Use your Illusion | Arts & Culture

The Grand Illusion has been around for like, ever. The venerable indie picture house opened in 1968 in a converted dentist office.

But how much longer can the Illusion last?

Manager Brian Alter tells me they've had a tough couple of months, with weak ticket sales and "little to no" membership sales. Typically they have about 200 members, and now it's around half of that.

The theater is run entirely by volunteers, and Alter said they project actual celluloid prints, not DVDs, whenever possible. They're committed to keeping the film form alive.

I know people have been glued to the Tour de France, and before that, the World Cup, but maybe you could mix it up with a movie or two?

They're playing two John Waters films this week and planning to hold a fundraiser to help save the cinema. More details coming soon...