If you have any sort of social media account, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the Rio Theatre on Broadway Street in Vancouver has been listed for sale. The Rio is more than just a theatre: it’s a community. Establishments like this are one in a million, and something cities like Vancouver need more of. Where else can you see the 1989 Batman on the big screen with a few friends on a Tuesday night? Where else can you get cozy with some popcorn and a blanket in a theatre seat for 11 hours watching an extended edition Lord of the Rings marathon? The venue has also become popular for its burlesque events, midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween, and so much more.
To see this business sold to a developer with plans to demolish it would break the hearts of movie fans not only in Vancouver, but throughout the Lower Mainland, and further. Save the cult classics! Save the Rio community! This is such a beloved neighbourhood treasure, and no one wants to see it go. Except of course those greedy buyers who would rather put up another tasteless box of an apartment building.
Image: Amara Gelaude/The Cascade
