Darkside Cinema, Corvallis’ only independent, locally owned movie theater, is at a crossroads. After nearly 30 years of bringing independent, foreign and art films to the community, co-owners Paul and Lainie Turner are stepping away from ownership.
“Before, the Darkside was thriving. After COVID, I need to retire,” Paul Turner said.
The pandemic dealt a severe blow to the theater, sending attendance plummeting while operational costs soared. Despite surviving on supplemented financial support, Turner and his team never intended for the Darkside to become, in his words, “a zombie living off loans, grants and donations.”
The theater’s financial struggles have only intensified.
“Every year, around April, attendance drops like a stone. It is extremely stressful, and this past year has been the worst since 2007/8,” Turner wrote in a blog post announcing the decision. “We have not had consistently good grosses since February of 2020.”
In the same blog post, Turner expanded on the struggles of keeping the business afloat post-COVID. “The Darkside has never really recovered after the years of COVID. We’ve been muddling along, but attendance is not what it was before, and film and supply costs have shot through the roof.”
For Darkside fans like former Oregon State University student Ryan Ghalayini, Darkside is more than just a theater but a beloved institution.
“It was one of the greatest cinema places I’ve ever been to,” Ghalayini said. “I’ve never seen another movie theatre that showed those films.”
The origins of Darkside trace back two decades.
“Book Bin Bob bought the building 20 years ago and asked if I had any idea what one could do with 5,000 square feet of space with no windows. Since I had a background in construction, I spent a year building it. Ta da!” Turner said.
Despite being a film enthusiast, Paul doesn’t consider himself an elitist, “Yes, but not a snob. I love movies like ‘PERFECT DAYS,’ but I enjoy Marvel movies too.”
“We built the damned thing, so that’s about as original as it gets,” said Turner. “We started out with the equipment we could afford at the time and gradually upgraded to the theater you see today. The actual look of the Darkside hasn’t changed that much.”
However, the future remains uncertain. “Nope,” Turner simply said when asked if there was a plan for the next owner.
Turner gave his ideal vision for Darkside, saying, “Someone young and foolish will take it over and bring it into the future. I hope they would have kids who are raised in a theater, (with) parties and weddings in their theater, memories of kindnesses extended and movies that pissed off the right people.”
Ghalayini sees ownership as key to keeping Darkside’s spirit alive.
“It really depends on who takes it over because you can potentially have someone take it over and not make any changes and run the business the same,” Turner said. “Now, will these people run the business the same? I don’t know. That’s something that the future will tell.”
Passion for film, he argues, is crucial. “At some point, you have to have the knowledge — even if it’s basic knowledge — you have to enjoy watching movies. I mean, it just makes sense,” Ghalayini said. “If you wanna make that your business, if you wanna be successful, you have to have some sort of passion towards it.”
Paul and Lainie are now calling on the community for ideas.
“We’re asking you, the folks who have been supporting us since the ‘90s, what would you like to see happen with the Darkside as it moves into its next phase?” Turner asked in his blog post.
They’ve explored options like selling or bringing in a partner, but no ideal solution has emerged. Turner said his hard exit date is September 2027.
“We have looked at selling the business, but we have not seen any local interest, and would rather not sell to someone outside the community who is not already committed to growing this beast,” Turner said.
Despite the uncertainty, Turner remains hopeful that the Darkside will continue to serve as an important cultural space in Corvallis. As they prepare to step away, Turner and Lainie are asking the community to be part of the conversation about what happens next.
“We need to figure out how to keep this place alive,” Turner said. “The Darkside has been a home for so many film lovers — we don’t want to see that disappear.”
