Instead of flocking across the Olentangy River to the AMC Lennox, many Ohio State students, faculty and staff have found an alternative cinema experience in Columbus.
The Drexel Theatre East and its sister theater, the Drexel Grandview, strive to share independent and foreign films with the open-minded moviegoers.
Mazhar Al-Hadid, a graduate student in dentistry, said he enjoys independent films, and his position as assistant manager at the Drexel East suits him perfectly.
“I’ve always wanted to work at a theater that emphasizes creativity in film,” Al-Hadid said.
Built in 1981, the Drexel’s red and turquoise marquee illuminates its surrounding parameter. It sits amid Bexley’s old storefront neighborhoods at 2256 E. Main St.
Photographs of old movie stars trim its hallways. There is no high ceiling entrance or multiple concession counters. Instead, the Drexel remains more intimate and unassuming.
“I prefer the Drexel more than other theaters, not just because of the movies, but I enjoy the atmosphere more. It’s charming,” said Joanna Palumbo, a senior in psychology.
The Radio Cafe is attached to the Drexel and is complete with sandwiches, coffee drinks, juices and several vintage radios. Music can be heard throughout the room, and a small patio offers outdoor seating.
The theater’s marquee, combined with the cozy cafe’s nostalgic memorabilia and patio, create an atmosphere similar to a Parisian cafe.
The atmospheric qualities, however, are only components of a building that holds the intangible. Numerous films breeze through the Drexel every year, including foreign and independent films that can be hard to find elsewhere.
“Foreign films are important to me, and the Drexel is the only place that shows them,” Palumbo said.
The Drexel brings the latest releases from independent filmmakers. Unlike mainstream productions, most Drexel films have no corporate sponsors to advertise their release dates, let alone their existence. The movie’s success relies solely on the presence and response of the viewers.
“With some of the mainstream films, it is just the same thing over and over again,”said Shelly Belchor of Worthington .
Belcher’s friend, Lisa Mick, joined her for a viewing of the independent hit “Thirteen,” a movie that played at the Drexel exclusively.
“I’m searching for different kinds of movies with different twists,” Mick said.
Belcher and Mick, however, may be exceptions to the general moviegoing population. Al-Hadid said that people’s mindsets have changed, leading to a shift away from the independent film.
“The attention span to movies has gone to zero. These are deliberate movies. They aren’t slow, but people’s attention spans have changed so much that they can’t focus on movies like this anymore,” Al-Hadid said.
Al-Hadid said he also enjoys and respects the purpose of the mainstream film.
“A lot of these films are heavy and you have to be involved in the film throughout the whole movie,” he said. “It’s sometimes nice to take your mind away from everything else that is going on in the world and go see something light.”
“I think it’s remarkable. It’s really important for Columbus to have an independent film theater. It’s hard to find really good movies now a day. There are so many commercially produced films coming out of Hollywood that really don’t emphasize creativity and real emotion,” Al-Hadid said.
More and more independent filmmakers struggle and sacrifice to make passionate, personal movies, while the odds against bringing the films to audiences grow larger. The Drexel is dedicated to providing a consistent independent film venue for those who embrace it.
“We have a fairly diverse crowd, but for the most part, they have a creative mindset,” Al-Hadid said. “You have to be open-minded to come here.”
