Comments from terrywade

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terrywade
terrywade commented about Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Cinema on Jan 23, 2013 at 2:22 am

Yes the big neon sign will come to life. I beleive the tubes are a bright red/orange neon. The paint will be a rustic red Southwest look.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Cinema on Jan 22, 2013 at 8:19 pm

I have talked to Tim League of Drafthouse Cinemas. For the large downstairs theatre he may put in a semi large curved screen with curtains and a kick ass stereo sound surround system. I told him to contact Century/Cinemark as in Pleasant Hill CA they have a large D-150 screen track that will go up in dust in a few months when they turn the wreckers ball on this classic dome theatre. Tim also knows about showmanship and the use of color lights in the new theatres coming at the New Mission. The Castro Theatre SF will have some major competion and food when this new theatre opens in about a year. You won’t find the New Mission Theatre SF closed on Mondays & Tuesdays like the Castro Theatre is now. The Mission plans to run retro, first run and some 70mm real film plus digital movies and grindhouse festivals and great trailers. Good luck to Tim and the New Mission San Francisco CA. Wait till the noisy movie people in SF find out about the Drafthouse policy for cell phones and tweets in the theatre when a movie is on. This area of Mission St in SF is making a big comback.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Golden Gate Theatre on Jan 20, 2013 at 8:23 pm

To bad the front of this RKO Golden Gate Theatre is a mess today in 2013. What is left of the great marquee is now painted a ugly brown color. Even the tall blades that say Golden Gate are painted in brown. The neon is not on or working. The front in the 50’s and 60’s was like a huge neon accordion of color ornage, green, yellow and blue. Please, the Shorenstein’s make big bucks in Broadway shows they play here, why can’t they get a good neon company back in and fix the front up with some color and repair the neon. This is one of the worst spots in SF day or night, even with theatre security you take your life in chance.

terrywade
terrywade commented about TCL Chinese Theatre on Jan 17, 2013 at 12:26 am

I think the right side waterfall can’t be used as they opened up a hole in the right wall to go upstairs from the forecourt to the shops upstairs near the fountain, I may be wrong but the last time I was there I think the right side waterfall was blocked someway? Let’s put in some gold fish in the working one on the left and blue underwater lights the tourists can feed them. The poor Egyptian Theatre down the street has waterfalls but they leak into the wall and restaurant next door. Hope they can fix them someday.

terrywade
terrywade commented about TCL Chinese Theatre on Jan 15, 2013 at 9:06 am

They need to call this theatre the TCL Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The public is now finding out about the drop of the Grauman’s name and they are not pleased. The screen at the Chinese is not that large for the size of the main theatre. Many LA theatres have over 85 foot semi curved EX screens. Years ago for 70mm Grauman’s opened to a larger screen. Seems like there is more masking on top and on the sides that will open up. I hope they don’t put in a big IMAX square screen. It’s to tall and not good for a wide screen film. When you see a CinemaScope® movie on a large square IMAX screen white screen is shown at the top and bottom. You just see a band of a movie. They have no masking. It’s a big joke about the new Imax Experience screens going in at AMC and Regal and other theatres,they are not that much larger then the screens they have. The original older IMAX screens are huge. These chains just want the extra money for the IMAX name. The public knows these new IMAX and EX type screens are not that much larger and most stay away from the advance ticket prices. The TCL and new people that took over the Grauman’s lease just need to enlarge the screen they have to 90 feet and curve It more. Put in new color lights in the ceiling and around the theatre. It will be so nice as the curtains with red and organge lights part nice blue or green lights come on the ceiling. When It’s pre show or intermission time the roof lights can change to red. The sound at Grauman’s now is some of the best in any movie theatre I have been to. On certain movies the bass is so deep It will shake the theatre. If they put in the new Dolby Atomos® sound system the whole ceiling will have speakers hanging down. Forget the stadium seats, they will loose many hundreds of seats. Just put in a better low slope. What does TCL stand for THE CHINESE LAMP company? At least they may have many different color LED bulbs to put in. Please bring back the Grauman’s name and put some of the new money into bringing back the color lights in the bland forcourt outside. Time to bring back the neon dragon marqueee or re build them. Show the people on the street what is showing inside the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Hollywood CA. Bring back the 50’s type charm. Time to start on the big remodel job and also put in a stage in front of the new larger screen and have some pre show entertainment like across the street at the Disney El Capitain Theatre. They have lines to get in the Grauman’s does not.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Cherry Hill Drive-In on Jan 8, 2013 at 1:09 pm

