with a live orchestra. Consequently, it felt like an integral part of the community to me.