It’s no secret that many African-American communities on the South Side lack a neighborhood movie theater. The I.C.E. Chatham 14, at 210 W. 87th St., celebrates its 10th anniversary later this year, along with two other theaters owned by husband-and-wife team Donzell and Alisa Starks: the I.C.E. Lawndale 10 and the I.C.E. 62nd and Western.
The Chatham 14 has a reputation as a clean, pleasant venue. A point of pride for many locals , it attracts patrons from a wide area on the South Side. That’s no easy feat in today’s entertainment climate. The boom in home entertainment technology is fueling studios’ emphasis on DVD sales and rentals. Video games and the Internet are huge distractions, too, and will only get bigger. And of course, many would argue that movies have been declining in quality for some time, making an always-cyclical business even more unpredictable.
Against that backdrop, a comfortable, relaxing experience at the show is no small thing.