Save Me a Seat! - by Rick Winston (Paperback)

About the Book

How a vibrant film culture took root in unlikely surroundings, and the story of how a boy from the New York City suburbs landed in Vermont and became a preeminent film programmer and historian in the Green Mountain State.

Book Synopsis

Rick Winston's lifelong love of movies led to the creation of one of Vermont's leading cultural institutions, the Savoy Theater in Montpelier, Vermont. With humor and heart, he takes us behind the scenes of the hard and rewarding work of building a film venue over decades in a grateful community. Save Me a Seat! is the story of how a vibrant film culture took root in unlikely surroundings, and the story of how a boy from the New York City suburbs landed in Vermont and became a preeminent film programmer and historian in the Green Mountain State.

Review Quotes

"Save Me a Seat! is a chronicle of a lifetime love affair with cinema. Rick Winston carries his enthusiasm for the NYC independent theaters' fare of the '50s and '60s to the Green Mountains of Vermont, where it takes root in virgin cinematic soil. He describes the origins and growth of a community of film lovers far from the traditional centers of popular culture. Every page throbs with Winston's passion for movies. If you love movies, you will love this book."

-Paul Hirsch, Oscar-winning film editor and author of A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away . . .

"Pop some corn, pour a drink and find a comfy chair. You'll want to settle in for this autobiography framed by the author's consuming love for film. Save Me a Seat! is part romp and part documentary, culled from Rick Winston's earliest moments as a fanboy in the 1950s to his years as an encyclopedic cinema owner and teacher decades later. Serious cinephiles and casual moviegoers alike will enjoy the show."

-Pamela Polston, co-founder and art editor of Seven Days

"Winston's book is an immensely engaging personal history that any passionate filmgoer will instantly relate to. By reliving his lifelong love of movies, he also allows us to relive our own."

-Peter Rainer, Pulitzer Prize finalist in criticism, author of Rainer on Film: Thirty Years of Film Writing in a Turbulent and Transformative Era