Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
The latest movie theater news and updates
-
May 10, 2010
An Evening with Norman Lloyd
Hollywood Heritage Presents
An Evening With Norman Lloyd
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 7:30 PMThe evening will include a screening of the documentary, “Who Is Norman Lloyd?” and a discussion with Mr. Lloyd about his more than 70 years in theater, motion pictures and television, during which he has excelled as actor, director and producer. During his prolific career, he has worked for and with Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Renoir, John Houseman and many others. Actor, director and producer Norman Lloyd began in amateur vaudeville as a boy, studied with Eva Le Gallienne and landed on Broadway in 1935. He joined Orson Welles' Mercury Theater in 1937 in “Julius Caesar,” scoring a hit as Cinna, the Poet. In Hollywood he played the title role in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Saboteur” (1942), appeared in Jean Renoir’s “The Southerner” (1945) and in Chaplin’s final American film, “Limelight,” in 1952. He became a close friend and tennis partner of Chaplin and worked with Lewis Milestone and John Houseman. He also produced the American stage premiere of Berthold Brecht’s “Galileo,” starring Charles Laughton. He was associate producer of 171 episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” from 1957 to 1962; executive producer of 44 episodes of
“The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” 1963-65, and producer of 18 during the same span. For eight years and in 132 episodes he played Dr. Daniel Auschlander on television’s “St. Elsewhere.”1 comment -
Regal Theater restoration project Cinci Ohio
CINCINNATI, OH — My name is Chris Randolph and I represent Dixon Edwards the former NFL player (Dallas Cowboys 3X Superbowl champion) who owns the Regal Theater.
We are currently pursuing enthusiasts, voulunteers, fundraising, advice and moral support for the restoration of this historical building. Dixon’s vision is to restore the property to its original beauty.
Would love to communicate with anyone who has any recommendations .
Christopher Randolph
512-947-0051
-
May 7, 2010
Santa Barbara Drive-In reopens tonight
GOLETA, CA — After nearly 20 years dark, tonight the Santa Barbara Drive-In will be opening its remaining screen to show “Iron Man 2” with showtimes at 8:00pm and 10:25pm. Come early for the 8pm show as it will definitely be crowded, gates will open between 6-6:30pm depending on lines. Various films to show throughout the summer season.
General Admission is $6.75 and children 5-11 are only $1. CASH ONLY.
-
Board votes demolish Atlantic Theater in Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CA — The city’s Redevelopment Agency Board voted 4-0 to demolish the Atlantic Theater designed by the Boller Brothers and opened in 1941. One board member abstained as he was actively involved in efforts to save the theater. Its distinctive tower, terrazzo, and a fountain will be salvaged for later reuse.
The board, citing potential safety concerns, voted 4-0 to demolish most of the property but to save the iconic RKO-style tower, the terrazzo floors, the tile surrounding a water fountain and tiles from the building’s facade.
The removal of the theater makes way for a new library/community center in the long-awaited North Village Center, a 6.3-acre project along Atlantic Avenue between 56th and 59th streets that also will feature housing and retail.
There is more in the Press-Telegram.
-
Local community moves to keep the Milwaukee’s Modjeska operating
MILWAUKEE, WI — The 1924 Rapp & Rapp-designed Modjeska Theater is in need of helping hands and the community is responding. Most recently home to a now-defunct youth theater, community leaders are looking for ways to keep the theater going, including possibly a return to the showing of motion pictures.
“Unfortunately, over the years, revenue from ticket sales, donations and grants has not been enough to meet rising operations and building expenses,” the theater board said in a statement that announced its closing.
“We just couldn’t keep operating in this economic climate,” said Michael Dwyer, vice president of the youth theater board. “We had an operating deficit and no confidence we could raise enough money to both meet the deficit and continue to put on productions.”
The full story is in the Journal Sentinel.
-
L.A. visit advice
Need your help. What is the definitive itinerary for two movie freaks (especially vintage) visiting L.A. in September? What theaters, museums, locations must we see. Websites to visit, anything.
