Brett and I both went to Almeda and Baybrook malls in Houston, Texas. The most notable mall from my youth that is now dead is the Tri-State Mall in Claymont, DE, by the Pennsylvania state line. Sadly, that subplot was abandoned. What advice do you have for filmmakers trying to make a living outside of "the coasts." It revolves around the Jasper Mall, a dying mall in Jasper, Alabama. Lost Weekend, a documentary short about two Pennsylvania teens who won an MTV contest and got to party with Van Halen for 48 hours, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. To order, give us a call & we will ship to you! Residents of Walker and surrounding counties used to flock to the Jasper Mall for their weekly shopping trips. Text is available under the Creative Commons . It takes on a sort of community center vibe, I think. Thomason: Its definitely presented some challenges. The local paper has reported that it is unusual for a mall to have Kmart as an anchor. There is an endearing quality to this doc, but also an underlying melancholy all the way through. If I live to be in my 80s, I'm probably going to become that old dude telling corny jokes at the mall, except I'll be reciting old memes from the 2010s. On November 12, 2021, Dunham's Sports opened in the former JCPenney anchor location on the east end of the mall, acquiring the entire JCPenney space. Thomason: Some of the same ones Brett listed, plus "Marjoe," "American Movie," "F for Fake," "Crumb" and "Hands on a Hardbody.". It captures the struggle of everyday life brilliantly and without narration, but there is always hope tucked away if you look. All rights reserved (About Us). . The collection of songs by the musicians HAHA Mart, Chayse Porter and Baker Knight were easy on the ears. That allows us to focus on those areas and then meet in the middle with discussion / collaboration. Jasper Mall opened in August 1981. In an ironic twist of fate, Amazon Prime picked up the documentary Jasper Mall, which explores the phenomenon of a once-bustling mall in Jasper, Alabama, now slowly fading into obscurity. MORE: Vintage Wal-Mart history: What the first stores looked like, and how they changed over the years. I knew that there were mall walkers, but I didnt know just how many. There are long shots where the camera lingers on shots of the empty location with nothing really going on. The traditional mall is a dying world and this documentary captures one example of this. We're also both southerners (from Texas), so we relate to a southern lifestyle and to southern stories. (Courtesy Bradford Allen/Brett Whitcomb). Sweet good people affected by change. Great film, it's a must watch. So interesting! The film offers a cross section of people who work there and shop there as well as efforts (generally not successful) to increase foot traffic. JASPER MALL chronicles a year in the life of a dying shopping mall, its patrons, and tenants. Your email address will not be published. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the prices are reasonable. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). Overall: to close shop. Each vignette is a little gem. Filmed at a slow pace and completed with mall music and sounds, it makes you feel you are actually there.I loved it. Despite its closure, the mall provided a beautiful, meditative picture of life in America, and while it is sad to see it go, it provided a beautiful, meditative perspective on what life is really like. Bradford: We'll lose that feeling of community that comes from shopping in an indoor space. The mall also has a food court with a variety of options, as well as a movie theater. Some people even chose to move their business to another location by the end of the film. Of course, the dreamlike pace also comes from the disciplined editing, the reflective ambient score, and the beautiful photography. 118 Temple Ave N Fayette, AL 35555. is jasper mall in alabama still open. The mall is largely vacant today and mostly abandoned, yet amazingly, was still open for foot traffic as of 2018. It was respectful and in good taste. "Alabama shopping mall subject of new documentary film", "A Year In The Life Of A Dying Alabama Mall", "Documentary on Jasper Mall to be released Tuesday", "Spoiler Magazine's Top 10 Movies of 2020", "Announcing Our 2020 Sidewalk Film Festival at the Drive-In Award Winners! Even though I don't know them personally, I hope they're still together. I kept rooting for the store managers that have put their lives into their business. To add onto the mess, the shopping center itself sits in a predominately rural mountainous forest area with barely any locals due to the location's violent tornado patterns and borderline economic poverty problems. Many are adding sports beyond the more typical offerings of football, basketball and track and field. We would also go with no plan. Sign up to get all the Reel South DIRT. What followed was three tumultuous