The vivid bands of colour that draw movie-lovers into Regina's Rainbow Cinemas and along to their seats will light up for the last time on Sunday. 

The owner of the theatre, which has offered flicks for film fans in the city since 1988, announced last month that it would be shutting down, with the last movie airing Sunday.

"It's absolutely wild. Rainbow kind of felt like something that was just always going to be hanging around in this city," said Thomas Hendricksen, a manager at Rainbow, earlier this week.

The retro theatre has been a discount alternative to others in the city, running lesser-known local films and even dropping ticket prices to as low as a toonie on Tuesdays.

However, its lease in the Golden Mile Shopping Centre had expired, according to Rainbow's owners, Magic Lantern Theatres.

Hendricksen, who has worked either part-time or full-time for more than 15 years at the theatre, said it never rebounded after COVID-19 shutdowns. 

He's not the only employee who's saddened by the theatre's impending closure. 

"It's been very up-and-down for everybody. Everyone is kind of sad," he told CBC. "Some of the kids here have been coming for years. It's been here since before they were born."

Sales picked up dramatically as the closure neared, Hendricksen said. While that could be due to the recent price drop in the already discounted price for tickets — back to their 1998 level, when tickets were less than $3 — he expects it's because people wanted to experience the nostalgic theatre one last time.

Sheila Allan, who came in to see a movie earlier in the week, said she's going to miss the popcorn most — calling it the best popcorn ever — along with the discounted prices.

"We were looking for something to do today … and thought, hey, let's get popcorn and go to the Rainbow for a movie," she said. 

On the cinema's last day, the take-home bags of popcorn — which can be purchased even without attending a film — will be offered for a buy two, get one free deal.

The Rainbow's sister theatre in Saskatoon closed in March 2020, when the pandemic first began and as it faced an impending closure date in May.

Dayne Patterson is a reporter for CBC News in Saskatchewan and is based in Saskatoon. He has a master's degree in journalism with an interest in data reporting and Indigenous affairs. Reach him at dayne.patterson@cbc.ca.

With files from CBC's Ethan Williams

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