North Idaho is losing a monster of a local business this weekend.

On Sunday, the Hayden Cinema Six will shut its doors for good after 15 years in business. The independently-operated cinema was always a bit of an underdog - valiantly fighting against major shifts in the entertainment industry.

Corporate theater chains got bigger, digital and 3D presentations forced out traditional film projections, distribution deals with movie studios became increasingly lopsided, and viewers could wait as little as a couple of months for major releases to hit home video.

Yet the Hayden Cinema Six continued to offer ticket prices that were dollars cheaper than the competition. Owner Curtis Deming added stadium seating to two of his theaters to meet demand, and all six theaters received digital sound upgrades in recent years.

I loved the Hayden Cinema Six. I remember seeing my first movie there in 1997, back when it was a discount theater. I saw "The Lost World," and I was still young enough to believe it was a decent follow-up to "Jurassic Park."

*Yes, that's three weeks in a row I've talked about "Jurassic Park."

Even after the fancy "other" theater in town opened, I preferred to see movies at Hayden. The two stadium theaters offered as good an experience for a lower price, the popcorn was better, and the staff wasn't forced to recite corporate sales pitches about rewards cards or 50 cent drink upgrades.

In our increasingly corporation-dominated culture, it's nice to enjoy the remaining pockets of small business, even when they screen multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbusters. The Hayden Cinema was a terrific local business, offering low-cost entertainment to families who would otherwise not be able to afford it.

The cinema has also been a good friend to me and The Press. A sponsor of this space since I started at the paper in 2006, Deming never harassed me about bad reviews, or when I would write about movies that weren't playing at his theater. I probably steered a few people away from some of the movies he screened, but hopefully I offset those with other recommendations.

So thank you, Curtis and the staff of the Hayden Cinema Six. The movies won't be the same without you.

The theater will be open for regular showings through Sunday. Check out HaydenCinema6.com for showtimes, and come thank Curtis and his employees for 15 years of fantastic service.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected].