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Theaters
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March 17, 2009
Bidders emerge for Senator
BALTIMORE, MD — With a possible foreclosure around the corner, there is talk of who might be the next owner of the Senator Theatre.
James “Buzz” Cusack, who runs the Charles theater with his nephew, John Standiford, said he expected to be among the bidders.
Developer David Cordish, while saying he had no plans to bid on the theater, said he would be interested in operating it as a nonprofit.
Read more in the Baltimore Sun.
Senator stops showing first-run movies. Read more in the Examiner.
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March 16, 2009
Don’t give up on the Colonial Theatre
BLUEFIELD, WV — The Colonial Theatre, 1916 vaudeville palace and silent movie theatre did lose its art deco lobby and marquee as the Matz-Milner hotel came crashing down – but so far it has not destroyed the theatre itself..only the lobby. The theatre is housed in a separate building.
The owner of the Colonial has not given up on trying to save the theatre. We are all holding our breath – waiting to see if the demolition of the remains of the Matz hotel will further damage the Colonial.
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March 13, 2009
Documentary about the oldest movie theatre west of the Mississippi now on DVD
SDI Entertainment proudly presents “Tower of Love”, the story of the Historic Park Theatre and the fight to save it. In this documentary we’re going to take you on a journey, both past and present, through the history of this beautiful movie theatre. Built in 1913, the Historic Park Theatre is oldest operating movie theatre west of the Mississippi and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2006, Tower of Love premiered to packed crowd at the 1st Annual Estes Park Film Festival. A portion of the DVD sales will go to the Park Theatre Preservation Fund which was established by the Estes Park Film Festival (a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic cinematic landmarks thoughout Colorado and the USA).
For more info visit:
(Purchase the “Tower of Love” DVD) Create Space. -
March 12, 2009
Majestic struggles to keep pace
STREATOR, IL — The Majestic Theatre is trying new ways to generate revenue but the local public as well as the times are making it hard to stay afloat.
Kyle Mitchell is struggling to keep the curtain from coming down on Streator’s Majestic Theatre.
“From day one it’s been tough making a go of it,” Mitchell, who runs the theater, said Tuesday in noting the theater was already facing difficulty before the downturn in the nation’s economy.
“January turned out better than a lot of months and February was OK, but March has been weak. We made some changes and the community has responded, which along with a decent flow of films has somewhat been turning things around this year. However, we still have a long way to go.”
Read the full story at the Times.
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March 10, 2009
Movie theater’s ‘secret’ room makes reel magic
NEWTON, KS — The projectionist at the Chisholm Trail 8 recounts his experiences from behind the window.
Matt Neufeld has been a projectionist at the Chisholm Trail 8 for seven years. And in that time, he hasn’t really been able to watch many movies.
“I see them in bits and pieces and piece them together later,” Neufeld said.
Throw out the stereotype — Neufeld doesn’t sit and watch a movie over and over again.
Read more in the Newton Kansan.
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March 9, 2009
10 best movie theaters in America
Ross Melnick of Cinema Treasures & Karen Noonan of Theatre Historical Society advised Moving Pictures magazine on the best ten movie theaters in America.
Last summer, The Dark Knight opened on 4,300 American movie theater screens, approximately 20 percent of the 26,000 screens available in the United States, according to National Association of Theater Owners (NATO). It’s quite possible that you enjoyed the movie’s majestic, panoramic visuals in a theater boasting state-of-the-art projection and sound, but it’s just as likely that you saw the film in a tiny box with a postage stamp-sized screen. Not every silver screen in America is golden, after all. That said, the below-listed screens are among the ten best in the nation, according to Moving Pictures with help from Ross Melnick of Cinema Treasures, a website devoted to classic movie theaters, and Karen Colizzi Noonan, president of Theatre Historical Society of America.
See the list at Moving Pictures.
Also check out a similar piece from Travel and Leisure.
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March 6, 2009
Terrace Theater Charleston wins Best Movie Theater!
CHARLESTON, SC — The Terrace Theater is named Charleston’s best.
Read the blurb at the Charleston City Paper.
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March 4, 2009
Colonial Theater suffers damage
BLUEFIELD, WV — On Friday February 27, 2009, the Colonial Theater was severely damaged due to the collapse of the Matz-Milner Hotel which was adjacent to the theater.
If the theater can be repaired is unknown at this time. The main concern is of course people’s safety in the area. Lots of traffic has been detoured around the area.
When the Hotel collapsed it took a big chunk of the theatre with it. It is a sad day to see such a beautiful structure destroyed.
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3D Projection meets small town cinema
PRYOR, OK — Evolving with the times once again, the Allred Theater is installing 3D projection to continue providing the best movie going experience to its patrons. According to The Daily Times, the local newspaper, “The Allred is the oldest continuously operating theater in the nation that is making this complete transition.”
The first phase of installation will begin March 16th. Gene Oliver, the owner of the Allred, says “The Allred is the first small-town independently owned theater in Green Country to commit to Digital/3D film projection. It also has the highest year to date increases of any theater in Green Country.” (Quote from the Daily Times)
The Allred Theater, in Pryor, Oklahoma, is a 5-screen Art Deco theater built in 1917. The theater is equipped with DTS digital sound throughout.
To see the press realease, visit The Daily Times.
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February 27, 2009
Muvico Thousand Oaks 14 Opens Today
THOUSAND OAKS, CA — Muvico Theaters opened the new all stadium seating, all 4K digital projection, Thousand Oaks 14 theater today. The theater features “Premier” seating and VIP service, a Pepsi Max auditorium, and Bogart’s Bar & Grill featuring American cuisine and a full bar.
For more information, visit the theater online.