Local rock ‘n’ roll fans are in luck. This week only, Clintonville’s eclectic Studio 35 is featuring “Gimme Shelter,” the newly restored Rolling Stones documentary. Don’t miss out. This will be the final engagement for the film in the country.
All ranges of Stones fans will appreciate this documentary. For those who have seen “Gimme Shelter” before it was restored, the improvement in quality is astounding. Both the visual and audio aspects of the film are nearly up to par with current standards, considering the video footage dates back to the 1960s. The remastered Dolby Surround Sound makes the film worthy of being aired in a movie theater.
For rock ‘n’ roll fans who have never heard about the Stones’ infamous free concert at the Altamont Speedway in California, this documentary is revealing. It creatively provides the viewer a backstage pass into the concert and lives of the band members surrounding the incident.
Some 300,000 people attended the Stones’ free Altamont Speedway concert, the final stop of the band’s 1969 tour in the United States. To protect the stage from the mob of fans, the band hired Hell’s Angels, a California biker gang, to maintain order. The crowd turned riotous and the night was etched into history because of its violence.
“I had never heard about the Altamont Speedway incident before I saw ‘Gimme Shelter,’ ” said Melanie Kornides, a junior in nursing at Ohio State who attended the film’s opening night at Studio 35. “I love the way the filmmakers designed the documentary – we could see the reaction of the Rolling Stones as they were both watching clips of the film and listening to the Hell’s Angels on the radio responding to the stabbing.”
The film is complete with footage on and off-stage as well as some of the Stones’ most famous songs, including “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Satisfaction” and “Wild Horses.”
With its casual and comfortable theater and unique bar, the atmosphere of Studio 35 is perfect for “Gimme Shelter.” With many of its patrons coming from Ohio State, this cinema is a local favorite.
The theater opened in 1938 and is one of the last surviving owner-operated, single-screen movie theaters featuring general release films. What is unique about Studio 35, and believed to be the only reason it is still in operation, is that patrons can purchase pizza and beer to take into the theater.
“We were on the front page of The Wall Street Journal in the 1970s because we were the first cinema in the nation to serve beer and food,” said John Conti, owner of Studio 35 since 1995.
Conti strives to continue showing $5 double-feature films accompanied by an assorted menu of candy and beer along with pizza and subs served from neighboring Papa Joe’s.
“With the opening of the Lennox movie theater, our clientele has decreased,” Conti said. But Studio 35 regular’s love to come to the local theater and newcomers are discovering its uniqueness.
“I’ve been wanting to see a movie here for a while,” Kornides said. “I’m so glad I finally came. I never realized how fun it is and how close it is to campus.”
For those who have never been to the theater, “Gimme Shelter” is a great first film to view at the theater. “Gimme Shelter” will be shown nightly at 10:30 through Saturday. Grab a couple friends and enjoy a pizza and beer at Clintonville’s Studio 35, 3055 Indianola Ave.
