Comments from GaryCohen

Showing 26 - 50 of 89 comments

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Favorite summer movie memories on Feb 20, 2010 at 3:34 pm

The summer of 1963 was my all-time favorite summer of movies. So many films that became all-time favorites I saw that summer: Connery in “Dr. No,” Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” John Huston’s “The List of Adrian Messenger,” Charlton Heston in “55 Days at Peking,” Ray Harryhausen’s greatest achievement “Jason and the Argonauts,” and Harryhausen ripoff “Captain Sindbad,” the first “Beach Party” film, guilty favorite “King Kong Vs Godzilla,” little -remembered but excllnt film Rock Hudson and Rod Taylor in “A Gathering of Eagles.” and I believe I saw my favorite film (other than the Bonds) which hit my local theater that summer: Darryl F. Zanuck’s “The Longest Day.” I know I saw other films that summer and am probably leaving something out, but the summer of 1963 was it for me.
Come to think of it 1963 was a great year in general for movies. 2 of my other all-time favorites also premiered that year: Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in “Charade” McQueen in “The Great Escape” and one of my top 10 favorites “How the West Was Won.” What a year.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Pennway Theatre on Feb 1, 2010 at 4:08 pm

I went there several times when this theater opened in the mid-1960s. I remember seeing Peter Sellers in “After the Fox,” “Yul Brynner in "Return of the 7” and Rod Steiger in “No Way to Treat A Lady.” I never particularly liked this theater and it was a mistake to build it in an area that was already starting to go downhill. I went there once when it started showing softcore porn. Those films were more memorable than the legitimate films I saw there.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Brooklyn Paramount on Feb 1, 2010 at 3:39 pm

The Brooklyn Paramount was the first of the beautiful golden-age downtown Brooklyn theaters to go under. I remember my father taking me there in about 1958 to see the Alan Freed rock and roll show. While I was too young to have any specific memories of the show, several years ago I came across the program and the names listed as being there were quite incredible: Frankie Avalon, The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, etc. I think I might have been there once to see a movie, a Jerry Lewis flick “Cinderfella.” I saw about three movies at the Brooklyn Fox and many films at the RKO Albee and Loews Metropolitan, the 3 other beautiful golden-age theaters Downtown Brooklyn. Now, sadly, they are all long gone.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about [i]Star Trek: The Motion Picture[/i] - Movie Memories 30 Years Later on Feb 1, 2010 at 3:30 pm

Ken, if Nimoy has retired from acting, hes been quite busy. He was terrific in the new Star Trek film last summer and has appeared in a couple of episodes of the tv show “Fringe.”

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Kinema Theatre on Jan 31, 2010 at 4:47 pm

Fatman,I can’t believe I found someone else who remembers Moe. I graduated 64 in ‘65 also. I’ll check out your website devoted to the school.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Trump Cinema on Jan 25, 2010 at 2:41 pm

What as tiny horible dump this was. The screen was so small, it was like watching a movie in someone’s living room. I think I was there one time to see a double-feature of “Don’t Look Now” and “Bang the Drum Slowly.” I’m not surprised to hear that is gone, no great loss.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Remembering Cinerama on Jan 23, 2010 at 12:37 pm

I enjoyed reading Michael’s list. I saw 2001 in Cinerama at the Capitol and Ice Station Zebra and Krakatoa, East of Java at the Cinerama. I remember the Cinerama experience during the tidal wave scene of Krakatoa, very exciting. I wish I could have seen How the West Was Won and Mad World in their original Cinerama. I think it is a shame that we don’t have 1 Cinerama theater still operating in the New York City area.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Manhattan 1 and 2 on Jan 17, 2010 at 12:10 pm

I went there a few times during the 1980s. I saw “Superman II,” Clint Eastwood in “Sudden Impact,” Connery as Bond in “Never Say Never Again,” and the first “Scream” film. (I remember I had to wait on a line outside for Connery’s return as Bond. Too bad it was such a mediocre film.) I don’t remember that many specifics of the theatre although those pictures Ed put up did bring back some memories. I do remember that the theaters were not that big and I’m not sure just how comfortable the seats were.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Highway Theater on Jan 16, 2010 at 5:24 pm

My wife grew up about four or five blocks from this theater and we went there occasionally when we were going out. It was an average theater with nothing distinctive to remember it by. Some of the films I can remember seeing there included “Hard Times,” “Murder by Death” and “The Dogs of War.” It was such a mediocre theater that I was absolutely not surprised when it finally threw in the towel and closed.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Kings Plaza 6 Theaters on Jan 16, 2010 at 3:50 pm

Passed by Kings Plaza this afternoon and, lo and behold, this theater is indeed closed. Saw many wonderful films here: “Superman,” “Diamonds are Forever,” “Live and Let Die,” “Moonraker,” “For Your Eyes Only,” “Octopussy,” “2010,” etc., etc. However when the clientele of this theater started to change, it was the kiss of death. And this theater is now deceased.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Astor Theatre on Jan 15, 2010 at 4:08 pm

I seem to recall that my favorite Bond film, “You Only Live Twice,” played at the Astor and Victoria at the same time. I know that I saw it at one of those two theaters. I also recall that enormous sign on the building above the theaters, several stories high, for this Bond film with that great Robert McGuiness artwork. It was quite incredible, I’m only sorry I didn’t take a picture of it. I also remember seeing two of my favorite war films at one of these two theaters, (I can’t remember which one,) Burton and Eastwood in “Where Eagles Dare” and William Holden in “The Devils Brigade.”