They need to bring this guy back ‘The Mental Marval’ to play a open end late Sat night run in San Francisco’s Strand Theatre on Market ST before the ACT people clean up the place in late 2013. He will bring in all the night zombies that walk the streets of SF and beg. A performance that will shock even the mental street people and turn them around.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Pacific's Hastings 8 on Dec 30, 2012 at 1:19 pm

I guess the large curved D-150 screen was taken out when they turned the place into a multiplex. To bad they didn’t keep it in the large cinema. How sad now It sits all closed up.

terrywade
terrywade commented about New Century twelve-plex to open on November 9 Cinedome 8 there will close on Sep 7, 2012 at 11:37 am

It’s about time Century will put in better more modern theatres in Napa. They have a exclusive for movies in Napa CA. While a few of the large domes are nice with curve screens ect they need to be remodled. Century needs to keep these domes going when the new theatres opens. Turn them into art cinemas like they did in Pleasant Hill CA or second run theatres or special comedy live events. To bad they can’t make the new larger theatre more then 300 seats in that one space. To crame in 12 screens in the space for 6 large screens they can make you feel crampy and with small screens in the 100 seat cinemas It will feel like you are home. Like so many other Cinemark-Century/Syufy Multiplex’s for the most part they have no wide CinemaScope screens. They just drop down masking from the top on many of the cinemas on a square screen and make it look wide. A poor mans CinemaScope/Panavision. That way they can fit more screens in a small cinema space. The theatres don’t have to be super wide. At least many of the Century screens built today have a slight curve to them. No Imax in Napa at this new cinema? Century EX screens are so boring and not cut out for Cinemascope, you get white screen space at the top and bottom of the wide screen image. It’s just one big white square space. Great for flat 1.85 films. Maybe some other theatre company like Sundance or Rave will come along and build a better first class theatre with full Imax and larger screens for the well to due wine/grape crowd in Napa CA. This area is way underscreened. Bring on the beer/wine and food and larger screens with 7.1 Dolby® to the Napa area. At least old Regal won’t be coming into Napa at this time. They are so cheap they’d go with a 20 plex with the shoebox look in that new space. The candy lobby at Regal is larger then the Cinemas.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Director supporting efforts to maximize number of 70mm showings of '"The Master" across the country on Aug 27, 2012 at 4:41 pm

Theatres booking a print in 70mm had better know what 70mm film print is. If they just let the candy staff projection people run it they will wreck many new 70mm prints. Many new young booth staff has never even heard of 70mm must less run it. They were trained in 35mm now digital video and just press a button. Will they allow a 70mm splice platter or will they want two 70mm projectors? The 70mm theatres still left will have to test out the old projectors and sound to get them up and going again. The theatres playing the ‘Master’ will need a decicated projection crew not some one that is in another theatre starting a print or selling refreshments or being ticket taker, fake manager ect. The true 70mm theatres will need to advertise this film in large letters on the marquee and in newspaper ads 70MM WIDE SCREEN MULTI STEREO SOUND! Even the little ad for The Master I see no mention of a nice curved 70mm logo or anything about the special 70mm release. Maybe they have separate ads for the 70mm showings. If the cinemas need to charge more for good projection and showmanship I don’t mind paying extra for 70mm. Now next time lets see if we can get a studio to come out with a good 70mm 3-D film and only show it on screens larger then 50 feet with a curve or on the new larger EX screens. What will happen I think some theatres will play the 70mm ‘Master’ print and It will look clear and crisp and sound great but most theatres have a small screen set up these days. To bad some of the original large roadshow theatres are not around to welcome back the start of 70mm again in 2012.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Alamo Drafthouse's Ritz Theater installs 70mm equipment and announces 70mm festival on Aug 26, 2012 at 1:26 pm