decades of financial problems, several changes in ownership, branding, even the entire concept (at one point, it even housed a nightclub). Jasper City Council approves agreement between city, Rural King for Jasper Mall location, Talladega woman killed in 2-vehicle crash, Arrest made in Tuscaloosa shooting; 1 injured, Senator Tuberville pushes for bill on institutional child abuse, Regional Airlines Dealing With Pilot Shortages, Homicide in Center Point, shooting in Birmingham believed to be connected. The Jasper Mall could soon be home to Rural King, a farm and home brand. All rights reserved. It is a large, modern shopping center with a wide variety of stores and restaurants. The stores home will be at the Jasper Mall where the Kmart used to be. Did malls serve a social role for you growing up? Open now. Jasper Mall hours of operations Store hours may vary. Jasper Mall is a time capsule for the future, where one day we will look back and say "remember when we used to go to the mall?" You really feel as if you know these people. Scroll on for a peek inside some abandoned malls and the sad histories of their demise. [7], Ethan Brehm of Spoiler Magazine named it the best film of the year. WBHM's Andrew Yeager spoke with Thomason. What are you working on next? Hours including holiday hours and Black Friday information. . Due to this, the amount of people who visit Jasper Mall has decreased drastically .. Co-directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb spent a year shooting the film. It is about a very sad mall in Alabama that has been crumbling over the years and now has very few stores. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. 200 The Mall Way, Jasper, AL 35504-7515 Visit hotel website 1 (800) 566-0916 Write a review Check In / / Check Out / / Guests Hotel direct offer! Required fields are marked *. Forest Fair Mall opened in 1988 with four anchors and 200 stores. After a decade of declining occupancy and traffic, it closed in 2009. Filmmakers Bradford Thomas and Brett Whitcomb craft a genuinely engaging documentary by taking the viewer on a one-year journey of the mall and the people . Thomason: We're both Houston natives and I moved to Birmingham when I met my wife at (Birmingham's) Sidewalk Film Festival. Another story that seems to go nowhere was the nail saloon lady. How did you purchase your ticket? . The film is based on true events, despite the fact that it is a fiction film. The movie made it seem like it was a done . One such example is the filmmaker's request in telling a teen couple's story about the struggles of starting an interracial relationship in the deep south. The Jasper Mall has its glory days in the 90s and early 2000s, and many of the people who work there now were around for those days. One charter school in Birmingham is giving some young people skills needed to address that problem. [1], Jasper Mall often revolves around Mike McClelland, a former zookeeper, who serves as the mall's superintendent and works in a security and caretaking role. If youre looking for a place to shop in Jasper, you may be wondering if the Jasper Mall is still open. Construction of malls boomed throughout the 60s and 70s, finally peaking around 1985. Anyone wanting a stirring and nostalgic trip down memory lane that becomes a real slightly sad real world story, this is a perfect doc. There is held out hope that somehow with the right store, department, or entertainment, the glory days will come back. Id recommend it, and its enjoyable. We never did find out if she left her job and travel the world. Gruen imagined a mall residing in the heart of a communitys downtown business center, not exclusive to retailers, but also integrating residential housing, schools, museums and parks. document.write ("'> The tile is just like the tile work from the malls of our childhood. The documentary provides a good picture of the current state of the American middle class. Yogurt Street. Fewer young people want to work in trade jobs than ever before, and thats left a hole in the job market. Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb are the films co-directors. Home; News; Sports; Extras; Walker Magazine; Subscribe; If you have an opportunity for Southern creatives and want tobe included in our newsletter write us at dirt@reelsouth.org. Jasper Mall is an American story. [3] As a result, foot traffic has declined and the parking lot is often barren. Or is Jasper overall an economically depressed area that has gone severely down hill since the hey day of Jasper Mall in the 80s and 90s? US Air Force Recruiters. The mall was built in 1977 and underwent a $8 million renovation in 2014. Plus shown are the lack of choices in the mall as it's just a food court and the only entertainment has come down to local gospel music or military recruitment! Sometimes overlooked is the overbuilding factor that the pace of mall growth was never sustainable, and