Remembering Michael Nicholson

(5/31/50 – 1/31/2026)

We are devastated by the loss of our good friend and Off the Wall founder Michael Nicholson.

Michael began showing films along with his roommate, Larry Silverman, in the living room of their Brighton apartment in 1973, soon cutting a hole in the wall to turn Michael’s bedroom into a projection booth. A year later, their screenings had become so popular that they opened Off the Wall Cinema in Cambridge, and for the next dozen years, Michael nursed and nurtured his creative offspring through a number of successes and crises. Eventually the theater garnered an international reputation for its support of filmmakers and artists, as well as a local reputation for its atmosphere, its unique programming, and its concession stand. Michael’s enthusiasm, his ever-expanding cinematic knowledge, and his taste were reflected in every aspect of the theater. Anyone who knew and had affection for Off the Wall, knew and had affection for Michael.

The theater closed in 1986, but Michael continued to host periodic Off the Wall screenings in various clubs around Boston, while pursuing a new career working for a nonprofit to support adults with intellectual and other disabilities. He retired in 2020.

In December of 2024, Michael spearheaded a 50th anniversary celebration of Off the Wall’s opening with a program of Off the Wall’s greatest hits, hosted by the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge. When he stepped up to the stage before the screenings to introduce the show (and, as always, announce corrections to the program notes), the years seemed to fall away. It was 1974 again, and an audience waited with happy anticipation to see what Michael had in store for them next.

Not long after the celebration, Michael was asked if there was anything he would have done differently. His reply certainly applied to his experience with Off the Wall, but I’m pretty sure he would have applied it to the rest of his life as well:

Knowing what I know now, I would still do it all over again. You might only get one chance to do something that makes a difference. This was mine and I took it! No regrets! There have been the inevitable ups and downs, but it's been a wonderful ride on the whole, and I'm happy with the way things turned out.

You can learn much more about Michael and his involvement in Off the Wall’s success by reading the article Michael wrote on Off the Wall’s history.

Do you have a memory or “typical Michael” story you’d like to share? We’ll be happy to add it to this page! Feel free to send it along.