By Danie Jacobs
Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - Ster-Kinekor closed their cinemas in Matlosana Mall last week for good. This is a dark day for the city!
I moved to Klerksdorp in the seventies and remember the Leba housed our movies. I will never forget how packed the cinema was when they screened Superman. I had to sit in the aisle and there was a queue outside, waiting for the next screening.
Then the Leba changed ownership, but the movies were still flickering and movie buffs enjoyed watching Hollywood blockbuster on the big screen. Local films by Leon Schuster were also huge hits, with people standing around the block waiting to get tickets. You could rent movies, but cinemas were still the preferred choice to start a night out on the town. That building is a sport clothing store now.
When City Mall was built, the Leba closed down and the city welcomed a Nu Metro complex. We finally felt like a real city with a huge movie complex housing five movie theatres. Those days, Titanic was the biggest hit and the film showed to packed houses for months.
When Nu Metro announced the closing of the Klerksdorp cinemas, it was like death in the family. But a new mall was going up and Ster-Kinekor opened a beautiful cineplex in Matlosana Mall and it was state-of the-art!
I saw many movies there, such as movies in 3D with surround sound. I was so happy that finally we could compete with the best when it came to movies - and it meant less trips to Johannesburg. Locals supported the movies and several premieres were screened here.
Then streaming started and Netflix and Showmax and some others make it so easy and affordable to see films in the safety and comfort of your own home and at a fraction of the cost. You can make your own popcorn and still see the magic of Hollywood and at the touch of a button. Also, the pandemic kept us at home under lockdown, causing streaming services to bloom. But going to the movies still remained an experience. It was getting expensive and that deterred many, but the magic was still there.
Last year, Ster-Kinekor announced restructuring and several cinemas closed down. We felt lucky, because Matlosana Mall stayed open. Until now.
Now the city is without a cinema and the magic of the big screen is history. The cinemas closed on Thursday February 13; the night before Valentine’s Day! Ster-Kinekor confirmed the closure as permanent and said the cinemas in neighbouring Potchefstroom and Rustenburg two hours away are still open. It is the end of an era as we know it.
