Galactic Theatre gets OK to show movies

Council approves request 5-0; once Fire Chief signs off, movies start

By Ted Hayes
Posted 6/7/16

It looks like Warren might get a little weird, after all.

The Warren Town Council last Thursday night unanimously approved an amended yearly entertainment license for Podsnappery and the Galactic …

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Galactic Theatre gets OK to show movies

Council approves request 5-0; once Fire Chief signs off, movies start

Posted

It looks like Warren might get a little weird, after all.

The Warren Town Council last Thursday night unanimously approved an amended yearly entertainment license for Podsnappery and the Galactic Theatre, two months after the brand-new micro-theater at 508 Main St. was forced to close just minutes into its first movie showing ever.

Proprietor David Podsnap, who opened the vintage boutique a year ago and decided earlier this year to start offering B movies in the back of the shop, received unanimous council approval last week to stage movies and theatre along with live acoustic music, which he had been approved for under a previously existing yearly entertainment license.

He hadn’t thought to ask if movies were covered under the license when he first thought of the movie theater idea; but he found that was the case on the theatre’s first night in March. Mr. Podsnap had barely started his first-ever movie, the 1950s cult classic “Untamed Youth,” when Fire Chief Al Galinelli ordered the theater closed following an anonymous complaint. Though Mr. Podsnap had an entertainment license, he hadn’t taken the necessary steps to adhere to strict fire code requirements. The chief allowed Untamed Youth to go on as planned, but stationed a fire department volunteer at the door. Since then, Mr. Podsnap has been working to implement costly changes, including fire suppression systems, outward opening doors and other fire code requirements.

Though he’s still not legal — one final fire alarm must still be installed before Chief Galinelli deems the building ready — Mr. Podsnap said his small theater, partitioned in the rear of the store, should be open soon.

“They were cool about it, and apologized for the time it took,” he said Monday of the council. “I can’t wait to open.”

Mr. Podsnap’s plan all along has been to show campy movies within the public domain, charging a few bucks nightly. He bought a popcorn machine and penny candy, and said he’ll show movies every night. Now, though, he’s thinking about expanding his offerings. One idea is to screen the cult classic “Die You Zombie Bastards” once a week. The film was shot by a friend and is distributed by Troma Movies, the same company responsible for “The Toxic Avenger” and other B-movie classics. He knows some of the musicians who played in the movie and said it’s perfect.

“Google ‘Die You Zombie Bastards,’” he told a reporter. “You’ll love it.”

He may also start showing movies distributed by Something Weird Video, which specializes in — you guessed it — weird movies.

“Some are in the public domain, some aren’t,” he said. “Stuff like, ‘Bad Girls Go to Hell,’ ‘Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman,’ stuff like that. I was thinking I would do ‘Something Weird Wednesdays,’ but maybe Fridays will be better. I don’t know yet.”

Mr. Podsnap, who is behind the “Keep Warren Weird” T-shirts you may have seen around town, expects to open the Galactic as soon as he gets the OK from Chief Galinelli. The first two movies on the schedule? “Untamed Youth” again, and “Moon Tide.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.