Compton residents who want to see Straight Outta Compton on the big screen have to travel straight outta the neighborhood.
The California city doesn't have any movie theaters, CBS Los Angeles reports. In a cruel twist of irony, residents have to travel to nearby areas in order to see the N.W.A. biopic.
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“It’s a low income area, it’s been heavily dis-invested in,” USC professor of sociology Manuel Pastor explained to CBS. “When you live in a community that doesn’t have that kind of retail, it’s a sign that the community is devalued and people within the community feel devalued.”
City manager Johnny Ford told the station that there's currently a plan to bring an "entertainment district" to the city, including a 16 screen theater.
“Seventy percent of that would be the movie theater, and then there would be an additional thirty percent retail space," he said.
Dr. Dre, an original member of the N.W.A. and one of the film's subjects, also plans to help build up Compton's arts community. The mogul musician is donating all royalties from his album Compton in order to build a performing arts and entertainment facility in the city.