Cinema Sanctorum takes an inward glance at movie going

Have you ever had an experience in a movie theater that left an impression you can’t shake? Many people have, or without knowing, have become a memory that defines a stranger’s theater-going experience. These precious gems of memories within us are put on display throughout Mackenzie Lambert’s new book, The Cinema Sanctorum.

The book is filled with a collection of recollections from movie makers and cinephiles, each sharing the movie that left them with an experience that defined what going to the theater is supposed to be and what it has become in today’s landscape. Some are romantic towards the cinema experience, while others reveal their gripes.

Each memory includes a light discussion of the film and the movie-goers' memorable moments. Everyone in the book either has a background in film-making or a passionate love for movies. The discussions are less about their expertise and more about what they take away from their outings. 

During an experience with Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (1987), John Cleveland recalls how the film put its hold on him during a visit to his uncle’s projectionist job.

 “As such once the movie was over, I simply sat there and waited for it to begin again. My father and uncle kept chatting and so I kept watching. That day I watched Hellraiser multiple times and loved every minute of it. Eventually my dad came and got me. As we drove home, I explained the entire film to him from memory.”

The choice of films discussed ranges from classic works (Amanda Woomer on Suspiria [1977]) to the ones of modern day (Liana Kerzner on Superman [2022]). The memories of these movie experts are mostly about the effect a theater with an audience can have on someone’s experience of a movie.

 It can even make them want to avoid the theaters, like with Mackenzie Lambert and his viewing of War for the Planet of the Apes.

 “Immediately, the guy had the nerve to take his shoes off after taking his seat. Within moments, he pulled out a bag of chips, obviously snuck in because the concessions stand didn’t sell them… The people around you at a venue can make the theater experience better. In this case, they made it worse. The 2025 summer trend of trashing Minecraft screenings made it clear: maybe theaters just need to die so we can respect them again.”

Lambert’s book informs readers that the experience one can have from viewing a movie ranges from personal transformation to reaffirming biases of public spaces. The place where we are in our lives becomes married to the film itself. 

John Brennan hits the nail on the head in the forward: “These flashes of transcendence remind us why we go to the movies in the first place. For brief moments, hundreds of people become a single organism.”

I recommend this for any movie fan that wants to see how others' reactions were to the films inside. The stories shared were relatable to situations myself and others have faced in the theater. It’s a light read without any overbearing paragraphs, so it’s perfect to satiate a quick session of perusing.