Doc here, a man who some say was stopped three times on a recent Monday afternoon by Pokemon Go players thinking he was an elusive"Meatballander".
Today is one of those days whereby The Good Doctor has to bring you, the good readers of The Journal, some sad news from this thing of ours.
From what I understand, today (7/27) is the last day of operation for Secrets in Oakland, CA. We have known for awhile that Secrets would be closing, but the exact date was not nailed down until recently. However, the bell tolls today for this Oakland landmark.
This is the Secrets profile on the Cinema Treasures website:
Opened as the Jack London Square Cinemas in the early-1970’s (not to be confused with the current Jack London Stadium 9, on Jack London Square a few blocks away). It screens sub-run double bills and occasional adult product.
In 1975, it became a full time XXX movie theatre, showing hetrosexual fare on all three screens. In 1979, it experimented by showing mainstream movies on one screen and adult movies on the other screens. Later the mainstream screen began screening gay porn movies. In the mid-1980’s, it started showing mainstream sub-run feature films at bargain prices.
It was later renamed Xanadu, and two of the screens showed adult features, while the other screen was converted into a peepshow booth boom. In recent years it has been renamed Secrets Theatre, continuing the same policy.
Here is a photo of Secrets when it was known as Xanadu:
This is what Secrets looks like recently, as the curtain closes:
UPDATE: And this image from May 2016:
Hopefully Secrets will close in a flourish, giving it a proper send off before being gentrified into un-affordable housing. If this does indeed happen, I would love to receive reports on it's last day, so please send them to emiliolizardo1@gmail.com .
Secrets...We hardly knew ye.
Thanks,
Doc