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Century's College Theater on Jan 14, 2010 at 10:38 am

My express bus used to pass the College theater every day when it turned onto Flatbush Avenue. (It also passed the closed Rialto, now a Church and came within 2 blocks of the still-closed, though not demolished, Loews Kings.) I was only in this theater twice with my wife to see Olivia Newton-John in “Xanadu” and “The Amityville Horror.” I remember absolutely nothing distinctive about this theater and although I am now out of Brooklyn, I am totally unsurprised that it has closed up.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Palace Theatre on Jan 14, 2010 at 10:31 am

Even in the early 1960s when Brownsville was still decent and my father would take me to the Pitkin, Premier and Stadium, he always told me that the Palace was a dump. I remember being fascinated that it used to show 3 pictures. Apparently it was or became a kind of grindhouse that was open 24 hours.
Several years later I met a guy in high school who went to the Palace once. He advised that the place was loaded with winos and described to me some of the things they were doing during the picture. I won’t go into them here. Ugh.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Loew's State Theatre on Jan 13, 2010 at 4:10 pm

I can’t believe I forgot seeing “The Spy Who Loved Me,” one of my two favorite Bonds at this theater. I must be getting old. Also remembered seeing “The Odessa File” with Jon Voight and “Castle Keep” with Burt Lancaster at this great theater.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about UA Duffield Twin Theatre on Jan 13, 2010 at 4:01 pm

I ageee with many of the others who have commented here. Even though the Duffield was only a few blocks away from the RKO Albee and Loews Metropolitan, it wasn’t in the same universe as those theaters. I saw numerous films at the Albee and Loews Met. from the early to mid-1960s and they were beautiful and memorable theaters. I saw only 1 film at the Duffield “Move Over Darling” with Doris Day and James Garner and, to be honest, neither the film or the theater were very memorable at all. Its a wonder this place lasted as long as it did although, if you think about it, as Downtown Brooklyn went down the drain it was somehow appropriate that the crumbiest theater there should be the one left to symbolize what this area deteriorated into.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Loew's State Theatre on Jan 12, 2010 at 4:54 pm

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the people who list the films that played at this theater. Just reading them brings a great sense of nostalgia to me.
The first time I experienced the Loews State theater, I did not go in it. My family and I were walking down Broadway and Brando in Mutiny on the Bounty was playing there on reserved-seat. I remember looking in and wishing I were going to see it there. The block before we passed Lawrence of Arabia at the Criterion and a few blocks later The Longest Day at the Warner. All three nominated for Best Picture. Boy those were the days.
The first time I went to the Loews State was in 1966, 2 friends and I bought reserved seat tickets to see “The Bible.” 2 of us were scheduled to meet my other friend near the token seller at the Pennsylvaina Avenue station of the number 2 train in Brooklyn. When my habitually tardy friend still hadn’t shown up and we realized that we might be late for the film’s 2PM start, the two of us grabbed a piece of paper and pencil and scribbled him a note. We stuck it on a nail sticking out of the station wall never imagining he would actually see it. With a couple minutes to go before the film began, he came running in to the theater. He actually saw the note. We were amazed. This was more interesting than the film itself.
Over the years I saw many more films there: MacKenna’s Gold in 1969, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and Kellys Heroes in 1970 and The Omega Man in ‘71. In 1972, my mother and father decided to take my brother, sister and myself to Manhattan to see The G-dfather at the Loews State. The line stetched around the block. When we did get in this enormous theater was so crowded that we could not sit together and had to sit in different locations around the theater. (I also saw G-dfather II at the Loews State.)
The last time I was there was in 1979 to see Star Trek-The Motion Picture. It was the second week and I knew the film wasn’t doing all that well because at least half the theater was empty. I thought the film was okay but my wife and our friend did not like it at all.
The Loew’s State may be gone but the memories remain.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about RKO National Twin on Jan 11, 2010 at 4:49 pm

I was in the National a couple times during the Xmas holiday season 1974. I saw Roger Moore in the little-remembered, but terrific “Gold” and I saw one of my all-time faves “The Towering Inferno.” I remember it as being fairly nice. However the theater was built in 1973 when the Times Square area was pretty sleazy: all sorts of panhandlers and disreputable characters hanging out outside. While I saw very few films on Broadway after this period, I imagine the crowd patronizing this theater probably deteriorated and the theater itself probably went downhill. By the time Giuliani got into office and the revitalization of Times Square began, it was probably too late to save this theater. That is the only reason I can think of why a theater built as late as 1973 should have only lasted until 1996.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Loew's 34th Street Showplace on Jan 10, 2010 at 4:16 pm

