Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

I just wrote a piece the other day about why I think it’s important to pay to see films with regular crowds, especially for people who work in this business. And as much as I think that’s true for new movies, I think it’s doubly important for older films. And if you’re in LA, the place that has been the best bet for reparatory bookings over the last few years has been The New Beverly Cinema.

I didn’t make it to the New Beverly as often as I would have liked, but every time I did go, it was because they managed to put together a double-bill that I had to see theatrically. Films like ELEKTRA GLIDE IN BLUE, films I never figured I’d get a chance to see on the bigscreen... that’s what would draw me to the New Beverly. Right now, you can see two recently struck prints of THE GOONIES and BACK TO THE FUTURE showing if you drop by.

And even though I never knew his name, it turns out that was all because of one guy... Sherman Torgan, the founder and owner of the New Beverly. It was a shock when I read that he had died of a heart attack while bicycling in Santa Monica. He was 63. Used to be a time I thought that was old, but now... I don’t. I think that’s actually fairly young, especially for a guy who is still doing something he loves, still busy and active. And now the fate of the New Beverly is sort of in limbo. His son Michael and the family are going to try to sort out what the future of the theater is, and I hope they’re able to keep it alive. But so often, a venue like this is the result of one person’s passion. One of the reasons I am constantly awed by the Alamo Drafthouse is because of Tim League and his amazing enthusiasm not just for film, but for the exhibition of film. And Sherman Torgan was that same kind of guy... the kind of person who loved putting two films together, who loved seeing them with a crowd. And that love is something you can’t summon on command... it has to be a part of you. Anyone who ever got a chance to visit the New Beverly understands how much Sherman Torgan loved showing films, and although I was slow in saying goodbye to him, it is sincere, and I wish his family well in this terribly sad time.

We need more guys like Sherman Torgan, not less.

Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles