Two of Penn State's downtown movie theaters, The Movies and State Twin, went out of business just days before this year's Oscars ceremony.

Coincidence? Probably, but there is a connection between the two.

Carmike Cinemas, the parent company who also owns the other local theaters, Cinema 5 and Cinema 6, recently declared bankruptcy and now the smaller theaters are feeling the backlash.

There are two reasons this happened — one local, one national.

First, the theaters in downtown State College are not in the best shape. How much fun is it to take a date to a place where your shoes stick to the floor and your back aches afterward because of the uncomfortable seats? With huge digital blockbusters like The Matrix becoming a fixture in today's Hollywood, Carmike really should have taken the time and money to invest in better technology. Besides, why should someone pay too much for a movie ticket when they could go home and watch a DVD with better results?

But Carmike is hardly the only one to blame in this situation.

On Sunday night, all the marquee stars gathered together at the Oscars. And just like in professional sports, these marquee stars are making it near impossible for middle- to low-earning people to attend the respective events.

Hollywood is dishing out more and more for its biggest names because, with a few exceptions like Man on the Moon, huge names equal huge profits. Because of this, Mel Gibson was paid $25 million for his role in The Patriot and many other stars like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey make $20 million a film.

And here's where the slippery slope begins, and we as patrons get the worst part of the deal. The studios pay more to produce movies they have to write the bloated paychecks. Because of this, they charge more to allow theaters the "privilege" of showing their ware.

Theaters, especially small ones, need to recoup the costs someway. So they jack up the prices at the convenience stands and continue to raise ticket prices. At select theaters in large metropolitan areas, such as New York City, movie tickets just hit the $10 mark.

Because the practice of overpaying stars probably won't stop anytime soon, Carmike needs to play its cards carefully. Giving students a discount at Cinema 5 is a good start. But it needs to enhance the comfort, appearance and technology of the theaters in order to attract more viewers. Special effects movies just don't work well on the existing screens. And the annoying THUMP-THUMP-THUMP from The Gingerbread Man on Friday and Saturday nights doesn't exactly make for ideal viewing conditions at Cinema 5.

All Penn State needs is another alcohol-free activity to fall by the wayside. Hopefully, all involved will pitch in and compromise for the good of the business.