I went to this theater the first day it opened in 1981 to see “Outland.” I saw numerous films there throughout the ‘80s: Star Trek II,III, and IV, For Your Eyes Only, The Living Daylights, The Untouchables, Ghostbusters,Return of the Jedi, etc. I remember all three of the theaters to be fairly large and always found it to be a pretty nice theater. I was very surprised to hear that it closed.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Kingsway Theatre on Jan 9, 2010 at 2:28 pm

I never thought this theater would go out of business, because the area is still stable. It is unbelievable how few theaters remain in Brooklyn. I remember this theater always being crowded with lines, unlike the Avalon theater (long gone) which was only around 5 or 6 blocks away on Kings Highway and never drew well. My fondest memory of the Kingsway was seeing “How the West Was Won” there, one of my favorite films, when it left Broadway and made it to the outer borough “showcase” theaters in 1963 or ‘64. My father attempted to take us to see “Thnderball” there in 1965 but we could not get in. (We saw it a the Rialto on Flatbush Avnue instead.) I never liked this theater much after they divided it into 5 theaters. The last thing I can remember seeing there was “Robocop” in 1987. As stated, I was very surprised that this theater went out since I always remember it doing very well.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Avenue U Theatre on Jan 8, 2010 at 4:49 pm

This was a relatively small, average theater that usually had long lines throughout the 1970s due to its dollar admission. My parents used to go there a lot and it was quite popular due to its low admission price. I saw several films there throughout the 70s: Live and Let Die (for the second time,) The Deep, The Great Gatsby, The Legend of Hell House, etc. I think the last time my wife and I were there was to see Hannah and her Sisters in the early ‘80s. As stated this was basically a small, unattractive neighborhood theater with nothing really distinctive to remember it by.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Avalon Theatre on Jan 7, 2010 at 3:59 pm

I went to the Avalon several times during the 1970s. It was a fairly nice theater, but never drew the big crowds as the Kingsway did, 5 or 6 blocks away. I think I might have seen Clint Eastwood in “The Enforcer” there and I sort of remember being dragged to see Streisand in “A Star is Born” (Ugh) I do clearly remember seeing films there that were good, but not particularly successful: Charles Bronson in “Breakheart Pass,” Roger Moore in “Ffolkes” and Sean Connery in “The Great Train Robbery” in 1980 (which might have been the last film I saw there.)

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about A Tribute to Forrest J. Ackerman on Jan 7, 2010 at 2:43 pm

I met Forry years ago at a Chiller Theatre in New Jersey. I asked him why they were bothering to remake “Psycho” (which they were doing at the time.)Neither he or I had any rational explanation for this totally unnecessary remake. I had him sign a book on Famous Monsters and another book he did on Sci. Fi. films. He seemed like a nice man. I used to subscribe to Famous Monsters as a kid, I loved reading it each month. I still have most of my original collection. He was a true legend.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about [i]Star Trek: The Motion Picture[/i] - Movie Memories 30 Years Later on Jan 7, 2010 at 2:36 pm

I was thinking about my comment above and thought I should clarify my statement about this film not being Star Trek. Probably the thing most of us love about the original series was the interaction between the three lead characters: Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Probably some of my favorite parts were Spock and McCoy usually arguing it out at the end with Kirk in the middle. This film really did not have that. Nor did it have any bits of the humor that Star Trek was known for. It was a humorless film, not a bad film, but a cold and humorless film. It cannot be compared to the great Star Trek films: II,IV and VI. This is not to say that I did not enjoy it to some extent in the movies, it just could have been much better.
And it certainly should have won the oscar for best special effecs of 1979.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about Criterion Theatre on Jan 7, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Thanks, William. Funny, I went to the Rivoli several times during the ‘60s. I saw “The Sand Pebbles” there in '66 or '67 and the re-release of “Gone With The Wind” there in '68. The last time I was there was in 1980 or '81 to see the remake of “Cat People.” Yet I never realized that I saw “The Alamo” there. Thanks again for your help.

GaryCohen
GaryCohen commented about "MAD, MAD WORLD" screening at Cinerama Dome on Jan 6, 2010 at 5:22 pm

Oh, how I loved this film and how I would love to see it on the big screen again. As a kid,I waited for, at least, a year for the film to trickle down from its reserved-seat engagement on Broadway to my local theater, the Biltmore, in East New York, Brooklyn.
I remember in those days that people did not worry about when the film was supposed to begin, they just came walking in while the film was already on. When my parents took me to see it on a Friday night the theater was absolutely jammed. I vaguely remember that the scene with Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett in the plane was on. What a riot. (I met Rooney a few years ago at a Twilight Zone convention in New Jersey and had him sign some lobby cards from this film, among others.) This has always been my favorite comedy and probably always will be.