Jasper Mall opened in August 1981. This doc is admirable, sad, and hopeful. They all have personal stories and they're all part of the life and times of Jasper Mall. Jasper Mall Branch | Regions Bank in Jasper, AL | Regions We want people to see humans. The movie theater in particular was where all the major first-run movies played; I saw all the big blockbusters of the era there, like the original Star Wars movies, Superman (the Christopher Reeves version) Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. But even by the mid-80s, the mall was getting long in the tooth. Stay up to date on new open call deadlines, film releases, filmmaker interviews, career and film funding opportunities, and . Randall Park Mall opened in 1976 in North Randall, Ohio, on the site of a former racetrack. 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. What inspired you to make a documentary about the Jasper Mall? A good example of this was their appearance in the food court toward the end of the film. I didnt know how there were regulars. The building was demolished in 2014. Great film, it's a must watch. The Jasper Mall could soon be home to Rural King, a farm and home brand. The filmmakers don't even give key data like where this mall is even located. A group of lovely people caught up in an inevitable economic tragedy that is coming their way. 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. Upon this event, the mall effectively has two anchor stores, Belk Department Store and Dunham's Sports. Zales to close in Jasper Mall. Regions Jasper Mall branch offers a wide range of personal and business banking services including checking and savings accounts, . I have a better understanding of even in a mall that is at 50% capacity or whatever the capacity is at Jasper, people have businesses and have lives. Jasper Mall is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb. Like so many abandoned malls, its decline started in the 80s, accelerated in the 2000s, and by 2011 Woodville was not only struggling to stay afloat, but the structure was in such a state of decay that a judge ordered it closed. It's only good for a quick browse. Post author: Post published: March 15, 2023; Post category: christina cassini images; Post comments: . Thered be days when (mall caretaker) Mike would contact us and say, Hey, were having a quartet performance in the mall today or Theres going to be a carnival here this weekend. He would alert us to things like that happening. (https://catsystemcorp.bandcamp.com/album/--10)#deadmall #deadmalls #mallsoft #deadmallseries ClickAmericana.com is made with and by Synchronista LLC 2011-2022. None of these questions were answer or explained in this documentary. There would be winners and there would be losers. But in the 1970s, it was the premiere mall in the area. Jasper Mall, Jasper Alabama | Jasper AL - Facebook Another thing that the film doesn't point out is how many times, the mall went through foreclosure and who currently owns it. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Were excited about that. 'Complete revitalization of the mall': Store Rural King could make There is no security guy at the Jasper Mall. It's called "Jasper Mall" and is named for the shopping center in Walker County, northwest of Birmingham. Also, I remember being at Brookdale Center in Brooklyn Center, MN before it closed. Good documentary. Currently there is one anchor store, Belk, and about ten smaller stores. . What kept you coming back to this mall? Many younger people leave their local towns for better lives as the decrease in population hurts mall sales. The cinematography and editing is very well done. Your email address will not be published. [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. Is Jasper Mall Still Open | Denver Mart "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. . 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. Although the filmmakers can't say for sure how many patrons visited Jasper Mall. Because the leasing would be centralized, businesses could reside near each other more strategically than what usually occurred in a typical downtown proper. The 350,000-square foot mall was designed to hold about 35 or so stores. I assuming that Kohan Retail Investment Group still own the property, but who knows. The decades-old Jasper Mall was once a bustling shopping hub for the residents of Walker and surrounding counties; however, since two of its three anchor stores closed in 2017, both the north and south ends of the mall have remained dark. That would be Victor Gruen, the architect who conceived and planned the first climate-controlled indoor mall in the US. Jasper, Alabama's mall is not too far off from this unfortunate fate and is struggling to keep its doors open for the dwindling populace who still walk its hallowed halls, despite the problematic convenience of online . Sign up to get all the Reel South DIRT. Don't forget to write a review about your visit at Belk in Jasper Mall and rate this store . Thomason and Whitcomb capture 2018 through the perspective of . 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. 1. copywriting jobs remote no experience. Overall: to close shop. [4] The film was shot throughout 2018 and McClelland would alert the directors about any events that were occurring at the mall. Is that why you decided to make this film? The mall is a 350,000 square feet and was originally developed by the Simmons family along with developer George Ewing from Georgia. Home; News; Sports; Extras; Walker Magazine; Subscribe; The Montgomery Mall: A Shopping Mecca In Alabama 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. Please. I just wished occasionally the film makers had pulled away from the mall setting to give us some context about the larger community where the mall is set. There are similar hotels available. By the late 80s, malls were actually dying, and that was a trend that only accelerated through the 90s up until this very day leaving behind a landscape of abandoned malls and sprawling parking lots reminiscent of post-apocalyptic ghost towns. The city was home to notable residents such as actors Michael Rooker, George Lindsey, and Polly Holliday, as well as Tallulah Bankhead, a stage and screen star who lived there briefly. Robin's Nest. JASPER MALL chronicles a year in the life of a dying shopping mall, its patrons, and tenants. On a macro level the Jasper Mall is a metaphor for the dying middle class and the state of quiet desperation that is America today. I felt like I really new the people and their stories. Later we opened a store in the Jasper Mall in 1982. Being 58 myself, this captured so many memories of my days hanging out at the mall. Birmingham, Alabama-based filmmakers Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcom, the directors behind the season six finale, Jasper Mall, answer questions about filmmaking in the South. regressive theory of viruses. After a decade of declining occupancy and traffic, it closed in 2009. It moves much of the major traffic away from the mall. Note: This article may feature affiliate links, and purchases made may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Jasper Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Jasper, Alabama, United States, approximately 30 miles (48km) west of Birmingham.