Does anyone know how big the screen is at the Ritz for 70mm? Will they be installing a larger screen and have a curve to it? The Draft people are coming to the old Mission theatre in San Francisco. Work is going on now to turn this large cinema to a five plex, with the larger downstairs part still large. Hope they put in curtains and a curve 70mm set up. You can buy these 70mm combo projectors cheap these days and add 5 stereo speakers backstage a full surround set up many old 70mm films have been restored. Even a nice wide 35mm CinemaScope® screen will look great. I think the new Mission screen may be larger then the Castro’s when put in. The bigger the better. The Draft San Francisco ‘Mission’ will be compitition to the Castro Theatre SF as they shy away from 70mm these days. The Castro is even closed most Mondays & Tuesdays. I think the Mission will be open 7 days per week showing new and classic films with food and beer. As the Castro sits closed people will hit the New Mission Theatre in SF for fun entertainment and eats & drinks.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Cinemark to build nine-screen theater in Playa Vista on Aug 2, 2012 at 7:50 pm

A 72 foot screen is no big thing. Now a 100 foot giant curved screen with curtains will be nice.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Drive-in revival? on Jul 20, 2012 at 1:58 pm

Any word on the new DI coming to San Diego CA????

terrywade
terrywade commented about REMEMBERING CINERAMA (Part 53: San Jose) on Jun 17, 2012 at 10:58 am

The old Century 21 still stands today but in the worse way. The Syufy brothers under the name West Wind still run the place and many years ago they took many feet off the sides of the large curved screen and made it 35% smaller. They un plugged the giant curtains and run the projector light at about a 60% level. Good thing they never put in 3-D. No more showmanship at this old classic dome theatre. When the old man MR Ray Syufy got rid of the union projection guys and had candy help to put up 70mm film at the Century 21 they ruined many prints and the studios did not give him anymore 70mm prints to run for a long time. I remember going to see a 70mm print at the C21 and it was put on backwords. How sad this great Super Cinerama Theatre is still run so bad. They have a long lease on the land worth big bucks along with It’s neighbor the Century 22 3 plex, days of going to a a film on the huge screen are gone in San Jose. The Syufy family was so upset when the Fox West Coast (Mann) people opened another Super Cinerama type curved screen across the street at the Town & Country. If you go see a film at the Dome 21 complain about the light level, talk to the manager if you can find him or her. Get a refund like I did and see a film at a AMC Theatre in the area that has good light level.

terrywade
terrywade commented about San Francisco's Metro Theater to become gym on Feb 20, 2012 at 4:39 pm

I hope they can keep the inside nice like the gym at the Alhambra. Just take out the seats and keep the walls and stage. Now lets get something going at the Todd Ao Alexandria Theatre

terrywade
terrywade commented about California Theatre on Sep 17, 2011 at 9:33 pm

Someone from the Fox California needs to do some tree trimming out side as the great big vertical neon California sign is blocked by tree limbs and blocked from one side of the street.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Studio Theatre on Sep 17, 2011 at 9:28 pm

Just went into the Studio theatre a few days ago and they have torn out the old lobby walls. Will they wreck the nice front glass boxoffice also and front neon sign? What will the new name be ‘Studio Rocks Downtown’. In the old days people went outside to climb rocks for free, now you have to go indside and pay.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Opera Plaza Cinema on Sep 17, 2011 at 9:03 pm

The Landmark Opera Plaza has a marquee out front on Van Ness but they don’t change the wording ever. Says the same thing every day. You don’t know what’s playing. Probably don’t want to pay the help with a ladder to post the new films playing in the tiny cinemas. Just like Century, Brendan and Regal many theatres don’t bother changing the marquee these days. Maybe If they did some advertising out front people will stop in.

terrywade
terrywade commented about ArcLight expands to SD on Sep 17, 2011 at 8:56 pm

Looks like another shoe box type of multi cinema. With 14 screens and only 1,800 seats total. Hope they have two giant curved screens with at least 550 seats each. The others they can do the tiny 125 seats. I’d be nice if the Pacific Forman brothers put in some curtains that open and close in the large cinemas and bring back some showmwnship to the San Diego area like their dad had many years ago.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Cinerama Film Festival announced on Sep 6, 2011 at 9:24 pm

