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The latest movie theater news and updates
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August 4, 2009
Redstone sees substantial interest in theaters
Sumner Redstone claims getting rid or National Amusements may be easier than many thought.
“We are extremely pleased with the progress we are making,” Redstone, 86, said today on a conference call to discuss New York-based Viacom’s second-quarter earnings.
National Amusements has been seeking a buyer for part of its 1,500-screen theater chain since reaching agreements in February to extend the maturity of $1.46 billion in debt, which is secured on assets including CBS and Viacom shares. A sale would help Redstone meet payments due this year and in 2010, and may avoid further sales of Viacom and CBS shares.
Read the full story at Bloomberg.
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Marcus Loew bronze plaque for sale
I’ve decided to list a vintage Marcus Loew bronze plaque on eBay with a start price of $1200. This is one of 144+ plaques installed in every Loew movie palace in the US in 1929. It’s in excellent condition and has an estimated replacement value of $1350 (if it were recreated today).
eBay item number 290335631653
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August 3, 2009
Reverand Ike of the church at Loews 175th, has died
NEW YORK, NY — Reverend Ike, who preached at the former Loews 175th movie palace has passed away. He had lived in LA since a 2007 stroke. May movie palace fans in Heaven thank him for his work preserving the Loews and his welcome to all who wished to visit.
Two years later, still dissatisfied, he moved to New York City, setting up shop in an old Harlem movie theater, the Sunset, on 125th Street, with a marquee so narrow that it forced him to shorten his name to “Rev. Ike.” There he tinkered with his act, polishing his patter, introducing radio broadcasts and taking his show on the road.
He began to refine his message to attract a more striving, stable, middle-class audience, people who wanted to hear that their hard work should be rewarded here and now. To this end, in 1969, he paid more than half a million dollars for the old Loew’s 175th Street movie theater and made it his headquarters, calling it the Palace Cathedral. In his book “On Broadway: A Journey Uptown Over Time,” David W. Dunlap, a reporter for The New York Times, described the former theater as “Byzantine-Romanesque-Indo-Hindu-Sino-Moorish-Persian-Eclectic-Rococo-Deco style.”
Read the full story in the New York Times.
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Mann Festival closes
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Times discusses the quickly fading theaters of Westwood, as the Mann Festival closed Thursday.
Moviegoers in the 1960s and ‘70s flocked to Westwood Village, where they had their pick of first-run films on nearly 20 screens. With parking scarce, patrons stashed their cars at the Federal Building on Wilshire Boulevard and took shuttles into the village. A-list celebrities turned out for frequent splashy openings.
The occasional premiere still brings red carpets and klieg lights, but the neighborhood near UCLA is no longer the movie hub it once was. Nearby multiplexes have lured away most of the crowds, who favor comfortable stadium seating, state-of-the-art sound systems and other modern amenities.
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Hollywood studios, yesterday and today - What happened?
As we are knee deep in yet another summer of pointless and mindless sequel and remake blockbusters, I cannot help but think back to last summer of 2008 when I was absolutely shocked to find that I not only went to the neighborhood movie theater to see “The Dark Knight”, but that I also absolutely loved, loved, loved it! Anyway, it got me thinking about how major studios have chosen to take a cowardly route towards promoting adventurous material the past few decades.
But in looking back at the last 30 years, there are four (4) films in particular that I’d like to take a look at which, by today’s standards of movie making and marketing, would likely have NEVER been released by a major Hollywood Studio.
- Breaking Away (Twentieth Century Fox,July 1979) – There is very good chance that if there had not previously been two “Rocky” films already, this simple, yet inspiring sports drama about four simple Indiana boys who look to gain respect and dignity through bicycle riding might never have seen the light of the big screen. But 30 years ago this summer, this Oscar-winning tale embraced our hearts and we cheered for the simple, Italian-wanna-be who rode his bicycle to victory. It starred four virtual nobodys (Jackie Earle Haley, the possible exception; having done three “Bad News Bears” films) and Fox was willing to put its faith (and balls) behind the project. Good for them!
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August 1, 2009
Hollywood Theater reopens
DORMONT, PA — Stop out on Saturday August 1st at 6 PM for the Grand Reopening of the Hollywood Theatre! There will be a ribbon cutting, cake, and a special appearance by B Movie Director Jim Wynorski. Mr. Wynorski will be presented a Citation from Pennsylvania,celebrating his work, stating Saturday B Movie Night in Dormont. He will then introduce his classic film “Chopping Mall”.
Check out the Hollywood Theater website for the August schedule. It includes everything from Jerry Lewis to John Wayne to Quentin Tarantino’s latest film! And check out the Facebook Page The Hollywood Theater for more pictures and stories.
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July 31, 2009
Cinema Treasures makes appearance in web comic
Not exactly something I saw coming, but Cinema Treasures showed up in a web comic, Multiplex.
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Theatre Historical Society 2009 Awards announced!
THS enjoyed a wildly successful successful conclave covering Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wilmington (DE) and various other NE Pennsylvania locations.
Our visits to the Senator Theatre in Baltimore and the Boyd in Philadelphia, in particular, generated a great deal of press coverage for those embattled theaters.
As we do every year, THS awards recognized various individuals:
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Charleston Film Festival 2010
CHARLESTON, SC — The Terrace Theater has announced dates of the Charleston Film Festival which will run from March 11th through March 14th.
The festival will also use downtown’s new Terrace Hippodrome.
The press release had this to add:
The festival will have a new focus on local and regional films as well as films from around the nation. The after parties will be open this year to all film goers(complimentary) with a valid ticket stub.
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Cameron, Jackson discuss future of film
James Cameron and Peter Jackson recently expressed their views on the future of film and film exhibition as part of a panel at a recent convention in San Diego. Both are very enthusiastic about 3-D (Cameron plans to convert “Titanic” to 3-D and Jackson will convert his “Rings” trilogy to the process). However both emphasized that 3-D or advanced special effects alone will not help keep people going out to the movies if the films lack good stories and effective characterizations.
“There will be a lot more 3-D screens when they know the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films are going to be available,” Cameron said.
The movie industry needs 3-D, he said, to inspire originality and boost its bottom line. A “3-D ecosystem” could be built on big films converting to the format.
Read more here at CBS News.