In an ironic twist, the Porter County Memorial Opera House opened a new film series with a double-feature on Tuesday.

About 70 years ago, it was the emergence of movies that shut down the Opera House for about a 10-year period.

But business director Brian Schafer felt like it was time to expand the Opera House’s offerings.

The plan is to show two different independent, foreign, documentary or limited release movies for a two-week period.　 Tuesday’s will be a double feature day with movies at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The first movie from Tuesday will then be shown again at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The next week the movies will switch time slots.

“I am really excited,” Schafer said. “There isn’t anywhere in the area that the public can go to see these kinds of movies.”

Schafer said the only place Porter County residents can travel to see these types of movies is Chicago. There is also an independent movie theater in Three Oaks, Mich., but Schafer plans to offer more than just independent moves.

“It’s really a great opportunity,” he said.

The first non-live event in the Opera House in years drew about 27 patrons to see the limited-release movie Higher Ground on Tuesday. It was a modest number, but more than the 20 Schafer expected.

“It was a good turnout for the first time,” Schafer said. “Hopefully, as the word gets out more people can come see what we are offering.”

The other movie in the first rotation is The Guard. It will be shown at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and then again next Sunday.

The Opera House is a living monument to Union veterans of the War of the Rebellion.

Posted 11/4/2011