New Hampshire Movie Theaters Keep Traditions Alive

Films produced in New England started as early as the era of silent cinema in the early twentieth century, before the industry became centralized in New York City and Hollywood. The start of their film output mirrored that of the American republic, with films such as Benedict Arnold (1909), Ralph Once's Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). The benefits of shooting a motion picture in New England were largely practical, whether the close proximity to regional distributors, the lack of adaptive technology or the cooler setting. Major film companies such as Vitagraph, Edison, and Lubin took working vacations in New England seaside towns to escape the scorching heat of the cities. The Man Without a Face (1993), Message in a Bottle (1999), In the Bedroom (2000) and State and Main (2000) are a few of the modern films which opted to continue this trend.

New England's landscape has also inspired those whom wish to explore darker, more controversial matters. Edison Studios produced Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel, the first film made in New England that could be considered to belong to the horror genre, in 1900. Only ten years earlier there was a child born in Rhode Island who would grow up to be a legendary influence on horror fiction: H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft made capable use of the sometimes bleak and spooky land that surrounded him, along with a sense of history in his tales which may be owed to the land's own. Lovecraft wouldn't live to see any of his stories appear on the big screen as the first, Haunted Palace, based loosely on his "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," was released in 1963 and he died in 1937. Some of his other films that take place in so-called "Lovecraft country" are The Shuttered Room (1967), The Dunwich Horror (1970) and From Beyond (1986). The so-called Cthulhu Mythos built around Lovecraft's characters and settings have been used by many writers and directors in their own works, including John Carpenter, Guillermo Del Toro and Sam Raimi. The backward, Lovecraftian town of Hobb's End, New Hampshire in Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness (1995), an homage to "At the Mountains of Madness," continues the tradition.

Author Stephen King has both added to the Cthulhu Mythos and endeavored to create his own. Nearly all of King's stories take place in his fictional New England and of his many film adaptations, a few strongly highlight the dynamics of New England at work, notably The Dead Zone (1983), Misery (1990) and Needful Things (1993). Writer Michael Sletcher has even asserted that Stephen King has "probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill..and like O'Neill, he has an obsession with looking behind the picket-fences facades of the small town." Like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry James before them, King and Lovecraft both draw on their native land and history to tell supernatural tales. Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," for instance, tells of a meeting with the Devil in the woods outside colonial Plymouth, which, itself, draws on the tragic time in New England known as the Salem Witch Trials. The time of the witch trials in Salem would draw filmmakers to the topic again and again, starting with 1937's Maid of Salem.

Other films have been aimed at addressing more modern evils. These include New Hampshire filmmaker Louis de Rochemont's socially conscious films, Lost Boundaries (1949) and Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951), about racism in and labor issues in New Hampshire, respectively. Portsmouth features the annual New Hampshire Film Festival, one of the most popular in the Northeast, and also some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters. Throughout New England similar events are held, both preserving and pushing forward the region's film history.

The culture of the arts continues to the present day and has advanced decade by decade—in fact, inexpensive cameras and editing software have reinvigorated film production at a local level. New England actor and journalist Phil Hall credits the digital video revolution with the filmmaking boom. Hall does worry, however, that too much product can flood the marketplace: Portsmouth NH movie theaters and those "around the country need to exhibit movies that are going to turn a profit...faced with exhibiting Angels and Demons or a no-budget movie made in Vermont, their choice is clear." Technology still, it must be admitted, is making it easier to film, edit and distribute films made in New England not just in Hollywood but worldwide.

During the early silent era of film, it wasn't unusual to find films made in the New England states, such as New Hampshire. Early examples, taking advantage of the rich local history, include Benedict Arnold (1909), Ralph Once's Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). The benefits of shooting a motion picture in New England were largely practical, whether the close proximity to regional distributors, the lack of adaptive technology or the cooler setting. The Edison, Lubin and Vitagraph film companies, some of the larger in existence at the time often opted to shoot in New England during hot and humid summers. Despite changes in technology and film distribution, location shooting in New England is still done during summer, including The Man Without a Face (1993), Message in a Bottle (1999), In the Bedroom (2000) and David Mamet's State and Main (2000) with Massachusetts location photography.

