And I agree, the Union County Arts Center is another beauty. I remember working there in its last days when it was porno. I have seen the before and after.
You know JackS124, I’m hoping someday my efforts will pay off, but I am trying to get the owners of the Ritz in Elizabeth to put on movie series and other stuff. I know they have completely renovated the entire theatre, now its just a matter of geeting shows and people. I hope this happens, because this is a place that has been saved.
With all due respect longislandmovies, I agree with all your above points, however, maybe on long island the union projectionists would not concede, but here in New Jersey, I know (because it happened where I was working), we kept giving back and giving back, until finally it was almost not worth going to work. And the theatres ended up closing anyway. Over here what killed our downtown palaces was A) shopping malls with theatres, and B) the politicians let all the downtowns go to hell, so no one went anymore. I hate it that all the great places my dad worked in when I was a kid are gone. Only now do people realize this, but as always its to damn late.
Yes JackS124, I would like that too, especially since I was the last union projectionist to work there back in 1983. I have many fond memories of the place. We both have fond memories of another theatre you visited, and I worked at, the old Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret.
This theatre, a single screen its entire life seated 1700 people. In its final years, they showed XXX movies at midnight on Friday & Saturday and the money they made from that paid their expenses for the entire week. The sad thing was, those were the biggest crowds they had all week too.
This theatre has 10 screens. 6 are stadium seating, and the 4 smallest theatres are sloped. Nice size screens in all theatres as well as digital sound. The owner of this theatre once owned a single screen theater by the same name on the other side of town.
The last 2 we are doing in 35MM is Sunday May 4. Singin in the Rain at 2P.M. and Woodstock at 7P.M. They have “Ray” on the 6th of May, but that is DVD and I’m not there for those.
Hey Peter, I guess after that last changeover you could finally sit and enjoy what was left of the movie. I did the same thing last night in Red Bank, after the last reel of “The Big Lebowski” was on. I finally sat and watched. When we do movies down there, the speaker on stage always reminds people to turn the phones off. And last night, with a ¾ full house, not one ring.
Boy, that brand spanking new print of “The Big Lebowski” looked great last night. I was the first to project it, in good old 35MM, I might add (the way it SHOULD be). And the intro by “The Dude” whom the movie was loosely based on was also great. What a fun night. And the sound was awesome.
Just by looking at these bookings, you could see how the movie business was changing in the 80’s. Pictures in the early 80’s were running 19, 20, 21 weeks or more, whereas in the late 80’s, the most you could get was 7 weeks. And you were lucky to get that.
So according to the youtube video, this drive-in is starting out from scratch. A brand spanking new drive-in. Good Luck with it. I wish we could get them back here in jersey, like we did years ago. The only we have is over 2 hours away.
I’m not sure, but is the Fabian in Paterson N.J. still sitting there rotting away? And what about the Montauk in Passaic N.J., another one I think is rotting away as well.
All valid points, Chris, however, over my 33 years as a projectionist, there are many theatres I worked in that suffered the same fate. I wished I could have saved them too. But the sad truth is, in todays world, new is in, old is out. Look what happened in New York City over the years. And like you up in Paramus, down here in Woodbridge, do we really need anymore office buildings, or condo’s? It is sad, because these places they build to watch movies in today are nothing more than ‘sheetrock closets’. No charm, no nothing. As far as saving your tenplex, I think even if you won the mega-millions, you still would be out of luck. Chances are the decision has been made about this buildings fate, good or bad, and its only a matter of time…
Since we can’t post on the “Fair Theatre” site anymore, I thought since this place recently closed, I noticed in todays New York Post, April 12, 2008, that both the Movieland Douglaston is still listed as ‘closed’ and now the Fair Theatre is listed as ‘closed’ also. The last true “grindhouse” within the 5 boroughs is gone, as well as Movieland and Ridgewood. Man they’re dropping like flies.
I’m sorry Howard, but when it comes to Clearview, there’s a nerve that gets pinched every time. As far as Al’s comment, it is that incompetence he speaks of by a rotten few, that ruined the job for people like me. Most of the chains and independents are all sharing the booth these days. You both have to forgive me, but 33 years on the job will do this to a person.