[2]. Or come see us in downtown Fayette, AL (Mon-Sat: 9:00am-5:30pm) and also in the Jasper Mall in Jasper, . Recommended Reviews Your trust is our top concern, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. [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. That being said, goal achieved. JASPER, Ala. David Gifford, a preacher from Hamilton, Alabama (population: 6,800), drives nearly an hour to Jasper (population: 14,000) to shop at the JCPenney at the mall here in the northern . Jasper Mall opened in August 1981. Unlike the semi popular 'Dead Mall' series from the likes of Bright Sun Films and others YouTube Channels that goes into great detail the history of the titular shopping centers from its humble beginnings to its painful demise. [2] The only remaining anchor store is Belk and according to one shopper, "If Belk goes, we are in deep woo-woo. It captures the struggle of everyday life brilliantly and without narration, but there is always hope tucked away if you look. I turned it on depressed, after trying another "failed development" documentary too impressed with its own travelogue production values. Username If you have specific information about Mike and Jasper Mall, you may be able to find an answer to this question by conducting a simple online search. The doc's trailer is a poetic two-minute watch just by itself. But that property at least has been redeveloped. Belk in Jasper Mall - Jasper, Alabama (hours, location) But we can still revel in the nostalgia! The lack of people around with the incandescent lighting makes the antique layout of the location look really haunting. Click Here to Book Direct. Gov. In addition to its beauty, the mall is a symbol of the American dream, but it eventually succumbs to the ebbs and flows of time. [4] The soundtrack contains a collection of songs by the musicians HAHA Mart, Chayse Porter, and Baker Knight. Originally developed by the local Simmons family and Georgia developer George Ewing, the mall is owned by Kohan Retail. Others propose that economics were a major factor. Forest Fair Mall opened in 1988 with four anchors and 200 stores. Smaller malls in the area are all but empty or closed. 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 . ago I'm usually not a fan of indoor brick, but it is tasteful here 21 kmr1981 6 mo. In addition to sharing director and producer tasks, Bradford was the film's editor and Whitcomb cinematographer. There are great stories here. 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. [11], On March 17, 2017, it was announced that the JCPenney store would also be closing as part of a plan to close 138 locations. In addition to McClelland, "Jasper Mall" viewers get to meet shop owners and mall patrons. It's called "Jasper Mall" and is named for the shopping center in Walker County, northwest of Birmingham. Now that you know, have fun looking around! Stay up to date on new open call deadlines, film releases, filmmaker interviews,career and film fundingopportunities, and thoughtful words on the South. Co-directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb spent a year shooting the film. ", Jasper Mall opened in August 1981. For one year it follows the local mall in Jasper, Alabama and how it declines and grows less and less with stores closing and chains going out of business. Yes, it did happen over the course of a few days. There is an endearing quality to this doc, but also an underlying melancholy all the way through. There are long shots where the camera lingers on shots of the empty location with nothing really going on. 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. HBCUs are riding a wave of popularity not seen in decades. The movie was so unexpected to me. While this was never uttered in the film. To his disappointment, the allure to developers of cheap farmland in city outskirts overcame Gruens conception of intentional city planning and downtown revitalization. It's easier than ever to make those connections and collaborate. Jasper Mall (2020) directed by Brett Whitcomb, Bradford Thomason 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. What impact do you hope your documentary has on people who watch it? This documentary is not quite good enough to be putting on your shopping list. It lost its two primary anchor stores, Kmart and J.C. Penney, in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Learn how your comment data is processed. Sweet good people affected by change. Numerous plans for redevelopment have come and gone; the latest was proposed a few months ago. At the same time, I was saddened and heartbroken by the fact that these places are disappearing. . We were excited to see Jasper Mall, which is the story of one year in the life of one of those former shopping destinations and while it starts strong, it seems to hang on way too long, which iswell, a lot like a dead mall. Copyright 2023 WBRC. You can tell by the look of the shopping center. Bradford Thomason: All of our films are inspired by something nostalgic from our childhood, and usually we try to take a look behind the curtain of that nostalgia, so to speak, to see how these things have impacted individuals or continue to impact individuals in the present day. Jasper Mall was an entertaining look into the life of a mall. Required fields are marked *. 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. Watch on PBS. Still, Cloverleaf held on through the 90s, but by 2008 there were so many store vacancies that the mall closed for good. eastfield mall covid testing registration. Seniors get their morning walks in. 