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The latest movie theater news and updates
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December 30, 2009
Paris Opera broadcast live to UK cinemas
Similiar to the program currently done by the Met in the United States, the Paris Opera is planning on coming to U.K. cinemas.
Last night, the evening’s performance at the Paris Opéra was transmitted live to some 30 cinemas across the UK — the first of what film company Pathé-UK hopes to build into a series of live screenings of major cultural events. While this year’s similar scheme for theatre has largely been considered a success, I was curious to see if watching dance in a cinema could be a worthy substitute for a live performance. More to the point,who would go to see it?
Read more in the Guardian.
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December 29, 2009
Vancouver’s Pantages in serious danger of demolition
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — After years of planning and advocacy, the Pantages Theatre Arts Society is giving up on its efforts to save the 1907 Pantages Theatre (the first built by Alexander Pantages), citing the lack of support from government agencies. Heritage Vancouver is urging a letter writing campaign to encourage the City Council to take action as no developer proposal to-date will preserve the theater.
A “For Sale” sign has gone up on the Pantages. This is the signal that the current owner has been unable to come to an agreement with the city to restore the theatre after three years of planning and negotiations. Given the nature of Vancouver’s real estate climate and lack of heritage protection, if sold for development, this will likely mean the demolition of the Pantages theatre.
More information in Heritage Vancouver.
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Cities in MI, GA, TX, and MO soon to get new multiplexes
ROYAL OAK, MI — Construction is either underway or shall soon begin on new multiscreen cinemas in four cities around the nation.
Emagine Entertainment has secured approval to launch construction on a new entertainment complex in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak. The project will include a ten-screen cinema, bowling lanes, and other attractions. Approval was delayed especially over parking concerns; parking has been a problem in the city for some time. The complex is expected to open in late November of 2010. Read more in the Detroit News.
Also anticipating a November opening is a new theater close to Peachtree City, GA, about 25 miles south of Atlanta. To be operated by Michigan-based NGC Theaters, the multiplex will have at least ten screens, one of which will be of the company’s Ultra format, measuring 50 ft x 30 ft.
There has not been a theater in Peachtree City since the Westpark Walk Village triplex closed several years ago. More information can be found in theCitizen. -
December 28, 2009
Rialto being converted to a mixed-use venue
EL DORADO, AR — The Rialto Theater is being converted in three phases into a venue for a variety of entertainment. Although the capability to show films (digitally) will eventually be part of the mix, the theater will also feature live performances. Opened in 1929, the theater was later converted to a triplex.
Phase one of a three-phase program to renovate the Rialto Theater in downtown El Dorado is complete, according to a news release issued Tuesday by Corinne Management, LLC, which operates the facility.
The theater closed two years ago after being in operation for almost 90 years, and a three-stage plan has been put together to bring the venue back to life, the release said.
More information in theEl Dorado News.
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Nearly 500 theaters to screen HD telecast of “Prairie Home Companion” in February
ST. PAUL, MN — Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” will be presented in HD in 490 theaters on February 4, with an encore performance on February 9. The telecast will be shown live from the stage of Fitzgerald Theater in the Eastern and Central time zones, and on a delayed basis in the other U.S. zones.
Presented by NCM Fathom, Prairie Home Productions, American Public Media and BY Experience, Inc., A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor —– LIVE in HD! will feature several special guests, as well as regular show performers including actors Sue Scott and Tim Russell, sound-effects wizards Tom Keith and Fred Newman and the “Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band” led by keyboardist, composer and arranger Richard Dworsky, guitarist Pat Donohue, percussionist Peter Johnson and bassist Gary Raynor.
A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor —– LIVE in HD! appears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in 490 select movie theaters, including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Georgia Theatre Co., Goodrich Quality Theaters, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Malco Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as Bainbridge 5 (Seattle, WA), The Carolina (Asheville, NC), The Grand Theatre (Bismarck, ND), Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT), Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA) and the State Theatre (Traverse City, MI), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network —– North America’s largest cinema broadcast network. Several independent venues and performing arts centers will also participate in the event.
