George Caldwell ’24
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers
Campus is full of hidden surprises, but perhaps the most unexpected is the Francis Xavier Seelos Theatre. With a capacity of 360 and elegant furnishings, the theater is an impressive venue for students to watch movies. As Holy Cross’ website explains, “Seelos Theatre screens second-run films every week when school is in session. The movies are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.” On the weekend of this article’s publication, the Seelos Theatre will be screening How to Blow Up a Pipeline, an action-thriller film about a group of young people who sabotage an oil refinery as an act of protest. Later on in the semester, Seelos will screen blockbuster films such as Oppenheimer, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I, and Barbie.
“One day, I wanted a break from work, and decided to go down and see Bullet Train in Seelos,” says Matt Nickerson ‘24. “I’d seen trailers but hadn’t gone when it was in theaters. It ended up being a really fun movie, and it was cool to get to see it on a big screen rather than just on the smaller TV in my dorm room, or on my iPad. I’ve gone a couple times since and intend to again. I like the fact that the showings are open to the public, it makes it feel like more than just Holy Cross’ movie theater. And it’s a tradition at this point; I read in a past alumni magazine that the Seelos Film Series has been in operation since 2001. They’ve shown thousands of films in there, which is crazy!”
However, Nickerson wishes there was more publicity for the theater. “I think that the school should definitely highlight the film series more. I think that increased attendance during those nights would be a nice break and a relaxing experience during busy weeks.”
Brendan Taylor ‘24 expresses similar sentiments about the lack of publicity. “I wish the college would advertise Seelos more,” he says. “Many students, especially first years, do not know it exists. It also isn’t obvious to find. More signage around Kimball would help. I think it’s an underutilized place that more clubs and activities should use as a meeting space as well.”
Perhaps part of the reason why these students feel that the theater is insufficiently advertised is that Holy Cross does not send out emails devoted solely to advertising Seelos. Rather, movie screenings are simply included in the Office of Student Involvement’s “Happenings on the Hill” emails. As Nickerson mentions, the Seelos Theatre screenings are now a long-held tradition, with over twenty years of history. Given the massive box office success of this summer’s Oppenheimer and Barbie, it seems that movie theaters are once again popular after a downturn during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The enduring relevance of the wide-screen format is also evidenced by the fact that Apple TV+ is releasing Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon exclusively in theaters this fall before it appears on their streaming service. With the clear demand for a traditional theater experience being expressed by the general public and Holy Cross students in particular, perhaps the College’s Seelos Theatre will receive even more visitors than usual this year.
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