In the age of streaming, Haligonians gather in arcade for the love of physical film

People play an pinball at Propeller Arcade, in Halifax, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Clark

HALIFAX — It was a cold and snowy Wednesday night, and a killer was on the loose in Cape Breton.

On screen, at least.

On Feb. 18, Propeller Arcade in Halifax hosted the first of two sold out showings of “My Bloody Valentine,” a 1981 slasher flick filmed on location in Cape Breton. About 125 people packed into the basement arcade, munching popcorn and sipping themed drinks as they enjoyed an obscure bit of Nova Scotia film history -- all thanks to Ian Matheson.

Matheson, a 37-year-old movie buff, runs Propeller Arcade out of a former independent cinema steps from the Halifax Citadel. Upstairs is a brewery; downstairs vintage arcade games stand in rows alongside decorations that reflect Matheson’s affinity for all things ’80s and ’90s, including posters of Dolly Parton and wrestling heroes.

In an age of digital streaming, the monthly film nights at Propeller Arcade are an opportunity for Matheson to share his passion for physical media with film lovers hungry to experience a bygone analog era. Many of the movies Matheson chooses to present aren’t available on mainstream streaming sites or in first-run theatres, which most often use digital projection.

“This place is a celebration of stuff that I really love,” Matheson said. “I treat movies the same way I would a book. I’m looking at someone’s creation put into physical form.”

That attention to detail is obvious in the care he takes in selecting movies, and how he educates the audience before each movie night. At a recent screening of the 1986 sci-fi horror movie “Aliens,” he sourced an original 35 millimetre film reel of the motion picture, explaining to a rapt crowd the difference between the physical film and a restored version of the movie they might see on a digital streaming service.

“With a 35 millimetre print, the scan of it is gorgeous. The colours and contrast are cranked, and the movie just makes more sense (visually) as it progresses,” Matheson said.

About four years ago, when he started screening movies at Propeller, Matheson says his goal was to “sell 10 tickets” and hopefully introduce people to a movie he loved. Now, he’s regularly selling out screenings.

“I’ve gotten to the point where when I hear there’s a movie coming, I don’t care what it is, I just immediately buy the ticket and mark the day off on my calendar,” said Alex MacAskill, who had purchased a ticket to “My Bloody Valentine.”

“What Ian puts together here at these screenings … he’s captured something special. It’s an event.”

Matheson says he’s noticed his audience members are seeking out physical media because they are suffering from “convenience fatigue.”

“Everything at your fingertips is undeniably cool, but it gets boring,” he said.

At Propeller screenings, people buy physical tickets, in person, and watch the movie in a group setting. “If you want to enjoy (the movie), you have the responsibility, the small extra steps. I feel that’s a very important thing when it comes to a social and mental experience.”

It’s that sense of active participation that keeps people like Brian George coming back again and again. George is a VHS collector, and appreciates the time and effort Matheson puts into sourcing old films and researching them.

“I think it speaks to a need in this city, a want for … a place like this,” George said. “Experiencing something different with a lot of people, some of them seeing (the movies) for the first time here.”

Matheson also hopes his movie nights pay homage to the original use of the Propeller building. After the arcade moved in, Matheson learned that Propeller used to be home to Wormwood’s Dog and Monkey Cinema. The independent cinema closed in 1998, but Matheson hopes his monthly movie screenings keep some of the spirit alive.

“We’re losing places like this, and people are thirsty for interesting, eclectic places and to see great old movies,” said Diane Elbourne.

Elbourne would know. She used to visit the old Wormwood cinema in the 1980s with her brother. When she stepped inside Propeller for the “My Bloody Valentine” screening, she gasped. The place looked so similar to what she remembered from nearly 40 years ago.

“My dream would be that they could actually restore it, get some proper theatre seats,” Elbourne said, while sitting in a row of folding chairs, facing the temporary screen hoisted up at the back of the arcade.

Matheson said he’s not sure what the future holds for the makeshift theatre. But for now, he’s happy to keep building this community of movie fans, one classic at a time.

“I feel like I get to watch (these movies) for the first time again,” Matheson said. “A lot of people coming here haven’t seen these movies, which is awesome. I’m watching them and they’re getting stoked and everybody’s feeding off one another.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.

Emily Baron Cadloff, The Canadian Press