SOUTH PIKE CINEMAS | PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

If it seems quiet at South Pike Cinemas, keep one thing in mind: This movie theater just had to fight for its life.

Just off of Route 28 in Buffalo Township sits a welcoming multiplex. The cinema has the look of the late ’90s about it, when movie theaters in every suburb in the country were expanding and adding stadium seating to keep up with demand. The eye-catching neon trim outside, the bright carpet and hand-drawn caricatures inside — if you bought a movie ticket before the turn of the century, you’ll recognize this place.

If you Google “South Pike Cinemas,” though, the theater chain AMC has some bad news: “AMC CLASSIC South Pike 10 has permanently closed,” the result reads.

PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

Rumors of the cinema’s death, however, have been greatly exaggerated — or, in the case of AMC, obfuscated. It is true that the multiplex near Sarver is no longer an “AMC CLASSIC,” an inappropriately capitalized member of the global chain. But South Pike Cinemas is alive and well — and, once again, a community-owned movie theater.

According to the Trib, the theater did close in August, when AMC declined to renew its lease. Immediately, though, building owner Nick Mulone opted to reopen it as an independent venue, rather than let it sit empty. After about a month of downtime, Mulone turned its lights back on — the former AMC marquee is gone and replaced with the “South Pike Cinemas” name.

Related: Our Picks for the 10 Best Movie Theaters in Pittsburgh

Mulone told the Trib that business was good at the location; according to the longtime owner, AMC’s departure came after a rent dispute (and occurs as the chain is desperately trying to figure a path forward after nearly going extinct during the pandemic).

I visited Sunday afternoon and found an inviting, friendly staff and a well-maintained building with excellent picture quality and sound. A few of the details, like an empty game room and a lack of pre-show music in the building, are yet to be addressed, but the cinema is fundamentally what it always has been: An unpretentious, first-run movie theater.

That’s a community asset. Despite the hand-waving of many parties convinced that streaming is the future of cinema (a topic for another day, but far from a certainty), movie theaters are essential places for the communal experience of art and entertainment — a necessity, especially in places without dozens of nightlife options and events.

While the consolidation of movie chains has contributed to a downturn in the number of cinemas in America, these are still businesses that have every opportunity to flourish. And there’s something vital about the traditional multiplex model, which offers multiple chances to see a variety of movies every day; no matter your schedule, you can fit in a trip to the movies, provided a cinema is relatively close to home.

I’m biased, of course; I’d rather be at a movie theater than most other places — I go three or four times a week. But even for those who only go occasionally, it’s important that we have places to go, in our communities, beyond restaurants and bars. We need to go out with a point and purpose — to gather together, passively and affordably, and experience something in a communal way. Movie theaters have been filling that role for a century. As long as people like Nick Mulone have the good sense to keep them open, they’ll continue doing so.

By the way — good popcorn, here. That classic multiplex flavor. And a standard combo (medium drink, medium popcorn) was $11. That’s a lot cheaper than the going rate at AMC. Have you bought popcorn at the Waterfront lately? I can get a steak for less.