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
-
June 16, 2009
New young owner to head up Westwood Plaza Theater
JOHNSTOWN, PA — Only 23 but a veteran of the industry, Blake Feegle is taking over the Westwood Plaza Theater & Cafe.
Blake Fleegle has held just about every job a movie theater has to offer: Usher, cashier, projectionist and concession worker.
Now, he can add a new title to his cinematic resume: Owner.
At the tender age of 23, the Somerset resident has purchased the Westwood Plaza Theatre & Cafe in Lower Yoder Township.
Read the full story in the Tribune Democrat.
4 comments -
Motion Picture Heritage seeks community partners
Motion Picture Heritage Corporation is committed to working with community centric theaters to bring them to their full potential. Our goal is to revitalize, rehabilitate and operate classic motion picture venues in conjunction with community activists.
We also distribute commercially viable, mass market film content.
Please contact if interested.
-
June 15, 2009
Strand Theatre renovation gets environmentally friendly plaster walls
MARIETTA, GA — After opening late last year following an extensive renovation, the Earl Smith Strand Theatre recently got some finishing touches to its lobby.
Within two weeks, the painted walls of the two-tiered lobby were enhanced by the installation of American Clay Natural Earth Plasters, which contain no volatile organic compounds and help regulate humidity.
The design work, materials and labor for the 3,500-square foot project were donated by Tuscan Impressions, an Atlanta design and plaster veneer company specializing in sustainable building materials.
“You have no idea how impressed and excited our guests are when they enter the theatre and see the transformation,” said Strand Executive Director Earl Reece.
-
Shuttered Mill Avenue theater reborn
TEMPE, AZ — The former Harkins Centerpoint Theatre is seeing new life as a performance venue.
Now called MADCAP Theaters, the old movie house has been remodeled as a venue for live music, film screenings, stage performances, lectures and art exhibits.
“Our main goal is to take an asset we already have in this great building and repurpose it to bring a fresh, exciting vibe back to the Centerpoint courtyard area,” says Casaundra Brown, spokeswoman for the Downtown Tempe Community, the partnership of Mill Avenue District merchants and community leaders who, along with sponsors like Pepsi and Sitewire, got the project off the ground.
Read more in the East Valley Tribune.
-
Monogram wants to work with independent theaters
Theatre owners face mounting pressures from several different directions. Independent theater owners are facing issues that they have never faced before. Now, theatres are being asked to invest in digital systems to accommodate a new standard set by the studios, DCI .
The initial costs for converting theaters to digital are high: up to $150,000 per screen or more. While a theater can purchase a film projector for US$50,000 and expect an average life of 30-40 years, a digital cinema playback system including server/media block/and projector can cost 3-4 times as much, and is at higher risk for component failures and technological obsolescence.
Experience with computer-based media systems show that average economic lifetimes are only on the order of 5 years with some units lasting until about 10 years before they are replaced.
We are offering a distinct product set which can fill your screens and provide a proper film rotation. Monogram wants to help you reach your income potential.
-
June 12, 2009
Imax fans try out enhanced theater experiences at North American theaters
To compete with Imax, some cinema chains are rolling out their own large-format options.
The steady stream of Hollywood films flowing through Imax theaters, combined with the development of a digital projection system, have resulted in a dramatic expansion of Imax’s commercial theater network in the last year. With many of the best locations off-limits due to exclusivity agreements between Imax and customers, some cinema chains have come up with their own large-format-style auditoriums.
Read more in the Wall Street Journal(reg rqr’d).
-
A new twist on outdoor theaters
According to the this article from the Associated Press, a loose network of dedicated motion picture exhibitors is springing up, showing movies outdoors in unusual places. Though the equipment is sometimes rather primitive, these enthusiasts are attempting to recreate the drive-in experience.
Think the only way to see a big-screen movie is while slurping a 64-oz. soft drink, eating a $5 candy bar and shushing the wannabe film critic behind you?
That’s not the case anymore, thanks to people like John Young, creator of the West Chester Guerilla Drive-In and part of a loosely knit network of celluloid renegades resurrecting the drive-in for a new age.
“Nowadays, you push a button and a movie appears,” he said. “There’s fun in the inconvenience of having to get off the couch and go somewhere you might not be familiar with, maybe getting rained on, maybe being cold. It makes it an adventure.”
-
Gentry Cinema for sale
CHECOTAH, OK – The Gentry Cinema is now for sale.
The owners need to sell to meet pressing family needs.
For more information please email at .
-
Twin for sale, price reduced
South Central U.S.
PRICE REDUCED…$375,000
Just opened. Recently twinned and renovated. All new: facade and building exterior, windows and doors, plumbing, restrooms, electrical system, heat and air system and ductwork, fire sprinkler system, insulation in attic and walls, marquee, draperies, screens, sound. Replaced and upgraded projectors and added platters. Installed like-new seats. New concession counter with enough equipment for a small restaurant. Tables and seating for 20 in concession area. Currently have food license. Serving some hot food. Could serve more. Showing first run films. Located in market area of 20,000 people. Competition is over 20 miles away.
Owner is undercapitalized after remodel. Our loss is your gain. $375,000 includes land, building, equipment, and business.
Please email me at .
-
June 11, 2009
Protests as Saudi film is shown in Riyadh
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — After 30 years, people in Saudi Arabia have a chance to go to see a movie.
A few religious hardliners have tried to turn movie-goers away, or to disrupt the performances.
No women were allowed into the performance, which followed similar initiatives in other Saudi cities with more liberal Islamic traditions.
Read more in the BBC News.