When the American Cinematheque decided to screen a digital print of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey at their Aero Theatre in Santa Monica a few weeks ago, I knew something was up. The coup de grace came when I saw that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would be screening the same movie on film as part of their depressingly titled: Last 70mm Festival. I should have seen the writing on the wall when Cal State Long Beach stopped holding their annual Widescreen Film Festival. Or when the shoe-box sized theater near my childhood home converted to digital projection. Having in my own lifetime seen digital imaging evolve from Chuck & Buck to Hugo, I knew deep-down that it was inevitable. The LA Weekly even told me so. I just didn't realize that when the end finally came, it would hurt this much. And while it's heartening to see filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson out there trying to keep the format alive, it can't help but feel like a bandaid on a bullet wound. Even Martin Scorsese has jumped ship. So why don't we just call it a day and say: Here lies film, 1895 - 2012. Rest In Peace old friend. You will not be soon forgotten.
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