Sisters Movie House opens its doors

Sisters residents and visitors looking to catch the latest summer flicks now have to go no further than the east edge of town.

The Sisters Movie House opened its doors for business in the FivePines development near Sisters Athletic Club on Thursday, June 30.

The theater served just over 200 moviegoers the first day, according to developer and owner Lisa Clausen.

“It was like a fire drill the first day, but things actually went quite well,” she said. “We had a dry run the night before as a gratitude party for workers and supporters in order to make sure everything was running smoothly and that really helped.”

The Movie House is currently showing three major features — War of the Worlds, Bewitched and Batman Begins — and one independent film called Millions.

Curt Kallberg served as the general contractor, breaking ground in January. Clausen wanted to build something that, as she put it, would be quintessentially Sisters.

The new building looks like a classic red barn on the outside. The lobby is rustic with brick recycled from the old middle school building fashioned into benches and a heat stove.

Local mason Rod Poyner contributed an artistic western touch to the brickwork with uniquely inlaid tools and other ranch-oriented materials in the masonry work.

The four theaters include seating for about 330. The smallest theater has about 50 stadium seats and the largest 120.

The ticket counter and food area set the Movie House apart in other ways. Clausen says she wanted to make the place something quite different from Regal Cinemas or even McMenamins.

“This is a place people can linger,” she said. “They can come watch a movie and have a light dinner with beer or wine.’

Jim Barnett, manager, has been busy training a crew of local high school and college-age workers and has been amazed by the enthusiasm and hard work of the young people.

“I came here from another resort area, Mammoth Lakes, California, and never had such a reliable, hard-working staff,” he said. “I’m so impressed.”

Three projection technicians, Nick Newport, Casey Pyke and Kelsey Reznick, have kept things running smoothly.

“I think Nick would sleep here if I let him,” said Clausen.

Clausen doesn’t currently have plans for a major grand opening celebration, but she is looking at tying in community events with the movie house.

“Erin Deggendorfer is doing most of our marketing and advertising work,” Clausen said. “I call her the manger of get-stuff-done.

“Its been fun to see the interest people have,” she said. “A lot of folks have dropped in to check out the place and we’ve had quite a few customers who walk, ride their bikes or their skateboards to see a movie.”

Clausen plans to always mix in independent films with the mainline movies.

“I think it is important to have lesser known, thought-provoking films on screen.”

She also wants to support the works of young film makers however she can.

“There are a lot of local students with an interest in the film industry and if there are ways the Sisters Movie House can be part of that, I’m open,” she said.

Sisters High School sophomore Josh Marr had the afternoon free on Friday and came into to see War of the Worlds.

“It’s certainly more convenient than traveling to Bend and gives people something new to do during the day,” he said.

Movie times and a schedule of events can be accessed on the theater’s Web site at http://www.sistersmoviehouse.com or by calling 549-8800.