Recent films have been more likely to play up the dual natures of darkness and light, urbania and isolation, penance and redemption and hidden things. In fact, one of the earliest films to mine this vein was 1900's Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel, in which the title character finds himself forced to spend a night in a haunted building. Around the same time, a highly influential writer of the genre was born in Rhode Island, Howard Phillips Lovecraft—better known today as H.P. Lovecraft. Peppered with ancient, isolated fishing towns and puritanical remnants, New England made a perfect source from which he could draw his eldritch tales. Lovecraft wouldn't live to see any of his stories appear on the big screen as the first, Haunted Palace, based loosely on his "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," was released in 1963 and he died in 1937. From that start, there have been nearly 30 screen adaptations, the setting of which frequently features a spooky New England backdrop. Fellow writers Robert E. Howard, August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith helped to contributed to the creation of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, a sprawling fictional universe which has continued to expand in part because of filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro and John Carpenter. Carpenter used the fictional, Lovecraftian town of Hobb's End, New Hampshire as the setting for his homage to the author, 1995's In the Mouth of Madness.

Horror writer Stephen King has created a similar mythos for his own characters. King makes use of his native Maine as a frequent setting for weird goings-on. Some have said that Stephen King has "probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill." Both authors often combined the supernatural with their native soil, much as Nathaniel Hawthorne had done in the previous century. For instance, Hawthorne made good use of the region's infamous Salem Witch Trials in his stories. Maid of Salem brought the trials to the big screen in 1937, the first of many films on the subject.

Other films have been aimed at addressing more modern evils. Lost Boundaries (1949) is one of these socially aware films, concerning racism in a small New Hampshire town and recorded in Portsmouth.Portsmouth features some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters for major studio features while independent films are highlighted every year in the New Hampshire Film Festival. Throughout New England similar events are held, both preserving and pushing forward the region's film history.

Progress is helped along with the development of inexpensive but quality recording equipment and software. Phil Hall, an actor, journalist and historian living in New England, has attributed the digital video revolution with spurring a new wave of filmmakers in the region. Hall does have some concern as about a flooded marketplace, especially in regional or local markets, such as Portsmouth NH theaters. The internet and social media have enabled startup filmmakers to distribute their works alongside major productions from Hollywood and the opportunity to rival it.

in the silent era of film it was just as likely to find films being produced in New England as in New York or Hollywood. Early New England films, such as Benedict Arnold (1909), Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). The benefits of shooting a motion picture in New England were largely practical, whether the close proximity to regional distributors, the lack of adaptive technology or the cooler setting. The Edison, Lubin and Vitagraph film companies, some of the larger in existence at the time often opted to shoot in New England during hot and humid summers. Even in the modern, major studio driven market, some filmmakers still film their movies there in the same manner.

Recent films have been more likely to play up the dual natures of darkness and light, urbania and isolation, penance and redemption and hidden things. The New England horror film has a lengthy history and can be traced back to 1900's Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel (1900), the story of an encounter in a haunted house. A decade earlier, the influential horror legend H.P Lovecraft was born in Rhode Island. Lovecraft's numerous tales of terror in pulp magazines often took place or were influenced by the history and land of his home region. His novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" was the first of numerous Lovecraft film adaptations, the title renamed by director Roger Corman as The Haunted Palace (1963). The Dunwich Horror (1970), Re-Animator (1985), From Beyond (1986) and The Whisperer in Darkness (2011) are some of the other films set in New England towns which are taken from the pages of Lovecraft's writing. Fellow writers Robert E. Howard, August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith helped to contributed to the creation of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, a sprawling fictional universe which has continued to expand in part because of filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro and John Carpenter. In Carpenter's macabre In the Mouth of Madness (1995)—a tribute to "At the Mountains of Madness" —an author is tasked by Arcane Publishing to investigate the disappearance novelist Sutter Cane in Hobb's End, New Hampshire, located squarely in Lovecraft country.

One New England author said to have created a similar setting for his own creations is Stephen King. King's Lovecraft-like take on New England life is detailed in film adaptations of his stories in Dead Zone (1983), Misery (1990) and Needful Things (1993). Writer Michael Sletcher has even asserted that Stephen King has "probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill..and like O'Neill, he has an obsession with looking behind the picket-fences facades of the small town." King and Lovecraft continue the tradition of literature written about supernatural New England established by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne wrote "Young Goodman Brown" in 1835, using the type of satanic meetings that were alleged to have taken place in the Salem Witch Trials. Films such as Maid of Salem (1937), The Devonsville Terror (1983) and Warlock (1989) all are based on the terrible events that transpired in Salem at that time.

