Pearl Theatre at Avenue North
1600 North Broad Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19121
1600 North Broad Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19121
3 people
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I enjoyed the movie I saw this past weekend. Thankfully, still no stupid preshow commercials/ads, etc.
Tonight, there was a sneak preview of “Transformers” sequel, filmed in Philadelphia:
View link
The wife and I took in a movie at The Pearl this evening. It wasn’t our first trip there, nor will it be our last. It’s comfy, the sound is great, but the ghosts of Nixon, Goldman, Locust, Arcadia, Midtown, Fox, Milgram, Regency, Boyd, Duke and Duchess continue to follow me around. And I agree with robwar1 on the LED billboards outside: yecch!
My only real gripe with The Pearl is that you really can’t see JACK upon entering the auditorium prior to the film’s start. Why is this? Why are the lights dimmed so low that we’re stumbling? Must I become my own usher and bring my own flashlight? EnLIGHTen me!
Last Saturday afternoon, I saw “American Gangster"
There was no preshow, no slides, no trailers (often up to 10 at AMC theaters). The movie was the first presentation on the screen! I thought starting with the movie itself was elegant. The Pearl also employed the usual perfect film projection and surround sound. American Gangster is a very good movie. I didn’t realize until the closing wording that it is a true story (which I confirmed online). After all the credits, there’s another scene.
I saw another movie today. Film projection and digital surround sound are excellent. There was no pre-show.
This great review by Inga Saffron about the all new Pearl Theatre @ Avenue North appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer for Friday, January 5, 2007:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/16386709.htm
The billboard outside of the Pearl Theater looks like something that should be in an airport or a bus station. The red luminated board is difficult to read and looks cluttered.
I visited the new Pearl Theater last night and realize it’s less than a block away from the home of Siegmund Lubin, the pioneering filmmaker who made films in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Lubin, who was an optician and master of lenses, became an important rival of Thomas Edison. The home at 15th and Oxford was recently renovated and now has apartments for Temple University students. According to Joseph Eckhardt’s book, the Lubin home was also used as a set and studio for some of Lubin studio films.
The neighborhood is also the current home of filmmaker Lou Massiah, who won a MacArthur “genius” award for his work. Massiah started the Scribe Center in West Philadelphia and also makes documentary films. So, I guess the Oxford Street location of the new Pearl has quite a movie pedigree.
Many thanks to Mr. Haas for creating a new Cinema Treasures page specific to the all new Pearl Theatre, North Philadelphia’s first in approximately 40 years, and named in honor of the former Pearl Theatre which was located on Ridge Avenue (/theaters/9485_0_2_0_C/)
Given its choice location alongside a major Philadelphia thoroughfare, and near to Temple University as well as several major Philadelphia residential neighborhoods, it is expected that this all new Philadelphia theater will fare especially well in the weeks and months and years ahead.
The slanted ceilings are also found into the Men’s restroom. The sink is a long communal trough like metal shelf, with spigots.
Before the Saturday afternoon matinee began, there were no slides (fine with me) but also no music. Four or five movie previews preceded the movie. Thankfully, there were no commercials in the pre-show.