PITTSBURG, Kan. — Devil Damnit Promotions and Bookings is bringing big-screen movie entertainment to Pittsburg this summer, while also highlighting the resurgence of the Colonial Fox Theatre.
When Todd Loveland, owner of Devil Damnit, heard about the Pittsburg 8 AMC Theatre closure, he decided to pitch an idea to the Colonial Fox Foundation board that would fill a gap for the community and bring life back to the Fox.
“Was I surprised? No,” Loveland said about AMC’s closure. “But I hope we can fill that void for them.”
Starting on June 19, the production company will feature a film every Friday and Saturday, excluding the weekend of Independence Day, until July 24. The movies will be projected onto the north outdoor side of the Colonial Fox, located at 407 N. Broadway Street.
Loveland said he just acquired a new projector and movie attendees will experience cinema quality surround sound.
To offset the price of equipment and movie licenses, numerous sponsors came forward to help fund a large portion of the events. This allowed Loveland to set the admission price at $5 per person.
“We wanted to make it as accessible as possible for the whole community,” Loveland said.
The gate will open at 8 p.m., and concessions from The Blue Spoon and The Meat Shed will be available for purchase. Although the start of the movie depends heavily on when the sun sets, Loveland said they plan to start the movies at 9 p.m. Community members must bring their own lawn chairs.
The schedule of movies is as follows:
- June 19 - “Cars”
- June 20 - “Batman”
- June 26 - “Tombstone”
- June 27 - “Top Gun”
- July 10 - “The Breakfast Club”
- July 11 - “National Lampoon’s: Vacation”
- July 17 – “The Wizard of Oz”
- July 18 – “Young Frankenstein”
- July 24 - “Sharknado,” “Sharknado 2,” and “Sharknado 3”
Loveland said he has received incredible feedback and support from the community, which has re-energized the Fox board.
But movies aren’t the only addition that is slated to create buzz for the Fox. In the coming months, Colonial Fox Foundation Board President Brad Wells reported that the fully restored marquee will be installed in the coming months. CDL Electric took the original sign and rebuilt and rewired it.
“It is absolutely stunning,” Wells said. “And what the work that they did to bring it back to its glory is truly unbelievable. So, I can't wait for the public to see it.”
He went on to say the marquee has “the beauty of the 1950s with the technology of 2020s.”
With new board members, Wells said the goal of the group is to create a clear vision with new ideas and direction for the theater.
“A lot of people that have already put in a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears,” Wells said. “But I think with some new energy and some new ideas, I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel. The stage will have lights on again soon, hopefully.”
Loveland is one of the many people who loves the Fox and is excited about the future possibilities and benefits it could give to the community. The building could be a hub for a variety of events and provide meaningful experiences for area residents, he said.
“It could be just the cultural spot,” Loveland said. “You couldn't have centered that building any more perfectly in our downtown. I'm excited about just getting it back and putting life back into the project.”
The initial enthusiastic community response has prompted Loveland to start planning a fall movie series.
“We're excited about this movie series,” he said. “It's really cool that we're filling the void left by AMC,”
Loveland added that he hopes patrons come out and, “sit out underneath the stars and enjoy this.”
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.
