Attendees of the CULT Film Series at the Roxy Theater in downtown Santa Rosa. [Photo courtesy of Neil Pearlmutter]
By his own admission, Neil Pearlmutter was, “a crazy little kid who loved weird, genre films.” It wasn’t until Pearlmutter took his son to a re-release of “Ghostbusters” in 2011 that he decided to share his love of “weird, genre films” with the public.
Attending the screening of the ‘80s classic is what inspired Pearlmutter, vice president of Santa Rosa Cinemas, to create the CULT Film Series showings held at the Roxy Theater in Santa Rosa. “CULT” serves as an acronym for “Classic Underground Lost Treasures,” Pearlmutter says he wasn’t 100% sure how the series was going to be received. “I knew I wasn’t the only person out there who loved these movies,” says Pearlmutter.
The initial screening for the CULT Film Series was held in 2012, a special re-release of John Carpenter’s horror classic, “Halloween.” The showing was promising enough to launch double features the following month. Nine years later, the CULT Film Series has gained something of a cult following among local film buffs. “The best thing that has come from all this is how fun it is connecting with people who come on a regular basis for these movie nights,” he says.
The series typically occurs on the first and third Thursdays of the month, and according to Pearlmutter, the cult shows are generally the top-grossing showings of the day. As the creator and curator of the series, Perlmutter says he tends to show films he wants to see on the big screen that normally wouldn’t have a chance to be seen. Some months he picks films with a theme in mind. Other months, he draws on suggestions from the loyal audience.
In the age of streaming and having nearly everything at your fingertips, Pearlmutter says these film series nights are a unique, communal experience you can’t enjoy anymore with streaming at home. “I hope it personalizes the theater for people because myself and the manager speak at the events and meet the attendees,” he says.
Pearlmutter began working for Santa Rosa Cinemas 31 years ago, sweeping floors as an usher at the age of 16. After a brief spell living in Los Angeles and working for a talent manager and producer, he got a call from Santa Rosa Cinemas, asking if he’d be interested in serving as a consultant on an American-style multiplex the company was building in Moscow. Following his time in Russia, he returned to the North Bay and worked as a district manager in the corporate office, and was eventually promoted to vice president.
The CULT Film Series branched out to host a few film festivals in the past. However, at this point, Pearlmutter is happy to maintain the series in its current iteration. The film series has even hosted special celebrity guests on occasion. “We’ve been really lucky with the series. We’ve had the late actor Robert Forester at our ‘Jackie Brown’ screening, the legendary cinematographer Dean Cundey and numerous horror icons show up for these nights. Hopefully, we can get back to that once people feel more comfortable going out again,” says Pearlmutter.
As for future screenings, Pearlmutter says he’d like to show more comedies, particularly ‘80s comedies. “There’s a film called Skin Deep that I love that I’d like to show. I don’t think it’s available for streaming most of the time,” he says.
Closing in on a decade of the CULT Film Series, Pearlmutter says he owes his thanks to everyone who attends on a regular basis, supporting the monthly madness of quirky cinema. “It’s been great having the audience become a part of the Roxy Theatre’s life,” says Pearlmutter. “I look at them as my second family. One big cult family.”