populations could not realistically support the sheer number of malls built in their communities. The epitome of a slice-of-life documentary! Location & Hours 300 Hwy 78 E Jasper, AL 35501 Get directions Edit business info Amenities and More Private Lot Parking Ask the Community Ask a question Yelp users haven't asked any questions yet about Jasper Mall. The movie was so unexpected to me. I wish I could believe in heaven as easily as that guy in the motorised wheelchair near the beginning. . "Jasper Mall" caught my attention instantly with its fascinating protagonist, a Tiger King-like British-Cajun-sounding young guy who ventures into the heart of the Jasper Mall's darkness to mop floors. I found myself wanting to know a little more about things. Consider These Factors, Bayside Mall: A Popular Shopping Destination In Toronto, The Pros And Cons Of Teen Curfews In Shopping Malls, The Americana At Brand A Luxury Shopping Mall In Los Angeles To Close Its Doors, The Importance Of The Quinceanera Dress And Mass, As Electric Cars Become More Popular Free Charging Stations Are Popping Up Across The Country, The Fashion District: A New Shopping Mall In Philadelphia. Thomason: Of course. With an 84-minute running time, Jasper Films is being released via Window Pictures. Whether you're looking for a new outfit, a new book, or just a place to walk around, the Jasper Mall is a great option. Make friends with people on the coasts. Jasper Mall is (was?) Kay Ivey replaced a Cabinet member who oversaw the state's award-winning prekindergarten program because of a teacher training book with language about inclusion and combatting structural racism, she said Thursday. https://www.youtube.com/deadmallwalking?sub_confirmation=1Intro: Jingle Punks All This Down Time (pitched down)Music: Kevin MacLeod Lobby Time (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Corp Area 7 Recreational Facilities Corp PlazaCourtesy of . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I think it's a documentary but it looks like a movie. For someone who grew up with their local mall being their "go to place" as a youth, this brought back both memories and sad realizations. Jasper Mall Q&A. . Jasper Mall opened in August 1981. Were excited about that. This documentary directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb didn't really give much of any educational, scientific or historical value for the audience to look over. Monday: 10:00am-9:00pm Tuesday: 10:00am-9:00pm Wednesday: 10:00am-9:00pm Thursday: 10:00am-9:00pm Friday: 10:00am-9:00pm Saturday: 10:00am-9:00pm Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm Jasper Mall location, map Directions to Jasper Mall Store directory and map of Jasper Mall Open full size plan This page is not available in other languages. WBHMs Andrew Yeager spoke with Thomason. After contacting Western Union Financial Services, Inc. and if you still have an unresolved complaint regarding the company's money transmission services, please contact the Texas Department . Shortly after our premiere COVID-19 happened, and we decided that the best plan of action would be to release the film digitally as we were already talking to distributors who were eager to release it. As the cost of utilities rose throughout the 70s and beyond, retailers had higher overhead to pass on in their pricing, combined with the fact that Americans discretionary income was also on the decline, especially compared to the rollicking consumerism of the 50s and 60s. . Watch on PBS. No voiceovers, no thematic soundtrack, just pure cinematography and story telling. The mall does love to host Jungle Safaris events even after they been cited numerous times by the USDA. Jasper Mall originally opened in 1981, but recently lost two of it's popular stores, K-Mart and JCPenney. So, lets get into exactly what Jasper Mall is and how it came to be where it is today. The usual suspects are the obvious competition: cable TV shopping channels that emerged in the late 1980s and later, of course, the revolutionary e-commerce trend. Subscribe to FL1 News Now to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. It currently is approximately 350,000 square feet (33,000m2) in size,[3] and includes two anchors and about 10 smaller stores. 