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Theaters
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August 25, 2010
Nokia Theatre, nee Astor Plaza, to be renamed the Best Buy Theatre
NEW YORK, NY — The Nokia Theatre Times Square which, as a movie theater, was known as Loew’s Astor Plaza, will soon be rechristened the Best Buy Theatre. Besides upgrading the interior, the electronics chain will also use it to showcase its products in its lounge and at events according to an article in Broadway World.
A spokesperson from Best Buy said that this will be the company’s first venture into gaining rights for an entertainment venue. Best Buy’s chief marketing officer, Drew Panayiotou says of the venture: “If you’re going to shows, and you’re going to shows in Times Square, then you’re the kind of customer we want to build a relationship with.”
A Nokia spokesperson said that the company wanted to focus on “reaching customers where they consume content, online, as opposed to at a physical venue,” which was part of the reason they didn’t renew the Times Square deal.
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August 24, 2010
Lebowsky Center is enclosed again
OWOSSO, MI — Following a tip from the Owosso Community Players' Facebook page, I stopped at the Lebowsky Center over the weekend to confirm for myself the happy news that the theater is enclosed again. As you can see from the photos, the construction crew was almost finished laying the concrete blocks on the new east wall along Park Street. The next step is the laying of the face brick. Looking at the stage house roof, there is still an obvious hole in the middle waiting for the new smoke doors to be installed.
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August 20, 2010
Gold Class Cinemas takes Dinner-and-Movie to new heights
FAIRVIEW, TX — This article in the Dallas Observer looks at the upscale Gold Class Cinema’s Village at Fairview and whether it’s all worth it.
Thank goodness Gold Class Cinemas doesn’t care. The luxury movie theater chain, which got its start in Australia, freely acknowledges it’s still fun to eat upscale food and be entertained at the same time. The theater isn’t afraid to pound every dopamine receptor, providing its patrons with Jeeves-like service, a lengthy list of big-name West Coast wines and robber baron dishes, including lobster rolls and Waygu burgers.
So is it good? Does it really matter? The food’s good in the same way films like Independence Day and Iron Man are good: It’s silly and extravagant and satisfying. It probably wouldn’t hold up out of context, just as a story about an alien invasion would sound preposterous coming from your neighbor. But within the confines of a 40-seat screening room, lit by Leonardo DiCaprio’s furrowed face, the dishes are rather fabulous.
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Dutch architects propose building revolving outdoor theater
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — For some reason, a Dutch architectural firm has proposed building a revolving outdoor cinema/live performance venue that would presumptively be built at the Amsterdam harbor.
This article in Dvice includes a sketch of the proposed facility.
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August 19, 2010
Cameo Cinema in St. Helena becomes the passion of former Michigander
SAINT HELENA, CA — The ninety-seven-year-old Cameo Cinema may still be showing films when some of today’s multiplexes are long gone, if current co-owner Cathy Buck has anything to sat about it. After adopting St. Helena as her home, she and co-owner Shawn LaRue acquired the theater six years later. She sees to repairs, introduces the films, and even changes the marquee letters.
Buck signs every correspondence and ends phone calls with a cheery “See you at the movies!” Her energy can be seen during a tour of the theater, which can be covered in about 15 paces but is stretched by Buck into 20 history-filled minutes.
Buck sometimes programs 15 or more movies in a month – a mix of art films, 3-D blockbusters, opera transmissions and local events. Teachers from area schools use the film house for educational purposes, and last Memorial Day weekend Buck organized the Cameo’s first Family Film Festival – a four-day fundraiser for local teen centers. Among the programming was 33 short films made by local children and a special faux-Oscar night to celebrate their efforts.
There is more at SFGate.com.
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Freeport may get new theater
FREEPORT, ME — The Town Council here has approved $200,000 in tax-increment financing for Boston-based Berenson Associates which wants build a six-screen theater beneath the L.L. Bean outlet store in Freeport Village Station development. The approval, however, was not unanimous. If built, the theater may be named the Nordica which was the name of a theater in Freeport demolished years ago.
“Some residents felt (the original) amounts were excessive,” said Sande Updegraph, executive director of the Freeport Economic Development Corp.
The cinema complex would occupy space under the L.L. Bean outlet store in Freeport Village Station. Yebba said each theater would have a different seating capacity, with a total capacity of about 760.
The theaters would be operated by Massachusetts-based Belmont Capital, which operates the Windham Five Star Cinema, the Wells Five Star Cinema and Bangor Mall Cinemas under the name Your Neighborhood Theaters.
There is more in the Press-Herald.
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August 18, 2010
One former Spinelli circuit theater reopens; another still seeks buyer
ROCHESTER, NH — When Spinelli Cinemas ceased operations last year, the chain’s four cinemas were put up for sale. One of these, the Lilac Mall Cinema 4 reopened on July 30, now operated by TBA Theatres. The Strand in Dover, which opened in 1925 and which was last operated as a triplex, remains closed though a principal in the realty company that now owns the building may be interested in operating it if another buyer does not step forward.
The future of The Strand, however, remains uncertain. Currently owned by Rose Realty, the Third Street theater has been vacant since last September. Robert DiBerto of Rose Realty said he is still entertaining the options of selling the theater or reopening it himself. DiBerto also owns BarnZ’s Barrington Cinema.
DiBerto said he has been preoccupied with other projects over the last few months but now plans to focus his attention on The Strand. “It’s time to get back on this project and stay focused on it,” he said.
There is more in The Wire.
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August 17, 2010
Seventy-year-old Elk Rapids Cinema celebrates renovations
ELK RAPIDS, MI — When the Elk Rapids Cinema first opened as the State, “Gone with the Wind” and “The Wizard of Oz” were still being talked about as new movies. Now, seventy years later, this small town, single-screen theater is throwing a party to herald its most recent renovations and is also hosting a showing of “West Side Story.”
A party will be held beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, with a special screening of “West Side Story,” followed by a reception at Siren Hall.
Wednesday’s celebration is in collaboration with Art Rapids. Tickets are available at Twisted Fish Gallery, Mullaly’s 128 or at the cinema. Art Rapids board members also have tickets to sell and an order form is available at www.artrapids.org Tickets are $20 per person for the movie and snacks. Tickets for the post-movie reception are $20 per person. Money raised will support Art Rapids scholarships and grants.
There is more in the Record-Eagle.
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August 13, 2010
Bell Forge 10 to become Islamic center
ANTIOCH, TN — The recently closed Carmike Bell Forge 10 has been purchased by the Islamic Center of Tennessee which plans to convert it into a a worship, education, and recreation center. The theater opened in 1985 near the Hickory Hollow Mall as part of the Martin chain with Carmike taking over in 1987.
The $1.5 million transaction was recorded Monday with the Davidson County Register of Deeds. The old Bell Forge Cinemas complex is 45,000-square-feet, and the appraised value of the property is $3.8 million. The Islamic Center has posted a rendering showing its plans for the property.
The full story is in the Nashville Business Journal.
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August 12, 2010
Half of Eastown Theatre building destroyed by fire
DETROIT, MI — A suspected arson fire has destroyed the apartments portion of the long abandoned Eastown Theatre. As a result, what’s left of the building is expected to be torn down. Photos and video of the aftermath can be found from DetroitFunk.com as well as at DetroitFiregroundimages.com
Further details are in the Examiner.After its days as a movie theater ended, the Eastown was best known as a rock concert venue in the 1970s. This is a sad loss for what was once a gorgeous Cinema Treasure serving the east side of Detroit.
UPDATE 8/12: Detroit Free-Press link