Ziegfeld Theatre
141 West 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
141 West 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
104 people
favorited this theater
Showing 126 - 150 of 3,892 comments found
Hello Again-
as Al A. states i guess i didn’t phrase the question correctly. i suppose i should have said what was the last exclusive 1st run engagement that the Ziegfeld had of a new film. the last exclusive engagement i can think of off the top of my head was the Harris/ Katz restoration of “Vertigo” Oct. 1996. but that was a re-issue not a new film.
I think he is asking the wrong question anyway.
There is no such thing as an “open ended engagement”. If the film is overselling, the distributor can open additional runs since they own the rights and the Ziegfeld can either pull it or play with other runs. The days of exclusive roadshow runs operated that way because the distributors wanted to create that exclusivity, not because the theatre had a contract. Oscars, financing issues, reviews and audience apathy trump any contract, and always have.
You know bigjoe59, you could do the work yourself – and let all of us know. As far as I know, just about every local library has the New York Times going back a number of years – and if you can’t get out – it is online through most local libraries.
Hello To All-
all the talk about the Ziegfeld having the chance to host an exclusive open ended engagement of a new film raises a pertinent question- i am not talking about the special exclusive two week engagements before they opened wide of “The Princess and the Frog” or “Dreamgirls”. what was the last film for which the Ziegfeld hosted an exclusive 1st run opened ended engagement?
It’s not enough that the movie be new. The movie must be good to get audiences. I had no desire to see Life of Pi. However, I will be there to see Les Miserables just as I was to see Hairspray, Chicago and Dreamgirls when they played here.
Les Miserables is set to open wide. And even with the Oscar buzz, it simply looks like another Phantom of the Opera (also, will the musical crowd go for one shot on handhelds?).
If Les Miserables is going to be exclusive at the Ziegfeld, like Chicago and Dreamgirls were a few years ago, there will be lots of full houses.
I agree markp. The only times when the ziegfeld gets crowded are the movie premieres usually covered by the mainstream media. 35 years and one week ago, Close Encounters of the Third Kind had its world premiere in 70mm six track Dolby Stereo, being the first Spielberg film to play there. It was a huge success.
Not to be a kill joy by any means, but mhvbear’s comment is exactly the reason why theatres like the Ziegfeld are in danger of going away forever. Brand new movie, just released a few days ago, and less than 100 people in an 1100+ seat theatre.
Saw ‘Life of Pi’ at the 12:30 PM show at the Ziegfeld on Friday. Less than 100 people were there. The presentation was excellent as I always have experienced there. If the sound of the trailer for ‘Les Miserables’ is any indication how the film will sound at the Ziegfeld it will be very impressive. Great bass that you could almost feel, especially the sound of the waves.
Life of Pi is now playing in 3d. The most recent UFC fight was streamed live via sattelite last week at this theater.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/technical
To my knowledge Lincoln was not filmed in 70MM
Lincoln is only on 35mm and digital.
I heard Steven Spielburg’s LINCOLN will be playing at this theatre. Will this get the 70MM treatment?
I wanted to see if Skyfall was going to be showing at the Ziegfeld, and I am shocked to find out that they won’t be. This marks the first time that a Bond film has not opened at a premiere single screen theater in New York City. The Astor Plaza was Bond central through 2002… Very sad.
Only time will tell of course, but if the current naming system being used by Digiplex holds in the event of an acquisition, the Ziegfield would probably become the Digiplex Ziegfeld on its website, in directories (online and elsewhere), and in advertising, but not with regard to the theater’s external signage.
Probably yes. Currently Argo is playing at the Z. Great movie. What’s the next film to play? BTW, if Digiplex indeed buys Clearview, expect shares of Cablevision to fall like stuttering picture and sound and that of Digiplex to rise….if they buy Clearview will the name change?
70mm is the size of the film, not the size of the screen, which should make for aharper image. I wonder if the distributor is charging the exhibitor extra for the special print.
I don’t know if DigPlex improves theaters apart from digital projection – Clearview is such a mixed bag of good and awful locations. Maybe they could partner up with Bow Tie, who I also think has a likely candidate to take over Clearview and split up the chain accordingly. Alternative content probably would be a benefit for the Ziegfeld which is a premiere house managed by one the worst theatre chains. I do like Bud Mayo’s ideas including his proactive approach to indie films (I’m not sure what the audiences are like for them, but they’re doing it in a low risk way).
Interested to know if the Ziegfeld, or indeed, any other venue screening a 70mm print is ripping off audiences like here in Australia. both Astor theatre in Melbourne and Hayden Orpheum in Sydney charging increased prices for 70mm screenings of The Master. Considering the 70mm is only a 1.85 ratio, no younger audience will even notice a difference. Yes, we used to pay a slight (note: “slight”) increase for 70mm in the past, but at least we got “Roadshow” programming with reserved seating, and all the bells and whistles of true showmanship.
Bloomberg.com is reporting that Digital Cinema Destinations, headed by Bud Mayo, is considering making a bid for the Clearview theaters, especially if a partner can be found. Mayo founded Clearview in 1994, selling it to Cablevision five years later. This article seems to suggest that some locations would be sold off while others would be given digital and other upgrades and that more diversified programming would be offered.
Markp – they did call to apologize today after I submitted a feedback form that appeared in my email this morning. A GM or DM offered free passes (something the manager did not do for those 6 folks that hung around to complain about the light on last night).
I refused to take them up on the offer, telling him that Clearview should be ashamed at their presentation standards circuit-wide – – especially at Kin-Mall and Montclair. I really do hope they are sold to a good exhibitor (in a perfect world they’d be split amongst several good exhibitors whose business models fit each property). Digital in some respects may fix these issues, if they mount a projector and go “boothless” in a few auditoriums that have issues, they can fix the awful keystoning.
Yup. Thats the Clearview I know, (and use to work for).
I saw The Master tonight in 70MM and wish I could say it was an excellent screening – – leave it to Clearview to screw up the premiere movie house in NYC.
They have an anti-piracy system that had malfunctioned, it essentially is a blue searchlight that sits atop the screen, stage right that scans theatre for anyone cam-cordering the film EVERY 2 MINUTES. So every two minutes I was taken out of the immersive experience of 70MM with a blue light in my face for a few seconds. According the manager it was a malfunctioning system, but still – WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS. How often does it shine a blue light in the audience (and it projected it up to the top levels of back of the theatre, like a search light) when it functions correctly. Once is even too often.
Way to prevent piracy – by making the full price experience unwatchable. I will be writing a letter to Clearview’s corporate office and sending a copy to the MPAA.