Citytimes: South Tampa will lose out if movie house fades to black

Special report

Last mission to repair the Hubble telescope
Hubble space telescope discoveries have enriched our understanding of the cosmos. In this special report, you will see facts about the Hubble space telescope, discoveries it has made and what the last mission's goals are.
More special reports

Video report

For their own good
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
More video reports

Multimedia report

Rays fan guide to the Trop
Here are some insider tips to Tropicana Field and area information.
More multimedia reports

South Tampa will lose out if movie house fades to black

The loss of the Sunrise Cinema would be a devastating blow to the culture of South Tampa. Cinema, many would say, is absolutely central in the spectrum of modern arts, and today many of the world's best films are independently produced.

Wonderful as the Tampa Theatre is, it shows just one film at a time, and often for just a few days at a time. The possible demise of Sunrise again raises the question: What kind of city is Tampa? Cosmopolitan cities cultivate and protect the arts. Eliminating a unique cultural resource like Sunrise in order to erect yet another block of condos would suggest that the culture of Tampa is all about commerce, and nothing but commerce.