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Now that you know, have fun looking around! The director did a great job in letting the story play out, accompanied by savvy camera work. It was truly sad! JASPER - Another store has permanently closed its doors in the Jasper Mall. Or come see us in downtown Fayette, AL (Mon-Sat: 9:00am-5:30pm) and also in the Jasper Mall in Jasper, . [2] History [ edit] The mall opened on August 8, 1981. The mall has over 60 stores, including anchor stores JCPenney, Belk, and Sears. But what I love about this film is how it captures the human aspect of the mall and how it's future will affect its occupants. Whitcomb: I grew up in the 90s going to Baybrook Mall in Clear Lake City, Texas. There was a time when my entire non-school existence was spent at the mall, buying music and movies, seeing the latest releases and expanding my pop culture . You can rate this movie to give feedback. regressive theory of viruses. As a child of the 80s, I spent much of my adolescence in malls like Jasper Mall making friends, hanging out in the food courts and the arcades, and just spending time there. The roles had changed here and it's somewhat surreal. ", From dying to living: How one nonprofit reimagined vacant Jasper Mall space - Alabama NewsCenter, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jasper_Mall_(film)&oldid=1144267137, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 12 March 2023, at 19:36. Many younger people leave their local towns for better lives as the decrease in population hurts mall sales. I certainly didnt know there were men who played dominos in the mall. And nothing much has changed except we dont get DVDs in the mail anymore. According to Jasper Mall's website, the facility still houses around 20 business ranging from chains like Belk department stores to local ventures such as Robin's Next florist. The opening date for the mall was August 8, 1981. is jasper mall in alabama still open. Jasper Mall had its world premiere at Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. 7.1K views 8 months ago #deadmall #deadmalls #mallsoft In 2019, filmmakers Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb spent several weeks documenting the stores and people of Jasper Mall. Target will be out of business by 2022. Half way through I found my self wanting to take a road trip down to this mall just to purchase things from the people showcased. By the late 90s, the mall began to falter. Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb directed Jasper Mall, a documentary film about a mall in Alabama. In this video, Jasper Mall chronicles a year in the life of a dying shopping mall . I assuming that Kohan Retail Investment Group still own the property, but who knows. There are stories and there are teenagers coming and going still. [4] The Jasper Mall was chosen as the site of the film because it had not been remodeled since it opened in 1981. View all photos (30) Traveler (7) Room & Suite (9) Dining (5) It's called "Jasper Mall" and is named for the shopping center in Walker County, northwest of Birmingham. Don't forget to write a review about your visit at Belk in Jasper Mall and rate this store . I have a few, um, empty spaces, understates Jasper Mall manager Mike McClelland, during a scene in a new documentary film. The mall opened on August 8, 1981. The documentary was filmed over the course of 2018 as the mall tried to rebrand and recover from the loss. Jasper Mall. ClickAmericana.com is made with and by Synchronista LLC 2011-2022. In addition to sharing director and producer tasks, Bradford was the film's editor and Whitcomb cinematographer. That was annoying because it ruins the illusion of observation that the movie was trying to build. Season 6 Episode 607 55m 46s A dying shopping mall outside of Birmingham, Alabama, its patrons, and its tenants embody the diversity and tenderness of Americana culture in a changing South. . I remember being a tween and young teen and malls were a place to meet up with friends, girls, etc. Sure, internet commerce has hurt malls across the country, but are there shopping areas in Jasper that are prospering, such as downtown or the area where the jewelry repair shop moved to? If youve ever driven on I-95 between Pennsylvania and Delaware, youve no doubt seen its water tower. It is free on Amazon. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Maybe the movie should have focus on that, rather than wasting film footage on the manager/security guard's Mike McClelland romanticizing his past job as a Tiger King type zookeeper. 300 Highway 78 E, Jasper, AL, United States, Alabama. You can tell by the look of the shopping center. 14 oldschoolel78 6 mo. That being said, goal achieved. In addition to McClelland, "Jasper Mall" viewers get to meet shop owners and mall patrons. It had an aesthetic that we both loved and it reminded us of the malls of our youth. One such example of this idea is Paradise Valley Mall in Phoenix, Arizona, which was sold in 2021 and re-zoned for mixed use. Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Lin Garden II. That would be Victor Gruen, the architect who conceived and planned the first climate-controlled indoor mall in the US. They really looked out of place. [10], On December 28, 2016, Sears Holdings announced that Kmart would be closing as part of a plan to close 30 Sears and Kmart stores nationwide. Because the leasing would be centralized, businesses could reside near each other more strategically than what usually occurred in a typical downtown proper.
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