Thanks
-
May 6, 2010
Fire damages Peterborough theater
PETERBOROUGH, NH — Opened in 1914 as the Gem, the Peterborough Community Theater was damaged by fire on April 30. Firefighters were able to limit the damage.
Friday night, movie and restaurant patrons evacuated onto School Street after people inside the Peterborough Community Theatre Building spotted a fire. Officials said the fire may have started in a ceiling fan, which authorities will continue to investigate Saturday.
“We were in the movie, almost all the way through, and we said, ‘It smelled like smoke,’ and we thought it was just part of the movie. Then, we heard the alarms going off, and we thought that was part of the movie also,” said an evacuated movie patron.
There is more detail in WMUR.
-
CT Film Festival 2010 - May 4-9
DANBURY, CT — The CT Film Festival is now in its sixth year of programming and is now in full flight from May 4-9 at various venues in downtown Danbury. All of the programming revolves around the CT Film Tax Credit, the most competitive film tax credit in the country. Once again, CTFF will include The Palace Theater which opened for CTFF 3 years ago and recently started creating and promoting local music concerts pre-CTFF. We wish them well.
This year CTFF showcases 115 films in 13 competing categories, 100 educational workshops, The CT Student Film Festival (produced by the Education Connection), 80 original bands and 5 afterparties. The Writers Guild of America is also aiding with our “Writers Immersion Program/Writes Unblocked”. We are bringing back our 24-Film Competition where filmmakers must make an entire 3-minute film within a mile of Downtown Danbury with certain mandatory keywords to be mentioned.
Film Education Workshops and panels will span Filmmakers Production, New Filmmakers, Producers and Screenwriters. Digital and New Media workshops, panels and Keynotes deal with Free and Open Source Software, Animation, Advocacy, Social Media and Music.
-
Roger Ebert not bullish on 3-D
In a recent opinion piece written for Newsweek magazine, critic Roger Ebert offers nine reasons why he is less than enthusiastic about the current resurgence of 3-D. While not opposed to 3-D as an option for presenting certain films, he feels 3-D will add nothing to certain kinds of films. Among other minuses, he cites the added admission cost and the pressure on exhibitors to install and present 3-D; he also laments the seemingly imminent demise of analog projection. If Hollywood really is interested in using technology to improve picture quality and audience involvement, he would like to see, instead of universal 3-D, further development of processes such as Showscan and MaxiVision48.
3-D is a waste of a perfectly good dimension. Hollywood’s current crazy stampede toward it is suicidal. It adds nothing essential to the moviegoing experience. For some, it is an annoying distraction. For others, it creates nausea and headaches. It is driven largely to sell expensive projection equipment and add a $5 to $7.50 surcharge on already expensive movie tickets. Its image is noticeably darker than standard 2-D. It is unsuitable for grown-up films of any seriousness. It limits the freedom of directors to make films as they choose. For moviegoers in the PG-13 and R ranges, it only rarely provides an experience worth paying a premium for.
Read the whole article in Newsweek.
-
May 5, 2010
San Bernardino looking for operator for 20 screen multiplex
SAN BERNARDINO, CA — When it opened in 1999, the tax-payer built CinemaStar 20 appeared to be a successful venture, especially in a town with relatively few screens. Located adjacent to the historic California Theater, which is now a performing arts center, it seemed ideally located. But by 2008, the city’s redevelopment agency had taken over the multiplex, CinemaStar was bankrupt, and the theater closed. A recent proposal to renovate and reopen the theater by Maya Cinemas now appears dead, though some other chains may be interested.
The $12 million, 20-screen movie theater — built with taxpayer dollars — today sits empty, surrounded by chain-link fence, its interior gutted on Maya’s promise to rebuild the stadium seating and install new carpeting and a 3-D IMAX screen.
The default is just the latest in a series of unfulfilled promises that began in 1996, when the city signed the original developer, Metropolitan Development, to build the multiplex and restaurants and shops near it.
The full story can be read here in thePress-Enterprise.