I can’t see how they wouldn’t use union projectionists. Local 306 is one of the last strong projectionists unions. But, given how Jimmy D and his band of pencil pushers got rid of the rest of us, (including myself) I would not put it past them that they tried manager/operator, especially that night the boob manager said the focus was bad because they were projecting reel-to-reel. Give me a break. My 15 year old daughter could have come up with a better excuse, and she knows nothing about projection.
I remember passing this drive-in many times when I would visit my buddy who managed the nearby Mahoning Valley Cinema 8. He told me the place did great business all summer long. Of course that was over 6 years ago, but I hope this place keeps going.
G. Feret, I think they are getting May 22 because many theatres will probably be doing either 8 P.M. or 10 P.M. shows on thursday night. I know the theater I work in will probably get it on 2 screens (both 35MM) and I’m sure if given the oppertunity, the owner will run shows on thursday night. Also, couldn’t agree with you more about Karen Allen. Don’t know why she wasn’t around in #2 or 3.
OK Jon, you got me on at least one point, and when someone is right, I admit being wrong. I have been an IATSE projectionist for almost 33 years now. In all my time, working in grindhouses to multiplexes, I have always, always tried to give 150%. My father, who was IA for 55 years tought me that. The only sad thing was, that even when we started to get those ‘secret shoppers,’ and I would get scores of 96 – 100%, I was still looked at as a liability. My booth was so clean, you could eat off the floor. My projectors always looked like they came out of the crate, day one. My presentations never scratched, or dirty, even as I went from reel-to-reel, to platters. For this, I was told by the last major chain I worked for 4 years ago, that I was a dinosaur. So I guess what I’m saying is that all the good people are gone, replaced by kids and popcorn poppers who don’t know, and don’t care about presentation. (if they even know what it means) Thanks for calling me on that one.
As the article above stated, Spielberg shot the movie on film. He is still of the belief that movies be shot and projected on FILM. He has not, at least for now, embraced this whole digital thing, the way his buddy Lucas did. I give him all the credit one deserves.
Somebody heard you. It is now called the “United Palace” and will show up as such on the recent comments section.
And I agree, the Union County Arts Center is another beauty. I remember working there in its last days when it was porno. I have seen the before and after.
You know JackS124, I’m hoping someday my efforts will pay off, but I am trying to get the owners of the Ritz in Elizabeth to put on movie series and other stuff. I know they have completely renovated the entire theatre, now its just a matter of geeting shows and people. I hope this happens, because this is a place that has been saved.
With all due respect longislandmovies, I agree with all your above points, however, maybe on long island the union projectionists would not concede, but here in New Jersey, I know (because it happened where I was working), we kept giving back and giving back, until finally it was almost not worth going to work. And the theatres ended up closing anyway. Over here what killed our downtown palaces was A) shopping malls with theatres, and B) the politicians let all the downtowns go to hell, so no one went anymore. I hate it that all the great places my dad worked in when I was a kid are gone. Only now do people realize this, but as always its to damn late.
Yes JackS124, I would like that too, especially since I was the last union projectionist to work there back in 1983. I have many fond memories of the place. We both have fond memories of another theatre you visited, and I worked at, the old Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret.
Yes. I believe the owner closed the single in 1994 or 95 and opened the 10-plex in late 2000.
This theatre, a single screen its entire life seated 1700 people. In its final years, they showed XXX movies at midnight on Friday & Saturday and the money they made from that paid their expenses for the entire week. The sad thing was, those were the biggest crowds they had all week too.
This theatre has 10 screens. 6 are stadium seating, and the 4 smallest theatres are sloped. Nice size screens in all theatres as well as digital sound. The owner of this theatre once owned a single screen theater by the same name on the other side of town.
The last 2 we are doing in 35MM is Sunday May 4. Singin in the Rain at 2P.M. and Woodstock at 7P.M. They have “Ray” on the 6th of May, but that is DVD and I’m not there for those.
Hey Peter, I guess after that last changeover you could finally sit and enjoy what was left of the movie. I did the same thing last night in Red Bank, after the last reel of “The Big Lebowski” was on. I finally sat and watched. When we do movies down there, the speaker on stage always reminds people to turn the phones off. And last night, with a ¾ full house, not one ring.