Some dramas also took inspiration from other times and addressed problems in New England's past. One of these socially conscious films, Louis de Rochemont's fictionalized account of a racially divided New Hampshire town, Lost Boundaries (1949). Portsmouth features some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters for major studio features while independent films are highlighted every year in the New Hampshire Film Festival. Similar events and festivals occur each year across New England, not just New Hampshire.

The culture of the arts continues to the present day and has advanced decade by decade—in fact, inexpensive cameras and editing software have reinvigorated film production at a local level. New England actor and journalist Phil Hall credits the digital video revolution with the filmmaking boom. Hall does have concerns about the available venues for displaying so many films, adding, "When faced with exhibiting Angels and Demons or a no-budget movie made in Vermont, their choice is clear" (except perhaps in Portsmouth NH movie theaters). With modern benefits provided by the internet, filmmakers from New England are seeking to rival Hollywood once again and they just might.

Films produced in New England started as early as the era of silent cinema in the early twentieth century, before the industry became centralized in New York City and Hollywood. The region made good use of its rich history, turning out films such as Benedict Arnold in 1909, The Battle of Bunker Hill in 1911 and the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere in 1914. The benefits at the time were the varied landscape, the cooler climate and—this would change—easy access to local or regional film distributors. Thomas Edison's film company was one who opted to schedule film shoots there during the summer. The Man Without a Face (1993), Message in a Bottle (1999), In the Bedroom (2000) and State and Main (2000) are a few of the modern films which opted to continue this trend.

Recent films have been more likely to play up the dual natures of darkness and light, urbania and isolation, penance and redemption and hidden things. The New England horror film has a lengthy history and can be traced back to 1900's Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel (1900), the story of an encounter in a haunted house. Only ten years earlier there was a child born in Rhode Island who would grow up to be a legendary influence on horror fiction: H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft made capable use of the sometimes bleak and spooky land that surrounded him, along with a sense of history in his tales which may be owed to the land's own. Lovecraft wouldn't live to see any of his stories appear on the big screen as the first, Haunted Palace, based loosely on his "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," was released in 1963 and he died in 1937. From 1967's The Shuttered Room to 2011's Whisperer in the Darkness, some thirty films have been adapted from Lovecraft's work, several set in sleepy New England towns. H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos established a fictional universe of which many other artists have contributed, such as director John Carpenter. The lead character in Carpenter's homage to Lovecraft, In the Mouth of Madness (1995), follows a mysterious disappearance to New England, specifically Hobb's End, New Hampshire, a small town where bizarre things are the norm.

Author Stephen King has both added to the Cthulhu Mythos and endeavored to create his own. A native of Maine, King sets almost all of his tales there, building on the mystique and history of the area to bring the stories to life, much as Lovecraft did. "[Stephen King has] probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill...and has an obsession with looking behind the picket-fences facades of the small town," notes historian Michael Sletcher. Like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry James before them, King and Lovecraft both draw on their native land and history to tell supernatural tales. For instance, Hawthorne made good use of the region's infamous Salem Witch Trials in his stories. This shameful part of the region's history has been featured frequently on the big screen, starting with Maid of Salem (1937) and continuing with films such as I Married a Witch (1942), The Devonsville Terror (1983), Warlock (1989) and The Crucible (1996).

Other films have been aimed at addressing more modern evils. Lost Boundaries (1949) is one of these socially aware films, concerning racism in a small New Hampshire town and recorded in Portsmouth.Portsmouth features some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters for major studio features while independent films are highlighted every year in the New Hampshire Film Festival. Such events are mirrored in most states and areas across New England, a remnant still of those early years in film and theater.

Film culture in New England continues to morph and adapt to the times. New England actor and journalist Phil Hall credits the digital video revolution with the filmmaking boom. Hall does worry, however, that too much product can flood the marketplace: Portsmouth NH movie theaters and those "around the country need to exhibit movies that are going to turn a profit...faced with exhibiting Angels and Demons or a no-budget movie made in Vermont, their choice is clear." Regardless, with the advent of fast connections and sites like YouTube on the internet, fledgling filmmakers are finding ways to rival, if not win over, the films made in Hollywood.

Film Happenings In And Around Portsmouth NH And Surrounding Areas (Pt. 2) Movie Theaters Near Portsmouth NH Were Basically Inevitable (Pt. 2)