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Industry
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November 20, 2007
Things to consider when purchasing a home theatre
Here are some tips from Gizmodo on building that home theatre.
Despite how “affordable” they make this sound, I’m pretty sure the only theatre I’ll be visiting anytime soon will be the one I have to drive to.
What makes home theater projectors so sexy, so compelling and so different from a regular old TV set with its LCD or plasma screen? We’re going to break it down for you, and let you know why it just might be worth it to consider putting together a dedicated home theater room—a temple devoted to the holy projector that makes watching a regular TV show feel just like a trip to a movie theater. The best news is, a ticket to your own home theater is getting to be surprisingly affordable.
Read the full list here at Gizmodo.
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November 14, 2007
The Adventures of George the Projectionist
(Contributed by Tim Higham)
Hi,
I recently completed a movie that was shot (on 16mm and over a period of 5 years) almost entirely at BAFTA headquarters in London (an historic building at 195 Piccadilly and formerly the watercolour artists gallery dating back to c.1830).
I am delighted to tell you that our new feature film DVD is released this week – The Adventures Of George The Projectionist follows the tale of a lonely projectionist and an illegal Russian immigrant whose dreams of stardom become more than just a twinkle in the eye of a crazy Italian film director, with his combined remake of Cinema Paradiso and Pulp Fiction!
Secretly filmed at BAFTA headquarters in London, this exciting new film is available here
“with elements of Truffaut, Godard, and Gerald Thomas!” r.huhndorf
We’re on IMDB
With best wishes,
Tim Higham -
November 13, 2007
Movie ticket prices…good for the box office, bad for moviegoers
By now you have noticed that ticket prices at all theaters, especially newer ones, have increased up to 5% from last year. This as the box office tries to recover from a bad September and October, when Halo 3 and some bad movies were to blame for poor box office and some theater closings. The Ziegfeld Theater is the highest-priced Cinema Treasure and probably the most expensive place to see a movie in the tri-state area. With these higher prices, will you still go out to the movies? I prefer going once or twice every month.
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Live Nation selling Chicago theaters
CHICAGO, IL — Live Nation is selling its interest in historic Chicago theaters including the Palace and the Oriental, for $60 million dollars to Nederlander.
In a statement that accompanied the filing of its third-quarter results, the entertainment company Live Nation said Thursday that it entered into a definitive agreement with entities wholly owned by Nederlander to sell its interest in Broadway in Chicago — and associated ownership of the Oriental — for $60 million.
Broadway in Chicago, which presents Broadway shows like “Jersey Boys” and “Wicked” in Chicago, had been operating as a 50-50 partnership between the Nederlander Organization and Live Nation (once part of Clear Channel Entertainment). However, the ownership of the Loop theaters controlled by the entity remained separate.
You can read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.
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November 9, 2007
Cinebarre turning theater into dining experience
ASHEVILLE, NC — The Cinebarre Biltmore Square opened in June in the former UA Biltmore Square 6 in Asheville. This is a new chain that is going to be what AMC was with the megaplexes many years ago.
This is a whole new concept in movie theatres. There 2nd location is scheduled to open in Charleston, SC. What is unique and different about this theatre is it is not only a theatre, but a restaurant. Cinebarre consists of 5 screens. The 6th screen was turned into a kitchen. The former concession stand has been turned into a bar that serves beer, wine and root beer floats. You still have your regular soft drinks and bottled water.
All theatres have high back seats like you find in the stadium theatres. In each row in front of every seat is a counter. The food is reasonably priced and of high quality. Pizzas are made with fresh ingredients and the burgers are ½ lbs of fresh beef, not frozen patties. After a great dinner, enjoy a bowl of popcorn with real butter. They ask that you arrive 30-45 minutes before show time. In front of each seat is a menu. All you have to do to order is write you order on the white cards and place it standing up. A server will pick up your order and your food arrives hot and tasty within a reasonable amount of time. Even during the show, the staff is trained to pick up orders, deliver food and checks without disturbing patrons.
My only regret is that I waited 5 months to check out this great theatre. To find out more about this great chain go to Cinebarre.
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November 7, 2007
Bollywood chain expansion
With the acquisition of the Texas FunAsia chain, the India-based Pyramid Saimira plans on expanding the operation into even more theaters.
U.S. entertainment companies have been pushing into India to expand into one of the world’s biggest growth markets. Now, at least one firm believes it can grow in the opposite direction thanks to an expanding and affluent North American base of South Asians with an appetite for Bollywood fare.
Chennai, India-based movie theater operator Pyramid Saimira has just created a North American arm to acquire Richardson, Texas-based FunAsia, which operates Bollywood movie theaters in Houston and suburban Dallas, a radio station, as well as banquet halls, dance floors and other entertainment venues for an undisclosed amount of cash.
Read more in the Hollywood Reporter
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October 26, 2007
501 Movies
Barron’s Educational Series, the publisher of the bestselling 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE by Steven Schneider, is pleased to offer you excerpts from its latest film books, 501 MOVIE DIRECTORS and 501 MOVIE STARS, by the same author.
Below you’ll find links to text from these just-published books. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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October 5, 2007
Imax, Regal pact on digital screen
IMAX and Regal have teamed up to open five theaters utilizing new technology that lowers the cost of large format and digital projection.
In a multitheater deal inked Tuesday with Regal Cinemas, Imax will bring its nascent digital projection technology to North America.
Regal and the Toronto-based large-screen format company have entered into a joint venture for five Imax theater systems. Two of them — skedded to be running in Knoxville, Tenn., and Las Vegas by the end of the year — use the company’s MPX technology (which allows multiplexes to enter large-format technology in a cost-effective way), while the other three — in Seattle and two other locations in the western U.S. — will use the company’s digital projection technology, set to go live in late 2008.
You can read the full story in Variety.
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October 1, 2007
British box office booming
With the help of a whole lotta sequels, the U.K. has had a record summer.
Blighty’s wettest summer on record and a flood of popular film sequels combined to deliver the highest level of admissions for the June-August frame in 40 years.
According to the U.K.’s Film Distributors Assn., there were 50.8 million visits to theaters — up 26% on the previous summer, which was hurt by the soccer World Cup.
The admissions figures released today by the FDA follows a Sept. 7 announcement from Nielsen EDI that this past summer’s grosses were the biggest ever in the U.K.
You can read more in Variety.
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September 12, 2007
The inevitable theater comeback
Just when you thought it was safe to forget about those laughable 1950’s theater experiments, Smellovision returns.
Megan Dickerson is reviving the idea of Smellovision — a concept developed 50 years ago that never caught on.
The idea is enhance the viewing experience for an audience by circulating smells that go with what’s happening on the screen.
Dickerson has developed a scent filled show of Willy Wonka, and staged it for hundreds of people in the Boston area.
Read the full story at Eyewitness News WPRI.