Boy, that brand spanking new print of “The Big Lebowski” looked great last night. I was the first to project it, in good old 35MM, I might add (the way it SHOULD be). And the intro by “The Dude” whom the movie was loosely based on was also great. What a fun night. And the sound was awesome.
Just by looking at these bookings, you could see how the movie business was changing in the 80’s. Pictures in the early 80’s were running 19, 20, 21 weeks or more, whereas in the late 80’s, the most you could get was 7 weeks. And you were lucky to get that.
So according to the youtube video, this drive-in is starting out from scratch. A brand spanking new drive-in. Good Luck with it. I wish we could get them back here in jersey, like we did years ago. The only we have is over 2 hours away.
I’m not sure, but is the Fabian in Paterson N.J. still sitting there rotting away? And what about the Montauk in Passaic N.J., another one I think is rotting away as well.
All valid points, Chris, however, over my 33 years as a projectionist, there are many theatres I worked in that suffered the same fate. I wished I could have saved them too. But the sad truth is, in todays world, new is in, old is out. Look what happened in New York City over the years. And like you up in Paramus, down here in Woodbridge, do we really need anymore office buildings, or condo’s? It is sad, because these places they build to watch movies in today are nothing more than ‘sheetrock closets’. No charm, no nothing. As far as saving your tenplex, I think even if you won the mega-millions, you still would be out of luck. Chances are the decision has been made about this buildings fate, good or bad, and its only a matter of time…
Since we can’t post on the “Fair Theatre” site anymore, I thought since this place recently closed, I noticed in todays New York Post, April 12, 2008, that both the Movieland Douglaston is still listed as ‘closed’ and now the Fair Theatre is listed as ‘closed’ also. The last true “grindhouse” within the 5 boroughs is gone, as well as Movieland and Ridgewood. Man they’re dropping like flies.
What the hell is the world coming to???
I was wondering the same thing. It sounds like he was.
I’m sorry Howard, but when it comes to Clearview, there’s a nerve that gets pinched every time. As far as Al’s comment, it is that incompetence he speaks of by a rotten few, that ruined the job for people like me. Most of the chains and independents are all sharing the booth these days. You both have to forgive me, but 33 years on the job will do this to a person.
I am assuming it was un-triplexed. Also, not showing movies until 2020 would include old time movie festivals as well?
I can’t see how they wouldn’t use union projectionists. Local 306 is one of the last strong projectionists unions. But, given how Jimmy D and his band of pencil pushers got rid of the rest of us, (including myself) I would not put it past them that they tried manager/operator, especially that night the boob manager said the focus was bad because they were projecting reel-to-reel. Give me a break. My 15 year old daughter could have come up with a better excuse, and she knows nothing about projection.
I remember passing this drive-in many times when I would visit my buddy who managed the nearby Mahoning Valley Cinema 8. He told me the place did great business all summer long. Of course that was over 6 years ago, but I hope this place keeps going.
G. Feret, I think they are getting May 22 because many theatres will probably be doing either 8 P.M. or 10 P.M. shows on thursday night. I know the theater I work in will probably get it on 2 screens (both 35MM) and I’m sure if given the oppertunity, the owner will run shows on thursday night. Also, couldn’t agree with you more about Karen Allen. Don’t know why she wasn’t around in #2 or 3.
OK Jon, you got me on at least one point, and when someone is right, I admit being wrong. I have been an IATSE projectionist for almost 33 years now. In all my time, working in grindhouses to multiplexes, I have always, always tried to give 150%. My father, who was IA for 55 years tought me that. The only sad thing was, that even when we started to get those ‘secret shoppers,’ and I would get scores of 96 – 100%, I was still looked at as a liability. My booth was so clean, you could eat off the floor. My projectors always looked like they came out of the crate, day one. My presentations never scratched, or dirty, even as I went from reel-to-reel, to platters. For this, I was told by the last major chain I worked for 4 years ago, that I was a dinosaur. So I guess what I’m saying is that all the good people are gone, replaced by kids and popcorn poppers who don’t know, and don’t care about presentation. (if they even know what it means) Thanks for calling me on that one.
As the article above stated, Spielberg shot the movie on film. He is still of the belief that movies be shot and projected on FILM. He has not, at least for now, embraced this whole digital thing, the way his buddy Lucas did. I give him all the credit one deserves.