| Jasper Mall | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by | Bradford Thomason Brett Whitcomb |
| Cinematography | Brett Whitcomb |
| Edited by | Bradford Thomason |
| Distributed by | Amazon Prime Video |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Jasper Mall is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb. It revolves around the Jasper Mall, a dying mall in Jasper, Alabama. [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. [2] The mall, which opened in 1981, has recently lost two of its anchors: Kmart and JCPenney. [3] As a result, foot traffic has declined and the parking lot is often barren. [2] The only remaining anchor store is Belk, and one shopper says "If Belk goes, we are in deep woo-woo." [3]
The film also follows the day-to-day operations of the remaining 20 or so store owners with a focus on the slowdown of customers. [2] The mall's frequent visitors, including groups of mall walkers and domino players, are shown frequently. [3] Also chronicled are events hosted by the mall such as a carnival, visits from Santa Claus and an ensemble of singers. [4]
Toward the end of the film, shops that include Subway, Grady's Sandwich Shop, Robin's Nest Flowers & Gifts, and Jewelry Doctor all close or move. [3] [5]
Jasper Mall premiered at January 27, 2020, at the Slamdance Film Festival and to the general public on June 23, 2020. [6]
Jasper Mall was co-directed and co-produced by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb. Cinematography was by Whitcomb. [4] The Jasper Mall was chosen as the site of the film because it had not been remodeled since it opened in 1981. [4] The film was shot throughout 2018, and McClelland alerted the directors about any events that were occurring at the mall. Thomason and Whitcomb often sat in the food court and waited for a scene to develop. [4] The soundtrack contains a collection of songs by the musicians HAHA Mart, Chayse Porter, and Baker Knight. The soundtrack was released on vinyl and cassette via the Alabama-based independent record label Earth Libraries.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 88%, based on eight reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. [7]
Ethan Brehm of Spoiler Magazine named it the best film of the year. [8] The film received other positive reviews. [9] [10]
The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival and won the Best Alabama Film award at the Sidewalk Film Festival. [11]
Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and incorporated on August 18, 1886.
Parisian Inc. was an American chain of upmarket department stores founded and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. Competing mainly through the 1980s against Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Gus Mayer, Parisian underwent a series of restructurings and mergers during its 130-year history, and was taken over by Proffitt’s, Inc. in 1996. In September 2006, Belk purchased Parisian from Saks for $285 million with twenty-four locations later becoming Belk by September 2007. Parisian was quickly sold once more in October 2006 to The Bon-Ton with stores operating in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Parisian operated individually under its own separate division until 2013 when the exclusive rights to operate Parisian had expired, marking the end of this upmarket department store.
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Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and a wedding registry.
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Auburn Mall is a regional shopping mall located in Auburn, Alabama, United States, and combines traditional mall shopping with village streetscape shopping. The mall has a gross leasable area of 527,000 square feet (49,000 m2). The two main department stores, Belk and Dillard's, are supplemented by more than 50 specialty stores. These stores include Ann Taylor Loft, JoS. A. Bank, Talbots, Chico's, and Hibbett Sports.
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Wiregrass Commons Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Dothan, Alabama. It has 638,554 square feet (59,000 m2) of shopping with over fifty retail stores and a food court with a carousel. It is Southeast Alabama's largest and only shopping mall. The mall's anchor tenants are Belk, Dillard's, and JCPenney.
Jasper Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Jasper, Alabama, United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Birmingham.
Eastdale Mall is a regional enclosed shopping mall located in Montgomery, Alabama. It opened on August 3, 1977. As of 2010, it was 964,717 square feet (89,625.1 m2) in size. The anchor stores are At Home, JCPenney, Dillard's, and 2 Belk stores.
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is a documentary film about professional wrestling. Released in 2012, it tells the story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a women's wrestling promotion. GLOW staged live events that were filmed and then shown on American television for four seasons in the late 1980s. The documentary includes footage from the TV series, combined with then-recent interviews of some of the participants.
Colonial Plaza is a shopping mall in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened in 1956, it was the largest retail development in the state of Florida at the time of its construction. The original complex included two supermarkets and two variety stores, plus a Belk department store. It underwent multiple expansions in its history, the first of which added a Jordan Marsh department store and an enclosed mall concourse. Further expansion in 1973 added a second enclosed wing and a relocation of Belk, while Ivey's was added in 1983 and sold to Dillard's in 1990.
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