Bob, I agree with most of what you’re saying, but the 1.37 is the old academy ratio, right, which is almost square. And the 1.85 is the new “flat” which takes up the full screen. But then when you have the scope ratio of 2.35, you have less height but the same width, which means less screen space.
So, at the Loew’s Jersey, 2.35 is bigger than 1.37, but the 2.35 is smaller than the 1.85.
The only drawback to seeing widescreen pictures at the Jersey is that the actual screen space is smaller than for flat pictures, since they don’t widen the screen for the wider ratio but lower the top masking to get the proper view.
Hre’s the excerpt:
(1936) must have seemed like Champagne â€" first a 200-foot-wide store and theater complex on the west side of Park Avenue, from 53rd to 54th Street (now the site of Lever House). The trim little swank-modern stores had bronze and marble detailing, and the lusciously Art Moderne movie theater, the Normandie, was of sculptured concrete. Eric Gugler and Ben Schlanger also worked on this commission.
And I’m a little worried…AMC has said they want to concentrate on their newer, more comfortable theaters. I wonder what the future holds for this site.
As to The Misfits, besides Gable we also have Marilyn Monroe (her last film, too), Thelma Ritter, Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach. All worth seeing on a big screen.
I’ve seen all the features on the big screen, except Ben-Hur, which I have deliberately avoided on TV and video, just for an occasion like this. I hope it’s not a faded print. Beat-up I could stand, but faded would be hard to watch.
Since it’s for animal love and rescue, I guess they picked movies that address that theme: Dog lovers in Best of Show; Faithful companions in “Old Yeller;” and the issue of hunting wild horses for dog food in “The Misfits.” Seems like a canny (canine?) line-up, and they will be drawing their audiences from a larger pool than mere lovers of the Loews.
As to “Bye Bye Birdie” I saw it at the Chelsea Classics last year with an audience full of anticipation, and I think we mostly agreed that it wasn’t so good. It did have that 11:00 o'clock number (with Ann-Margaret) that lets you leave the theatre feeling good, but it didn’t quite erase the preceding 100 minutes.
I think Bye Bye Birdie is actually kind of dull, except for the va-va-va-voom Ann-Margret numbers at the beginning and the end, which were actually added almost as an afterthought.
Glad to see so many regular contributors adding thrir thoughtful comments here, unlike jnjeisen, who seems to have an agenda, movie theater owner or not. He (she?) hasn’t even commented on one theater at this site. And then uses info from the world net daily, one of the most out-there far right websites, to make his confused points. (Real life and nature itself just aren’t normal enough for him.)
Economically, every theatre that has played BBM has done extrememly well, so jn’s original arguments are a bit weak.
And so what that he loves his gay brother, the loneliest soul in town. Maybe if he did more than just “love” him (love the sinner, hate the sin?) and actually accepted and supported him, perhaps his brother’s self-esteem wouldn’t be so miserable and maybe he could have had a decent life. I know plenty of gay people with loving, supportive family, friends, partners, and yes, children. (And don’t 50% of “straight” marriages end in divorce anyway?)
It seems to me that jn should actually see Brokeback Mountain; it is a heartbreakingly sad indictment of the closet, and how such repression harms not only those in the closet, but the family, friends and loved ones of those suffering people. It truly is an eye-opener.
One last thing: civil rights in this country are not won by opinion polls. If so, we’d still have citizens forced to the back of the bus, women tied to the kitchen, bans on interracial marriage and contraception, and, yes, good men and women forced to deny themselves the right to live and love with those they choose.
And P.S. What theater does jn own? I’d love to visit its page here on Cinema Treasures.
Andreco, I agree with most of your points, but I do wish to point out that the entire Empire Theatre is part of the AMC…facade, lobby and auditorium; the auditorium is now the AMC’s lobby.
I love this effin' theater, 1.37, 1.85 or 2.35. Bring on the classics!
Please post reports about the condition of this week’s features — Ben Hur, Gladiator and Braveheart — but especially about Ben Hur.
Do they run trailers of upcoming features in this festival?
Also, the three week extension is not yet on the website, so we here have an exclusive.
Always wanted to visit this theater.
Craig, you’ve done a great job at Chelsea Classics and it looks like you’re a success here as well. Bravo!
So then it wasn’t the restored print.
The question about the restoration credits remains unanswered: Did the My Fair Lady print now running have the restoration credits at the end?
Bob, I agree with most of what you’re saying, but the 1.37 is the old academy ratio, right, which is almost square. And the 1.85 is the new “flat” which takes up the full screen. But then when you have the scope ratio of 2.35, you have less height but the same width, which means less screen space.