The Seattle Cinerama louvered screen is way larger then the Hollywood Dome. The Dome took out the louvered Cinerama screen. They will be showing all the 70mm prints in Seattle also on the giant Cinerama louvered screen I checked with the manager Greg about this. Now only if they can get the proper lens to show It’s A Mad Mad World. The big film places have lost the negs & good prints to many of the classic 70mm films to bad.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Regal Simpsonville 14 on Sep 3, 2011 at 3:46 pm

This is the new super screens chains like AMC and Regal charge extra for.They only have slight curve. The only bad part most are set up for a wide 1.85 flat, when they show wide screen Panavision 2.35 no moving masking on the top so you see a white screen at the top and bottom. Regal and AMC plus Cinemark all have them and they are not going to put in any curtains and have some showmanship. This will cost them big bucks. Last year when they put one of these semi large EX screens in at the Cinemark City Centre at Powell and Market in downtown San Francisco they covered up some of the fire exits so they had to re do the whole screen set up and not block the fire doors. The SF fire department was not pleased.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Showcase Theatre on Aug 9, 2011 at 1:06 pm

It’s time to bring back the Burl Theatre to Boulder Creek CA as a second run cinema. This will be Santa Cruz’s first second run theatre if ever opened as a movie place again. Many first run movies just play a short time as the college town nearby of Santa Cruz is under screened. Many art films don’t even play in town. When they converted the Burl they put in a second level floor for a gym long gone, so this will have to torn out to make one large theatre. Good news in the nearby city of Felton CA the Trout Farm Inn has reopened with a nice remodel to the pool and restaurant.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Roxie applies for beer license to stay competitive on Aug 1, 2011 at 12:42 am

I hope the new gang at The Roxie can get out with a tree trim guy and do a cut job on the tree in front, as you can’t see the lower part of the marquee. Plus please turn off the over the head lights above the screen as all the previews have these lights on the screen. Let’s hope they get a full booze permit then I can go and have a tropical Zombie rum drink with crushed ice and watch a old horror film. Bring on the tropical drinks and bring back the little blue lights on the side walls at SF’s Roxie.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Century 21 on Jul 30, 2011 at 12:33 am

They run the film projector bulb so low at the #21 theatre you can’t see the picture in a dark part. No showmanship anymore, Don’t bother to close the drapes. They are trying to save money on new bulbs, that’s why they don’t have 3-D or digital in the #21 Dome Theatre or #22 next door. The Syufy Century brothers still run this place in 2011 and didn’t sell to CineMark. I think they have a long lease on the land under the Domes. Come on guys how about turning up the projection light and bring back the large curved screen. Put in one of the new Imax curved screens or give it a new name like Syufy EX. The larger the better but you need to light It up. Id hate to think what a West Wind Drive In that the Syufys run under this new name. Has anyone gone, is the light good on a outdoor screen. They still run many Drive Inn’s on the West Coast thank god.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Cinelux Scotts Valley Cinema Cafe & Lounge on Jul 30, 2011 at 12:07 am

Sorry I ment to say Paul of Cinelux Theatres the new owner. Gary was with the Scotts Valley when I first started going. I miss the Burl Theatre in Boulder Creek CA and the Drive In they had also in Boulder Creek. Now Santa Cruz has no more outdoor movie theatres.

terrywade
terrywade commented about Cinelux Scotts Valley Cinema Cafe & Lounge on Jul 30, 2011 at 12:01 am

Yes the theatre has been up graded at least 7theatres. The last two for a total of 9 will be remodled this Fall. Paul at CineLux did a great job and put in the first curved screens in Santa Cruz county and D Box in a few cinemas plus 7.1 surround at the Scotts Valley Cinemas. With all new seats, slanted rows, rugs ect It’s a very nice place to see a movie. This is the first theatre I have ever visited that has different lights on the side walls in each auditorium. Now if Gary will only put in blue lights in some of the cinemas or orange, red or green this will make my day. The theatres 5/6 and 7 are the largest. Check them out If you are visiting the Santa Cruz mountains. They are waiting for there 3-D Dolby wash glass system.