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Theaters
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May 25, 2007
New life for Rivoli
PENDLETON, OR — The 1920-era Rivoli Theater is being bought by the Oregon East Symphony (OES) and will be rebuilt into a multi-purpose theater for the community. Given the size of Pendleton, the Rivoli was a rather grand theater. The organizers will be looking for an interior theater designer/architect to work with them to develop with the best, most workable design possible.
The old Rivoli Theater has been empty for years, with dust, wood rot and mold its primary occupants. But that soon could change if the Oregon East Symphony has its way.
The OES Board of Directors met Wednesday night and agreed to purchase the old theater building at 355 S. Main St. with contingencies. OES Treasurer Dr. Frank Erickson said contingencies include issues such as how to deal with mold, asbestos and a structural analysis to determine if bringing the old building to life is feasible.
For the full story, go to the East Oregonian.
Please contact Tom Hebert at the address below, who will forward all inquiries and materials to the organizing committee.
Tom Hebert
71904 Patawa Road
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 276-4963
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May 21, 2007
Pemberton Cinema 4 update 2
VICKSBURG, MS — Now, six months have lapsed and Vicksburg still doesn’t have a cinema. I heard that Mayor Leyens was asked about the Pemberton again. Now his big mistake was this: he said in an interview the day the cinema operator opted that by summer this port would have cinema and the CBL rep claimed that she’s searching for one. I got smart when I was out at the near dead mall and I ask around. The response? No new operator.
But the mayor got nervous about the question. He stated that he’s going to Las Vegas Nevada next week to confront CBL Associates directly on the issue. He admitted the cinema is in poor repair and needs work. But the locals I suspect want a brand new bigger cinema.
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May 18, 2007
Capitol Theatre hopes for “Semi-Pro” world premiere
FLINT, MI — After the producers of the film “Semi-Pro” spent $20,000 to restore the Capitol Theatre’s marquee, Troy Farah whose family owns the Capitol Theatre building hopes the film will have its world premiere at the theater. The last time the theatre was open was during Flint’s sesquicentennial in 2005 and had free showings of classic Disney cartoons.
A Christie digital projector was brought in for that presentation and the screen is in working order.But the theater’s heating system is not in good working order. To keep the theater from freezing during the winter, two regular gas furnaces are set up in front of the theater’s stage with PVC pipes leading to two holes in an exit door to exhaust the fumes.
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Garden Theatre premieres StarLite Movie Night series
WINTER GARDEN, FL — The streets of downtown Winter Garden were filled with over 1500 excited moviegoers Saturday evening as the Garden Theatre premiered The Starlite Movie Night series under the marquee. The two-story movie screen showcasing the Ben Stiller flick, “Night at the Museum”, provided free family fun as a thank you to the community for its continued support of the theatre while building excitement around the re-opening scheduled for January 2008.
This event, sponsored by Seasons 52 and Castle & Cooke, marked the first cinematic experience in the historic downtown area in over forty years. Families and friends, gathered on blankets and lawn chairs to create a drive-in ambiance, enjoyed the Lakeview Middle School jazz band pre-show while favorite movie refreshments, including popcorn, candy, snocones, and cotton candy, were served.
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May 7, 2007
Partial Demolition of Lebowsky Center set to begin May 8
OWOSSO, MI — After a long delay caused by seasonal load limit laws keeping heavy loads off the roads, partial demolition of unsafe portions of the fire-damaged Lebowsky Center is set to begin on Tuesday, May 8. The Owosso Community Players have hired a contractor to manage demolition and possible reconstruction of the theater. The OCP’s insurance company will pay for the demolition.
Expected to remain in place are the front lobby, the balcony, the auditorium floor, the dressing rooms under the stage and the stage house. The east and west walls will be partially demolished, along with the projection booth and other areas.
More details from the Argus-Press and the Flint Journal.
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April 24, 2007
Movies may return to State Theater
SIOUX FALLS, SD — Locals are banding together to save the historic State Theatre. They’re currently looking to raise funds and gather ideas for it to be profitable in the future and restore it to all its gloary.
A new nonprofit group hopes to raise $3 million to $5 million to restore the inside of the historic State Theater in downtown Sioux Falls and turn it into a first-run and classic movie house.
A few productions on its full stage aren’t out of the question, either, says Stacy Newcomb-Weiland, spokeswoman of the group that has its proposal almost ready to turn in to Main Street Sioux Falls. The agency is calling for ideas by May 1.
For more, read the Argus Leader.
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April 20, 2007
Pemberton Cinema 4 update
VICKSBURG, MS — Just though I pass up an update on the real deal Pemberton Cinema 4. So far CBL Associates hasn’t found a new operator. But yesterday in the local paper it was mentioned under the youth page of the Vicksburg Post.
For one thing the fact it’s still closed and locals have to travel over thirty miles. Well since the Post first broke the story, the Pemberton Cinema has made other websites. I’ve been doing my part to find wherever the Pemberton Cinema is mentioned.
I’ve been telling travel sites and other cinema sites such as Box Office Mojo what really happened. The day after the story broke, the Mayor came on the local news explaining that CBL is trying to find another cinema operator. All locals are still upset with CBL Associates. Other people from here have been posting what happenned to this cinema.
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April 19, 2007
Free popcorn with admission at Grand Lake
OAKLAND, CA — To combat competition and slowness before the summer rush, the Grand Lake Theatre is offering free popcorn with admission during the week.
Owner Allen Michaan came up with the idea to offer a bucket of fresh popcorn — plus seconds — as a way to battle the mega-movie complexes, such as the UA Emerybay 10 in Emeryville.
“It’s getting harder and harder for the old theaters to compete with the megaplexes. They won’t survive unless they are supported by the movie-going community,” Michaan said.
Michaan launched the popcorn experiment last week at the Grand Lake and the Orinda Theater in Orinda.
For all the details, go to the Oakland Tribune.
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April 16, 2007
Queensland Gallery of Modern Art Cinematheque installs Wurlitzer organ
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art that opened earlier this year in Brisbane contains two purpose-built theatres (Cinematheque) for the showing of cinema as an art form.
On 29 March the restored Wurlitzer organ built in 1929 for Brisbane’s Regent Theatre was inaugurated with a short concert by organist Tony Fenelon followed by the screening of the restored and enhanced surviving segments (17 minutes) of the 1906 feature-length (60 minutes) film “The Story of the Kelly Gang”.
The organ had been removed from the Regent in 1964 to spend the next forty years in a residence in New South Wales, before being purchased by the Gallery as an original and complete example of a Wurlitzer Unit Orchestra designed for the accompaniment of silent films (although the Regent opened as a “talkie” house in November, 1929).
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April 14, 2007
Victory Gardens Announces New Season, Return of Films to Biograph
CHICAGO, IL — Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater has announced the 2007 season of live theater at its new home at the historic Biograph Theater in Lincoln Park, including a return engagement of the seasonal hit, “The Snow Queen”, according toan article in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune.
Victory Gardens is also beginning to screen movies at the Biograph on a limited basis which will tie in with plays being presented at the theater at the time. The first film, “An Inconvenient Truth”, will be shown on April 22nd.