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December 14, 2007 Two years ago, a holiday screening of “The Polar Express” drew 800 people into the 1,725-seat Frauenthal Theater in downtown Muskegon. For the rest of the annual Muskegon Main Street Holiday Movie Festival, however, that kind of attendance not only was not easy to come by, it wasn’t even close.“Attendance has not been great,” said Dan Rinsema-Sybenga, manager of the Muskegon Main Street organization which has mounted the two-day festival for five years. “We’d like to have more ... Last year we showed ‘The Polar Express’ again, and I think we had about 350. And we showed it twice last year.” The Muskegon Main Street Holiday Movie Festival this year will show three movies daily, on Dec. 22 and 23. “The Polar Express” (2004) is the only scheduled film that the festival has screened before. This year’s lineup also includes “Happy Feet” (2006), “The Santa Clause 3” (2006), the classic, original version of “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), “Home Alone” (1990) and “A Christmas Story” (1983). Although most of the screenings do not draw more than a couple hundred people — and sometimes less than 100 — that’s not the point. Muskegon Main Street, with sponsorships from local businesses and enterprises, continues the festival just because it’s a good thing to do. Last year’s festival, for instance, raised only around $400. “It’s tough,” said Rinsema-Sybenga. “We don’t really make money on it. The reason we do it is just ‘cause we’ve done it before and it’s kind of a nice, feel-good holiday event.” Part of the good cheer that warms the festival is the Frauenthal itself. The historic venue at the corner of W. Western Avenue and Third Street opened in 1930 as a movie house called the Michigan Theatre. Today, it is used mainly for live performances. When the Frauenthal does revert to its origins, however, the feeling is a blast from the past. Two years ago, said Rinsema-Sybenga, a screening of the 1954 movie musical “White Christmas” drew between 75 and 100 patrons. Rinsema-Sybenga bade them good-bye and thank you as they left. “The numbers weren’t great,” Rinsema-Sybenga said. “But the people who watched it, when they came out of the theater, they were just so appreciative. They were just, like, ‘Thank you so much for showing this.’ It was so much fun to see it in the Frauenthal Theater. “Some people still remember when it was a movie theater. They had their first date there and stuff like that.” Muskegon Main Street endeavors to come up with new ideas to make the film festival more, well, festive. This year, the screening of “The Polar Express” will involve members of the Muskegon Railroad Historical Society. Two of them, dressed as train conductors, will punch youngsters’ tickets at the door. A model of “The Polar Express” train will be set up and running in the lobby. “The kids really get into that,” said Rinsema-Sybenga. Leading into the 7 p.m. Dec. 22 screening of “The Polar Express,” children may have their photograph taken with Santa Claus from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $3. Daily admission to the festival is $3. Patrons donating a can of food will be admitted for $2. Collected food will be donated to the food pantries of Love Inc. (on Dec. 22) and Loaves & Fishes (on Dec. 23). The film festival likely could not afford to continue if not for its sponsors. Sappi Fine Paper is the primary sponsor, annually contributing $1,200. Other underwriters coughing up $350-$400 apiece to pay for each of the movies include the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute, Manpower Inc., Consumers Energy, the Parmenter O’Toole law firm, Waterstone Insurance and Tipsy Toad Tavern. The results have been encouraging enough to keep the holiday film festival going. “It’s kind of intangible, the two days before Christmas, to get people out there,” said Rinsema-Sybenga. “It really is a fun event. That’s the basic thing that keeps us motivated.” For further details, visit the Web site www.downtownmuskegon.org. Holiday Movie Festival Dec. 22 1 p.m. - “Happy Feet” (Rated G). 4 p.m. - “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (Rated G). 7 p.m. - “The Polar Express” (Rated PG). Dec. 23 1 p.m. - “Miracle on 34th Street” (Rated G). 4 p.m. - “Home Alone (Rated PG). 7 p.m. - “A Christmas Story” (Rated PG).
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