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Theaters
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June 16, 2005
Current Day Movie Palaces
There is an interesting article in yesterday’s (June 15) Wall Street Journal that has found a successful formula for drawing customers by emulating the movie palaces of the 1920s.
From the WSJ article:
[i]“They’re doing what needs to be done,” says Paul Dergarabedian, Exhibitor Relations' president. The industry needs to emphasize the difference between watching movies at a theater and at home. Muvico “does that by creating these incredible theaters,” he says. “It tells people, ‘I can’t do the same thing at home.’ ” National Amusements Inc. and Pacific Theatres Exhibition Corp. are two other chains with similar state-of-the-art theaters, he says.
“The industry is still going through changes,” Muvico’s Mr. Hashemi says. “With the shortening of the window between the DVD and the theatrical release we really have to create an event."
[/i](rudy franchi, www.nostalgia.com))
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Theatre’s Rooftop A Practical Joke?
MILWAUKEE, WI — The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has this story about our former BAY theatre which later became the LAKE:
A local eccentric owner painted huge letters on its flat, black roof saying “Welcome to Cleveland” when planes fly over it to Milwaukee’s airport a few blocks away. This has amused and startled more than a few flyers, and the story of it makes interesting reading.
Click on the link above, and when there, click on the photo to enlarge it and see what all the fuss is about. The marquee still hangs on the front of the theatre which has been Mr. Gubin’s photo studio and residence for many years now, and which has had its seats removed, but its new incarnation is probably a more suiteable usage than many others.
What will become of it when Mr. Gubin becomes too old to climb the steps to his balcony-home is anyone’s guess, but maybe the roof top joke will by then have long faded away, much to the delight of both cities. Maybe the author of the forthcoming sequel to “Milwaukee Movie Palaces,” Larry Widen, can get permission to copy this photo into the appendex of his new book: “Silver Screens” to appear in a year from now. He can hardly overlook this bit of trivia about the fates of our movie palaces!
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June 15, 2005
Movies Return to the Palace Theatre in Albany
ALBANY, NY — This summer will mark the return of movies to the historic Palace Theatre in downtown Albany for the first time in 36 years. When final installation of the new projection and sound equipment is complete, the Palace will feature the largest screen in the region and, more importantly, an amazing sound and visual presentation system.
From a programming perspective, the Palace will be paying homage to the independent movie houses of old. The selections will include a mix of classics, family friendly fare and contemporary films. Efforts are being made to have at least one notable traveling film festival make a stop in 2006. Also in the works is to honor the theatre’s history as a rock and roll palace with a series of some of the best Rock n Roll movies ever produced.
Additional themed sub-series will also be included in the first season. In addition to this mix the best new movies will be included when they leave the malls whenever possible.
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Two Additional Profiles Of The IFC Center
NEW YORK, NY — Two more profiles of the IFC Center have appeared in The Village Voice and New York Magazine.
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June 13, 2005
Tulsa’s Admiral Twin Drive-In Wins Hampton Inn Contest
TULSA, OK — Tulsa’s Admiral Twin Drive-In was the winner of a Hampton Inn contest, “America’s Favorite Landmark.” In addition to the title, the theater will receive $20,000 to do renovations. For information, read the Tulsa KOTV 6 Story
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June 9, 2005
Bow Tie Cinema Group Announces Two Projects
Bow Tie Cinemas, a subsidiary of Manhattan-based Bow Tie Partners, announced two new cinema projects in the past week.
In downtown Schenectady, NY, Bow Tie will build and operate a deluxe six-screen upscale venue on the corner of State and Broadway, just down the street from Proctor’s Theatre. Set to open in the Fall of 2006, the cinema project, to be called Movieland, replaces a previously-announced 14-plex that was to be built on another site in the Metroplex Development Authority’s project zone.
The other site, in downtown West Hartford, CT, will be located in the Blue Back Square project. The five-screen Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square is set to debut in late 2006.
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June 8, 2005
Another Piece On The IFC Center
Yet another look at the soon-to-open IFC Center, via this recent New York Post article.
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June 7, 2005
IndieWire Takes A Look Into The IFC Center
A recent IndieWire story discussed the impending June 17th grand opening of the newest addition to the NYC art house scene — the much-anticipated IFC Center.
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June 2, 2005
Raymond Theatre Hearings Continue
PASADENA, CA — The following was sent in by the Friends of the Raymond Theatre:
“Developers AJB Enterprises file for Conceptual Design Review to convert Pasadena’s landmark Raymond Theatre into a mixed-use housing development. Friends of the Raymond Theatre work to continue their 17-year effort to defend the embattled theatre.
AJB Enterprises have filed an application with the City of Pasadena for major modifications to their project which proposes to convert Pasadena’s landmark Raymond Theatre and its adjacent parking lot into a commercial/residential mixed-use development.
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May 19, 2005
The New Waverly Set to Open June 17
NEW YORK, NY — IFC Center Channels Historic Movie House
“What could be better than running an art house in downtown New York?” asks John Vanco, VP and general manager of the new IFC Center (www.ifccenter.com), scheduled to open June 17 in the historic Waverly Theater building in Manhattan.
“It’s going to be a combination of all sorts of different films from all sorts of places,” he promises. “One house will be on a calendar schedule, including two-week locks of new films, special series and classics. The other two will be edgy, independent, foreign-language films and documentaries. We will also have a digital pre-show with short films and other content…that people will feel good about having spent ten dollars to see. If we’re doing a retrospective or a series of midnight movies, it will be a great advantage to have the edit suites upstairs.”