Saving Small Downtown Movie Theaters

The Brian Lehrer Show | Jul 21, 2025

The indie movie theater in downtown Maplewood, NJ, closed during the pandemic, and wasn't able to re-open -- a fate shared by many small movie theaters as moviegoing habits have changed. Angela Matusik and Lisa Cohen, co-founders of the Maplewood Film Society,  talk about their efforts to re-open the theater in Maplewood, and explain why they think independent theaters are crucial spaces in small towns. 

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

Mamdani hasn't made NYC's buses free. Riders stopped paying anyway.

MTA Chair Janno Lieber suggested the mayor's 2025 campaign pledge led to a rise in fare evasion on buses.
Gothamist |

F@#$ the AI Overlords

A guide to getting AI to work for us, and not the other way around.
On the Media |

Democratic Challengers: Abdul El-Sayed and Nithya Raman

David Remnick speaks with two left-leaning Democrats challenging not just Trump’s agenda but their party’s tarnished image: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, and Nithya Raman in Los Angeles.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

Defining "Middle Aged"

Julie Beck talks about the difficulty of determining when being "middle aged" actually starts.
The Brian Lehrer Show |
YOU ARE ONLINE