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Openings
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September 24, 2010
Frank Theatres and Entertainment Centers coming to Murrells Inlet, SC in 2011
MURRELLS INLET, SC — After extensive renovations, the Inlet Square 12 is reopening this Winter under Frank Theatres.
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September 23, 2010
Studio Movie Grill fails in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, MO – Open for less than half a year since its April opening, the Studio Movie Grill which originally was called the Majestic Theater, has closed. The closure is said to have resulted from its inability to compete for newly released films. The parent company’s operations in Texas and Georgia are apparently unaffected. The story is in Kansas City.com.
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September 16, 2010
Want some caviar with your popcorn? You can have it at the Prado Cinema Café
BONITA SPRINGS, FL — It took several months longer than originally anticipated but the Prado Cinema Café has opened in the space previously housing the Regal Stadium 12 which closed in 2009. It currently has nine screening rooms and new seating with tables between groups of seats that enables patrons to enjoy items purchased from the varied café menu which, in addition to the typical snack bar fare, includes pizza, sandwiches, beer and wine, and yes – champagne and caviar.
The full story is in the News-Press.
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September 15, 2010
Toronto International Film Festival opens its new theater complex September 12
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA — Film lovers here will be celebrating the opening of the Bell Lightbox, the sparkling new headquarters of the the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The complex includes five cinemas that have capacities ranging from 80 to 550 seats; one screening room will have 70mm capability. In addition, the film center will have areas for seminars, galleries, a reference library, and administrative offices, and, later, a rooftop space. The opening on September 12 is highlighted by an open house and a “Wizard of Oz”-themed street festival.
There is more in Variety and information about the opening events is here.
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September 13, 2010
Plaza Theatre Closes; Future Unknown
CARPINTERIA, CA – The Plaza Theatre, opened in the 1940s as the Del Mar Theatre, closed on Thursday, September 9, after nearly five years of operation by the Metropolitan Theater Corporation. The theater was, according to president David Corwin, who is quoted in the Santa Barbara Independent, “not viable as a stand-alone operation.” The list of operating single screen theaters in California continues to dwindle …
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September 8, 2010
Houston’s Angelika Film Center abruptly shuttered
HOUSTON, TX — The Angelika Film Center here closed on August 29, its lease apparently terminated. It had operated for thirteen years. Recently it had had air-conditioning failures.
Brown paper was placed over the full-length doors, blocking the view into the lobby and a white sign reading “We regret to inform you that The Angelika Film Center has closed today. After 13 years of continued service to the Houston community, the Angelika’s lease has been terminated by the Angelika’s landlord, Bayou Place Limited Partnership, an affiliate of the Cordish Company” hangs in the box office window.
Movie goers showing up to catch the first scheduled films of this Sunday were met by a woman in the box office who reimbursed the parking costs of those who parked in the garage with cash and turned them away. “They may relocate, but probably not,” the Angelika worker told CultureMap’s Nic Phillips.
There is more at CultureMap.com.
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September 7, 2010
Warner Theatre in Morgantown to Close
MORGANTOWN, WV — The Warner Theatre in Morgantown, WV has closed as of Sept. 5, 2010.
“The theater was actually opened June 12th 1931 and it cost $400,000. And originally built by the Warner Brothers, her in Morgantown. And the first show that was shown, I believe, was the Millionaire. And the lines were out the door and around the block. This was the center of activity in Morgantown, for a long time,” said Ron Davis, Warner Theater General Manager.
But keeping up an old theater is very costly.
Recently, the air conditioning system went out and this is what finally made the decision to close the doors, but faithful patrons are having trouble saying good bye.
Read more at WDTV.
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August 31, 2010
Construction begins on new theater in Royal Oak
ROYAL OAK, MI — After mentioning it last month with concerns about parking having been resolved, work on the construction of a new ten-screen multiplex in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak got underway during the week of August 23. The facility, estimated to cost $14 million, will have, in addition to its cinemas, sixteen lanes of “boutique bowling,” a banquet room, and cocktail service. The new theater will be a part of the growing Emagine Entertainment company, which is also remodeling the former AMC Star Rochester to the tune of $4 million, and expects to reopen that theater by Thanksgiving.
“Downtown Royal Oak always changes; it always grows. What stays the same is that we are very popular — and that brings parking and traffic issues.
“But, ultimately most of us agree it’s a very good thing for the city,” Ellison said.
The full story is in the Detroit News.
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August 26, 2010
New theatre in Mid-Wilshire in LA!!!
LOS ANGELES, CA — CGV Cinemas in Los Angeles is the first American branch of the South Korean multiplex chain, CJ CGV.
Unique to CJ’s line of theaters, premium seating, 4D effects, rewards membership programs, and emphasis on customer value and care provide key differentiating factors that keep our patrons returning to CGV theaters. For the first cinema complex in the United States, CGV Cinemas in LA aims to reproduce these services by offering similar features specially designed to serve.
Tailored to suit the diverse and artistically rich tastes of Los Angelenos, CGV at Madang presents a global spectrum of films, featuring Hollywood hits as well as spotlighting the burgeoning market of Asian motion pictures. Focusing mostly on Korean and US, CGV’s projection lineup promises to include groundbreaking blockbusters and influential pieces made across the globe.
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August 20, 2010
New art cinema opening in Miami area
MIAMI, FL — The O Cinema is slated to open in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District by the end of the month. The 135-seat art theater and gallery space will add a new venue for independent and avant-garde film and video.
“We realized, both myself being a Miami native and Vivian having been raised here since she was 6, that film was one area where we haven’t stepped up to the plate,” Tabsch says. “We have Art Basel, which has been amazing for the visual arts community, and New World Symphony and the Arsht Center … all of these wonderful organizations each tackling different areas and doing amazing things. And film hadn’t caught up. We decided we had to do something about this and bring independent film to Miami year-round.”
They were able to do so thanks to a $400,000 matching grant from the Knight Arts Challenge, a godsend for many South Florida nonprofits in a time of distressing state budget slashes. After two years of fundraising and looking for a viable location, the duo settled on Wynwood, landing a 4,000-square-foot interior space and a courtyard.
There is more at Bocamag.com.