The matinee was coming to a gruesome ending on the screen, but in the seats casual conversation mixed with a salvo of ringtones, several of which resulted in long phone calls. Dozens of patrons wandered in and out of the auditorium. One man stopped in the aisle to stretch, his puffer jacket emitting loud polyester swishes with every move.
These are the rhythms of Hollywood Classic, an independent movie theater in Seoul that has a dedicated clientele.
“It’s a sanctuary for people in their 60s and older — somewhere you can just sit and pass the time,” said Kim Woo-bon, 81, who was sitting in the middle section. “Everybody knows about this place.”
For the cinephiles, it is a place to catch long-forgotten flicks on the big screen. For the nostalgia-seekers, the lobby is a well-furnished museum of life in postwar South Korea, filled with everything from vintage rice cookers to old children’s textbooks. But most just come to hang out.