So, at the Loew’s Jersey, 2.35 is bigger than 1.37, but the 2.35 is smaller than the 1.85.
So if they lower the mask for the 2.35 (widescreen presentation) there is less square footage on view, right? which was my point.
The only drawback to seeing widescreen pictures at the Jersey is that the actual screen space is smaller than for flat pictures, since they don’t widen the screen for the wider ratio but lower the top masking to get the proper view.
Ben Hur is the one I want to see; I hope it’s a good print like West Side Story and not a bad one like My Fair Lady.
That’s some doggish lineup at the Ziegfeld in the 90’s. The wind must have been whistling across the empty seats. It’s a wonder it’s still open.
The Normandie is mentioned in the NY Times article about its architect.
View link
Hre’s the excerpt:
(1936) must have seemed like Champagne â€" first a 200-foot-wide store and theater complex on the west side of Park Avenue, from 53rd to 54th Street (now the site of Lever House). The trim little swank-modern stores had bronze and marble detailing, and the lusciously Art Moderne movie theater, the Normandie, was of sculptured concrete. Eric Gugler and Ben Schlanger also worked on this commission.
Century Fantasy
Cineplex Odeon Fantasy
Loews Cineplex Fantasy
AMC Fantasy
Did I miss any?
And I’m a little worried…AMC has said they want to concentrate on their newer, more comfortable theaters. I wonder what the future holds for this site.
>>Do I want Brokeback to fail? I’m not sure. If the general public sees this movie and notices the destructive nature of this lifestyle…
This could only have been written by someone who has not seen the movie and has no idea what it’s really about.
I wonder if this closing has anything to do with AMC taking over Loews as of this past Friday (1/27/06).
As to The Misfits, besides Gable we also have Marilyn Monroe (her last film, too), Thelma Ritter, Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach. All worth seeing on a big screen.
Vincent, you must be waiting for the Music Hall to show it AGAIN, right?
Here’s a direct link to the film festival:
View link
I’ve seen all the features on the big screen, except Ben-Hur, which I have deliberately avoided on TV and video, just for an occasion like this. I hope it’s not a faded print. Beat-up I could stand, but faded would be hard to watch.
Since it’s for animal love and rescue, I guess they picked movies that address that theme: Dog lovers in Best of Show; Faithful companions in “Old Yeller;” and the issue of hunting wild horses for dog food in “The Misfits.” Seems like a canny (canine?) line-up, and they will be drawing their audiences from a larger pool than mere lovers of the Loews.
As to “Bye Bye Birdie” I saw it at the Chelsea Classics last year with an audience full of anticipation, and I think we mostly agreed that it wasn’t so good. It did have that 11:00 o'clock number (with Ann-Margaret) that lets you leave the theatre feeling good, but it didn’t quite erase the preceding 100 minutes.
I think Bye Bye Birdie is actually kind of dull, except for the va-va-va-voom Ann-Margret numbers at the beginning and the end, which were actually added almost as an afterthought.
Here’s the website: http://clearviewcinemas.com/
And holy cow! What a line-up!
The vast majority of the audiences for this film seem to be straight. Economics 101 indeed.
Glad to see so many regular contributors adding thrir thoughtful comments here, unlike jnjeisen, who seems to have an agenda, movie theater owner or not. He (she?) hasn’t even commented on one theater at this site. And then uses info from the world net daily, one of the most out-there far right websites, to make his confused points. (Real life and nature itself just aren’t normal enough for him.)
Economically, every theatre that has played BBM has done extrememly well, so jn’s original arguments are a bit weak.
And so what that he loves his gay brother, the loneliest soul in town. Maybe if he did more than just “love” him (love the sinner, hate the sin?) and actually accepted and supported him, perhaps his brother’s self-esteem wouldn’t be so miserable and maybe he could have had a decent life. I know plenty of gay people with loving, supportive family, friends, partners, and yes, children. (And don’t 50% of “straight” marriages end in divorce anyway?)
It seems to me that jn should actually see Brokeback Mountain; it is a heartbreakingly sad indictment of the closet, and how such repression harms not only those in the closet, but the family, friends and loved ones of those suffering people. It truly is an eye-opener.
One last thing: civil rights in this country are not won by opinion polls. If so, we’d still have citizens forced to the back of the bus, women tied to the kitchen, bans on interracial marriage and contraception, and, yes, good men and women forced to deny themselves the right to live and love with those they choose.
And P.S. What theater does jn own? I’d love to visit its page here on Cinema Treasures.
Andreco, I agree with most of your points, but I do wish to point out that the entire Empire Theatre is part of the AMC…facade, lobby and auditorium; the auditorium is now the AMC’s lobby.
CConnolly, you really have a bug up you ass about this place.