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. The fountain was still intact. It really does symbolic representative, this dying mall's detachment with the more common younger online driven patrons. The local paper has reported that it is unusual for a mall to have Kmart as an anchor. Jasper Mall takes you inside the titular mall in Alabama to witness the slow, monotonous process of its closing down. The stores home will be at the Jasper Mall where the Kmart used to be. Then when we spent time in the mall and met the people inside, we felt pretty confident that this would be our next project. Cinematography was also directed by Whitcomb. The answer is yes! Leaves you thinking about your mall days! How is it different making a film as a duo/collaborator rather than a single person? Admittedly, this is a minor film, but worth every one of the 86 minutes you'll spend watching. in Jasper, Alabama, but it feels like a signature southern small town.Regulars frequent the largely empty space like they're attending church. [7][8][9] This was part of an 80,000-square-foot (7,400m2) expansion of the mall by Sharp Realty. "Mike is doing a great job of keeping it alive," Thomason says. Such examples are the amazing analogically-like footage where mostly elderly customers order funeral flowers, play dominos in an empty food court, sing contradicting gospel music and unable to connect with modern technology. What will ever become of it? It was respectful and in good taste. Jasper, AL 35501 205-221-2840 Follow us. 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. What Happened To Jasper Mall? (& Mike McClelland) - YouTube 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. Now that you know, have fun looking around! And stare at the Reebok Pumps I desperately wanted before school started again. Approximately 80% of the 1 million square feet in the center are occupied. Jasper Mall Review Show Me The Movies Jewelry Doctor. Has anyone seen the documentary "Jasper Mall"? - Reddit We would also go with no plan. Where are they now?Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/deadmallwalking YouTube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22f9KNvgclGRtUKx9pAGIg/joinKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/deadmallwalkingI visited the mall to see how things had changed in the years between the documentary's release and now, including the pandemic. We never did find out if she left her job and travel the world. It closed several years ago and is now used as a warehouse. If there was, then wed follow him around a little bit. I remember being a tween and young teen and malls were a place to meet up with friends, girls, etc. We're also both southerners (from Texas), so we relate to a southern lifestyle and to southern stories. Some believe that there is still life left in these malls, and they can be saved with innovative ideas such as turning them into residential and office spaces, in line with Victor Gruens original vision. The movie took a sharp right turn into focusing on nearly unrelated issues. 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). The hope is to have Rural King open in a year. Because of that and other controversial events like selling hand held weapons in order to increase foot traffic. The traditional mall is a dying world and this documentary captures one example of this. [8], 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.[9]. They shot Jasper Mall throughout 2018. It's so low key, so go-with-the-flow, so "real time" feeling that it manages a dreamlike quality. 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. So, lets get into exactly what Jasper Mall is and how it came to be where it is today. 75th fighter squadron obituary. Jasper Mall - Midwest Film Journal You have been working in the Birmingham area for a while now. You really feel as if you know these people. . covers the mall itself, and interviews various individuals that work in all different types of positions within the mall, those who regularly visit the mall for different reasons, and business owners within the mall. A growing number of hikers are tackling Alabama's longest continuous footpath and trail communities are welcoming the growth. I'll be the first to admit that, in some sense, you're not going to learn anything from this that you didn't already know. They really looked out of place. 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. From Dying to Living: How One Nonprofit Reimagined Vacant Jasper Mall Report abuse . A Year in the Life of a Dying Alabama Mall - BirminghamWatch Recently I watched a documentary about Jasper Mall that was released in 2020 and it covers the large, empty looking, still open Jasper Mall located in Jasper Alabama. Some people even chose to move their business to another location by the end of the film. Cloverleaf Mall opened in 1972, but unfortunately, a new mall opened up just three years later and only 5 miles down the road. Jasper Mall - store list, hours, (location: Jasper, Alabama) | Malls in Many of us see it in our own towns and cities it's clear our local malls are becoming less and less, and this doc "Jasper Mall" hits on those things. The mall also has a food court with a variety of options, as well as a movie theater. 118 Temple Ave N Fayette, AL 35555. Its a community on the brink of disappearance, and yet around every corner, there exists a strange beauty and a new kind of Americana that reflects the unique, touching, and frequently hilarious realities of the shopping mall in the internet age. And it brought back so many memories. Theres a lot of speculation about why malls, which have so much to offer retailers and customers alike, started fading away. 14 oldschoolel78 6 mo. Theres a lot of elderly people there. Brett Whitcomb: I think the way the mall looked inspired us the most. The 350,000-square foot mall was designed to hold about 35 or so stores. [4], Towards the end of the film, more shops including Subway, Grady's Sandwich Shop, Robin's Nest Flowers & Gifts and Jewelry Doctor all close or move. Scroll on for a peek inside some abandoned malls and the sad histories of their demise. Yogurt Street | Jasper AL - Facebook If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The documentary doesn't show much of any of the staff talking about the negative impact that online shopping has done to the mall nor was there any information about why their two anchors stores K-Mart and JC Penney left before the movie started. Brett and I both went to Almeda and Baybrook malls in Houston, Texas. It is free on Amazon. He thinks moving out into a more-trafficked area will allow his business to thriveit appears that he's right (as of this month, it seems that he's still open in his new location). We got the impression the mall was very busy through the '80s and '90s. 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.

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