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The latest movie theater news and updates
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April 30, 2010
Columnist sees recent TCM classic film festival as a model to emulate
LOS ANGELES, CA — Blog writer Steven Zeitchik sees the recent TCM film festival as more than just a retrospective of great films of the past; he thinks that it may serve as a model of how to present cinematic gems on a regular basis in the future all over the country by creating and event-like atmosphere around great films paired with a live element.
The reason it all worked was because the festival took something that’s part of our pop-culture canon and made it fresh. In some cases, these screenings were simply a way of introducing a piece of art or entertainment to a new generation with the extra flourish of a large-scale screening; in other cases, they added something specific to our understanding of the work. (“L.A. Confidential” director Curtis Hanson, for instance, introduced “In a Lonely Place.” Who better to talk about the history of noir than someone who’s made the best modern example of the form?)
The movie business often frets about the relevance of film-going in the YouTube age, when entertainment is disposable, portable and inexpensive to view (read: typically costs nothing). Hollywood has been intent on trying to compete with these many out-of-theater experiences by mounting ever larger spectacles — see under: the 3-D revolution, a particular hobbyhorse for us and others these days. And theater owners, eager for anything that will give them a leg up or stave off obsolescence, have gone along, sometimes grudgingly, sometimes enthusiastically.
But the entertainment world, as it often does, offers another way. And the TCM festival shows us what that way might be — namely, creating a buzz around a screening of a previously released film.
The full article is in the L.A. Times.
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Star Theater in Reedsburg may re-open
REEDSBURG, WI — If a Community Development Block Grant for this city is approved, the re-opening of the Star Theater six-plex will be a top priority for the use of the funds. The theater was closed in 2008 by Kerasotes after sustaining flood damage.
The outcome of the grant will likely decide the immediate future of the theater, which Dougherty said was actually in very good physical shape, but was used for storage by previous owner Kerasotes Showplace Theatres.
“Without the money, the current prospect we’re working with can’t make it go,” Dougherty said, adding later, “Being the eternal optimist that I am, I think by the end of the summer the theater will be open.”
There is more in the Reesburg Times-Press.
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$2 million transforms former Harkins Theater at Paradise Valley Mall in AZ
PHOENIX, AZ — Picture Show Entertainment of Frisco, TX is transforming the space at the Paradise Valley Mall formerly occupied by a ten-screen Harkins Theater. The new $2 million dollar theater will be known as the Picture Show at Paradise Valley and will be open in time for Memorial Day, featuring seven auditoriums, all-digital projection, and 3D capability.
Frisco, Texas-based Picture Show Entertainment said the theater’s nearly $2 million renovation will set it apart from neighboring theaters.
“There are other theaters in the marketplace that have digital capabilities, but this will be an all-digital theater,” said Jeff Stedman, president of The Picture Show. “Some (competitors) are moving in that direction certainly, but there are not a lot of theaters that are already all-digital.”
The full story is in theArizona Republic.
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Gilchrist Theater for sale
GILCHRIST, OR — The Gilchrist Theater built in 1938 in the historic logging town of Gilchrist, Oregon was listed yesterday for sale. All projection equipment, sound and screen still intact. Currently seats 200, but all the seats that were removed from the upper balcony and seats from a remodeled portion are still there (100? more), ready to be put back. Use your creativity to bring this theater back to life.
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April 29, 2010
Clemson mayor wants to see Astro III theater revived
CLEMSON, SC — Clemson’s mayor, Larry Abernathy, is not happy that his college town of 33,000 has been without a movie theater since the Astro III was closed by Carmike in 2008. He wants the city to acquire the deteriorating property with available TIFF and hospitality tax funds and rehab it for movies and other performances. If the current owners, who have rebuffed offers before, won’t sell it, the mayor will launch an effort to being a new cinema to town.
Most of the money the city wants to use to purchase the property — $1 million — comes from TIFF funds, while the balance would come from accommodations taxes and hospitality taxes, Abernathy said.
“That money is supposed to be used to get people to come to Clemson,” he said.
The mayor said he envisions renovating the building and reopening it both as a movie theater and also a space for live performances, such as poetry readings and one-act plays. He said he would like for one of the theater’s screens to be dedicated to art and foreign films.
The full story is at GreenvilleOnline.
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Forum Theatre Arts Center for lease
METUCHEN, NJ — The Forum Theatre is available for a long term lease or sale depending on the offer. It is a 550 seat single screen theatre playing art and independent films located only 45 minutes from NYC in a safe beautiful suburban neighborhood.
Anyone interested should contact me .
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Vintage movie poster of “Jesse James” for sale
The poster is from an old theater in California. It’s mounted and in good shape. Need to sell.
Please call 304-374-0088 or .
Thank you
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April 28, 2010
University of Michigan–Flint continues to eye the Capitol Theatre
FLINT, MI — The University of Michigan—Flint continues to express interest in making the Capitol Theatre the home of its music department. A newly released feasibility study indicates the renovations and restoration of the historic John Eberson designed theater building would cost almost $25 million. That is at least $14 million less than new construction. The project would further enhance redevelopment efforts downtown and would bring the university even closer to downtown. The theater is located two blocks from campus.
“I see this project as an attractive one that needs to be weighed against other institutional priorities,” UM-Flint’s dean of the college of arts and sciences, DJ Trela, said about moving the university’s music school into the 30,000-square-foot vintage building, which has been in the midst of restoration efforts for years.
“I still believe this would be a great asset for the community and a wonderful project that would help move our music department to the next level. However, $25 million is a lot of money.”
Further details can be found in the Flint Journal.
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French slideshow of shuttered NY treasures
Can’t say I know French, but the pictures in this slideshow from Le Monde do a lot of talking. Check it out.
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Please visit my new movie blog
www.mymoviesmywords.blogspot.com
To know me is to know that I generally am not the blog or open web forum discussion type (this great website being the exception!). But I love movies (hate going!) and I love to write. So I decided that my own blog would be the best way to entertain both leisures.
Now I realize movie blogs are a dime-a-dozen all over the web. What I hope will make mine a little different is that I propose to watch every film in my collection (over 700 titles!) in their alphabetical order (from Abbott to Z) and then proceed NOT to write so much as a formal review (that is best left to professional film journalists), but rather to share my thoughts, my feelings, my memories and my favorite line or dialogue from the film.