Cody Benjamin

In this local spotlight, Cody Benjamin tours Red Wing Cinema 8, a small-town movie theater in one of Minnesota’s most picturesque riverside communities.

Longtime general manager Jesse Stewart, born and raised in Red Wing, provides a behind-the-scenes look at everything from concessions to the projection room, before joining Cody for a sit-down discussion on these topics and more:

• How Top Gun: Maverick, plus the simple smell of popcorn, helped the theater weather two closures during the pandemic
• Tim Allen’s surprise celebrity visit, hours before a nearby standup show
• Plans for new luxury seating as soon as early 2024
• Why such a loyal, hometown audience proves cinema remains an “event” for all ages, be it little girls dressed up as Little Mermaid or teens frequenting the 9 p.m. horror flicks

Learn more about the importance of movies and theaters in Cody’s books, Why We Need the Movies and Movies from the Mountaintop.