KANSAS CITY ARTSY MOVIE LOVERS LAMENT LAST PICTURE SHOW: WESTPORT TIVOLI CINEMAS SHUTTING DOWN!!!



A movie tradition in Midtown Kansas City is no more amid the decline of American theaters overall.

To wit . . .

THANK YOU NETFLIX!!! TIVOLI CINEMAS SHUTTING DOWN ON FRIDAY!!!

Turns out people would rather watch Youtube clips or the bevy of newly released streaming movies then venture out to see art house fair that mostly concerns gay cowboys eating pudding.

More importantly,  it turns out the somewhat recent crowdfunding to upgrade to digital projectors was a waste of time and locals really don't want to go out to see alternative movies.

Deets:

Jerry Harrington, owner of Westport's iconic Tivoli Cinemas, told patrons in an email last night that he intends to close the three-screen indie theater. And it will happen soon — this Friday.

"The combination of the age of the facility, my advancing age and health issues, along with the radical shifts happening in the movie business have made it impossible for me to continue."

Check the links:

Pitch: Tivoli Cinemas will close after 36 years in Westport

KCUR: Owner Of Kansas City's Tivoli Cinemas Says Friday Will Be Its Last Day

KMBC: In a letter to employees, owner Jerry Harrington said Thursday will be the last night films will be shown.

KSHB: "But, the Tivoli can no longer survive on ticket sales alone and the costs of maintaining operations are insurmountable." The theater, which opened in 1983 at a different location on Westport Road, shows American independent films, foreign films, documentaries and cinematic classics.

Developing . . .

Comments

  1. End of an era, very sad.

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  2. Well, now Tracy Thomas will never again have reason to dodge potholes and spend money in Killa Shitty's WastePort.

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  3. Loved the Tivoli and saw many great films there over the years. Sad to see it go.

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  4. Clearing the way for some Sly James approved junk national chain outfit to move in there.

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  5. ^^^ Sad but true. This is actually a local place that people love and it's going bye-bye but we're clearing out local business downtown and taxing it to death for fly by night taco joints. Not a great strategy.

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  6. I've seen some of the best movies of my life there. Would really like it if Butch Rigby or somebody came in there to keep it going. With some decent promotion I think the place could stay alive.

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    1. Great idea, Dex. Hope the right person takes your suggestion and runs with it.

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  7. ^^^ +100 Some of the "art" shows in KC barely get a few patrons but this place has been going strong for years. A shame that they can't find a way to keep it going.

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  8. Local movie lover4/8/19, 5:09 PM

    Learn to code?

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  9. The real truth is no one with any common sense wants to dare go into that shit hole Westport anymore.

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  10. ^^^^ Please stay far away @5:37. We'll be fine without you. Be very afraid, never leave your mom's basement and the whole world will be a much better place. Stay scared and wait for the next episode of fox & friends to comfort you.

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    1. Oh Goddamn! 5;37 got knocked the fuck out!!!!!

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  11. 6:09 PM Just go ahead and enjoy your lowlife drug and booze addled idiot company in vibrant and robust Westport.

    Sounds like the perfect scene for you. A perfect fit!





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    1. ^^^Spoken like someone who has never, ever been. You continue to enjoy the smell of fetid diapers and Matlock blaring on the TV all day. You bring nothing to table and the fact that your crybaby ass would NEVER ago to Westport, makes it that much more of a good time!

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  12. Westport...the land of fruitcakes, glory holes, and hipsters.

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  13. ... Bro's and Ho's

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  14. 6:33 PM I suspect you know more about enjoying the smell of fetid diapers and Matlock blaring on the TV all day.

    You seem to be an expert on the subject.

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    1. ....and yet I don’t. Weird.

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  15. Cow farts got nuthin on Gayzers' gasholes emissions!!4/8/19, 6:59 PM

    ^^^6:33 and his buttboiz 6:09 & 6:15, all with Ass-bugger syndrome, stink up the stalls they use for BathHouses around WastePort with their soy and kale farts.

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    1. ^^^^Meanwhile here you sit as you have all day in lieu of a life. Advantage them!

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  16. Ok, not trying to play hall monitor, but I think there could be some happy medium between 5:37 and 6:09. There’s no denying that Westport is not the safest place in town, but, typically, the violence doesn’t occur at the hours movies are shown. I live in JoCo and love the Tivoli as it often brings in films that aren’t shown at any other metro theaters. I also like supporting local businesses of any kind when I can. I’ve never felt intimidated or threatened there. Unfortunately we live in a world today that requires you to be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are. That being said, no, I’m not going to be hanging out in the hood at 2am, but I’m not going to stop patronizing great establishments like the Tivoli at reasonable times either. Best post on the thread is 4:45. I too wish a new owner could find success in keeping the place open.

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  17. 'Clearing the way for some Sly James approved junk national chain outfit to move in there'



    That's the best and most honest post.

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  18. Probably trying to bring that ugly apartment monstrosity the developers wanted to put in back to life. Tivoli was in the way of progress.

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  19. There are too many open storefronts in Westport to worry about ugly apartment monstrosities. It appears to be dying. The wee hours violence is only part of it. Public subsidies to competitor locations was the real killer.

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  20. A shame, but a common consequence of living in a free society. I wouldn't be shocked if most of the Tivoli patrons had Netflix, if not the owner.

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  21. ^^^^ True.

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  22. Big loss for KC metro; many fine films were shown there, and it was a great little set of theaters. Adios, Tivoli.

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  23. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Bury the Tivoli in an unmarked mass grave and leave it to the maggots. RIP indeed.

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  24. ^^^bad rubbish, huh? Bet you've got all the Transformers movies on Blue-Ray, ya tasteless moron. :-)

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