More information can be found in the Business Wire
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December 24, 2009
Remembering Cinerama (Part 45: Las Vegas)
REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part 45: Las VegasThe following is Part Forty-Five in a series of retrospectives on Cinerama, the legendary motion picture process that kicked off the widescreen revolution. The series focuses on providing a market-by-market historical record of when and where Cinerama and its multi-panel clones were exhibited. The easy-to-reference articles serve to provide nostalgia to those who experienced the Cinerama presentations when they were new and to highlight the movie palaces in which the memorable screenings took place.
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 32: Kansas City
Part 33: Milwaukee
Part 34: Nanuet/Rockland County
Part 35: Denver
Part 36: Worcester
Part 37: Toledo
Part 38: St. Louis
Part 39: Tampa
Part 40: Calgary
Part 41: Hartford
Part 42: Albany
Part 43: New Haven
Part 44: SacramentoAnd now…Part 45: Cinerama Presentations in Las Vegas, Nevada!
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Granada Theater will be razed soon
BEAVER FALLS, PA — The last classic movie house in Beaver County, the Granada, is being demolished. Opened in 1911 as the Colonial, the theater had deteriorated beyond the point of reuse or renovation according to city spokesmen.
“We’ve had people say, ‘Oh my goodness I hate to see it go,’ but it is in such bad shape on the inside you could never really remodel it,” Beaver Falls City Administrator Steve Johnson said Thursday. “It would be cheaper to build a new building.”
Unis Demolition of Aliquippa this week erected a temporary barricade around the theater and restaurant, 1121-1125 Seventh Ave. A Castlebrook representative said demolition should start on Dec. 30.
More information here in the Times Online.
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Rave Cinemas, LLC announces definitive agreements to purchase up to 40 theaters
DALLAS, TX — Rave Cinemas, LLC (“Rave”), a newly-formed company, announced that earlier this month it reached a definitive agreement with National Amusements, Inc. (“NAI”) to purchase the business operations and selected real estate assets of up to 35 NAI theaters and that it closed on the acquisition of an initial group of 29 of those theaters. Concurrently, the company acquired the business operations of four theaters from Boston Ventures-owned Rave Reviews Cinemas, L.L.C. (“RRC”), together with RRC’s corporate infrastructure and the Rave Motion Pictures brand. RRC will retain 21 of its existing theaters, which will be managed by Rave under a management services agreement. The day-to-day business and operations of Rave will be managed by RRC’s former management team, which partnered with equity sponsor TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P. (“TowerBrook”) and co-investors Lambert Media Group (“Lambert Media”) and Charles B. Moss, Jr. to found Rave and pursue the NAI and RRC acquisitions.
Following the close of the acquisitions, Rave, which will operate under the Rave Motion Pictures brand name, anticipates it will own or manage 65 theaters and approximately 1,000 screens located in 20 states across the country and will have a presence in seven of the top ten Designated Market Areas (DMAs) in the country. Rave is expected to become the fifth largest domestic circuit by box office gross and number of screens.
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New multiplex opening in Chicago’s South Loop area
CHICAGO, IL — With the cinemas planned for the Block 37 project up in the air, the opening of the sixteen-screen Showplace ICON theater at Roosevelt Place will be welcome news to those who had been looking forward to having more movie choices in downtown Chicago. Located at Clark and Roosevelt, the screen all have stadium seating. There is a cocktail bar in the lobby and a VIP screening room.
More in Chicago Now.
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Plaza theater for sale
BURLINGTON, KS —The Plaza Theater is currently used as a live entertainment venue, but could easily be converted back to a movie theater. Price is negotiable depending what equipment you would take with the building.
If you are interested, let’s talk. I would like to sell.
785-248-1143