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Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Renovation at former Holiday movie theater in Park Forest to-do box
Two years ago, at a villagewide workshop that evolved into a master plan for Park Forest, numerous residents had their say about the future of the downtown area: what to build, what to tear down and what to save. The dormant Holiday movie theater on Main Street was on the keep list. And why not? For more than a generation, the cinema dominated the bustling outdoor plaza. The 1,050-seat theater opened Oct. 28,1950, as part of the Park Forest Shoppers Plaza. Should you ask, 'Tight Little Island,' 'Huckleberry Finn' and 'The Red Shoes' were the first films shown. The Holiday featured a fireplace, a beamed ceiling and a cry room catering to fussy toddlers. It was also a social center for the mushrooming community. Many first dates at the movie house later blossomed into marriage. Sunday morning church services were once held for what was to become the Faith United Protestant Church, and at one time Saturday morning services for the Reform Jewish Congregation Beth Shalom also took place there. In the late 1980s it was converted into a three-screen movie emporium, including a screen in the balcony. By 1993, two more screens were added. Alas, by then movie houses played a bad second fiddle to television and tapes. Owners came and left. Cook County began gobbling up more taxes. In 2008 new owners changed the name to Holiday Star Theater, but the venue shuttered for good in 2013. All that remained of the site, along with the dust and mold, were the memories, and that, we suspect, is what led to a 'save the Holiday' sentiment among those who once cared. It will cost a large dollar to clean up, patch up, fix up and rehab the facility, and in a year in which Park Forest is committed to spending up to $5 million to rehab the crumbling infrastructure of the Aqua Center, any plans for the old movie house must be shipped into the 'to be done later' inbox. The biggest question is, if renovated, what kind of structure will it become? The theater site is part of a large commercial footprint in the downtown area, bounded by Main Street, Founders Way, Liberty Drive and Cunningham Lane. Although short of ongoing ventures, two new businesses plan to move into that portion of downtown. The Good Times Gaming Cafe plans to open at the corner of Liberty and Founders Way, taking over from a similar operation on Founders Way, according to the agenda for Monday night's Village Board meeting. The Royal Styles Restaurant will renovate a large space in the center. Other changes are taking place. Those 44 apartments under private construction at the corner of Indianwood Boulevard and Orchard Drive will probably be finished before the first snow. The desperately needed overhaul of Forest Boulevard and Forest Boulevard will eliminate those pock-marked craters. That project is being done with $480,00 from Cook County piggy bank. Everything takes time. The Holiday must wait its turn, if there is one. The last time we met, there was a discussion about the conflict between the sparrow and the wren competing for the same space in our backyard gourd, how the sparrow would build the nest and the wren would come along and start dismantling it. It was written that the wren won, but the sparrow was never notified. One day after publication, the sparrow took over, barging in and, as many a squatter does, taking over the property. The wren shrugged its wings, in an avian 'oh well' and flew off. There are a number of wrens in our backyard. All birds look alike, thus preventing me from spotting the disenfranchised creature.
Tatler Asia
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
9 mesmerising ballet movies of all time
2. 'The Red Shoes' (1948) Before Black Swan , there was The Red Shoes , perhaps the godmother of all ballet movies. A Technicolour masterpiece from Powell and Pressburger, this classic is as intoxicating now as it was decades ago. It tells the story of a young ballerina torn between love and art, set against backdrops so lush they make reality feel mundane. The 17-minute ballet sequence remains one of cinema's most exquisite achievements. This film doesn't just capture ballet: it elevates it to myth. 3. 'Centre Stage' (2000) The acting can be lacking, but the dancing was glorious. The glossiest, most quotable entry on the list, Centre Stage is less about subtlety and more about attitude. It follows a group of aspiring dancers at the fictitious American Ballet Academy, navigating competition, crushes and (of course) body image issues. Is it high art? No. But it delivers twirls, tears and top-tier drama—plus an iconic final dance set to Jamiroquai. What more do you want? Centre Stage took a gamble hiring professional ballerinas for most of the roles, including Ethan Stiefel and Sascha Radetsky, husband of prima ballerina Stella Abrera. 4. 'The Turning Point' (1977) Starring Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft, this Oscar-nominated drama isn't just about ballet—it's about the choices that define a life. One woman chose career over family, the other chose family over career. When their paths cross again, old regrets resurface amid pliés and past grudges. It's a nuanced portrait of female friendship, sacrifice and what it means to live with what could have been. 5. 'White Nights' (1985) What do you get when you pair Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines? A Cold War thriller and a dance showdown. White Nights follows a Soviet ballet star who defects to the US, only to find himself stranded behind the Iron Curtain. The plot is pure '80s geopolitics, but the dancing, especially Baryshnikov's explosive solos, is nothing short of electric. Also read: Interview: Kim Kimin 6. 'Ballet 422' (2014) For those who prefer their drama unscripted, this documentary offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the New York City Ballet. It follows young choreographer Justin Peck as he crafts a new ballet from scratch, juggling egos, rehearsals and deadlines. Quiet, observational and intensely revealing, it shows the creative process in all its raw, sweaty glory. 7. 'Billy Elliot' (2000) This is one of those ballet movies that everybody just loves. Set in a Northern England coal-mining town during the 1984 miners' strike, this heartwarming tale of a boy who trades boxing gloves for ballet slippers is as much about social class and masculinity as it is about dance. Jamie Bell's breakout performance is buoyant and brave, and the movie's emotional beats land every time. Come for the footwork, stay for the fight. 8. 'Polina' (2016) This French film offers a more contemplative take on the dancer's journey. Polina is a Russian ballerina whose path veers from classical rigour to contemporary expression, forcing her to rediscover movement, meaning and identity. It's a quiet, artful meditation on what it means to truly feel dance. Also read: 13 of the best sports documentaries you can watch on Netflix right now 9. 'Yuli' (2018) Another dancer biopic, Yuli charts the rise of Carlos Acosta, the Afro-Cuban ballet prodigy who became a star of the Royal Ballet. Blending reenactments with staged dance sequences, it creates a lyrical hybrid of history and motion. It's about race, resilience and the radical defiance of dancing your truth.
