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The latest movie theater news and updates
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June 3, 2009
Vassar Theatre voted Mid-Michigan’s Best Movie Theatre
VASSAR, MI — In a poll conducted by the local NBC affiliate, the Vassar Theatre was voted “Mid-Michigan’s Best Movie Theatre”.
The theatre, which opened in 1937, finished first in a field of seven mid-Michigan theatres that received 2,240 total votes. The Vassar Theatre was the only classic single-screen theatre competing against newer multiplexes including a twenty-screen IMAX. The Vassar Theatre also received 189 reviews, more than any other business in 63 categories. All but one review was accompanied by the highest-possible five-star rating. Numerous accolades were also bestowed on the theatre’s popcorn, one user proclaiming it the “best popcorn in the world.”
Many comments praised the staff and owner Tim O'Brien’s skillful renovation of the classic art deco theatre. O'Brien invested 13 years and over $500,000 into the project. The Vassar Theatre combines the notalgic look and feel of art deco theatres with the modern quality of professional 35mm film projection and Dolby Digital sound.
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Closing credits for drive-in theater?
HARRIMAN, TN — A number of factors cam together to provide little business lately for the Midtown Drive-In. Could the poor attendance lead to the theatre’s closing soon?
Manager Charli Michaels say it’s likely a combination of the economy, the weather, and the perception of Roane County since the TVA ash spill.
The theater has entertained movie fans from through 1950s to the 1970s. It reopened in mid 1990s.
Michaels says the crowds been as slim as about 100 people one night two weeks ago.
Read the full story at Volunteer TV.
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June 2, 2009
Connecticut Film Festival - “Thought Provoking and Daring”
The Connecticut Film Festival, now in its fifth year, has tripled their program offerings this year as they present over 260 + events, to be held June 2-7 at many venues in downtown Danbury. There will be over 130 independent films, 100 workshops, 70 bands and countless industry events and parties.
New this year is an all original music component, of 70 local, regional and national acts at several indoor and outdoor venues, both free and paid. A film festival first for any festival in the nation; a 5-day Screenwriters Immersion Program, co-sponsored by the Writers Guild of America-East (WGA) and featuring a Master Class with Hollywood Screenwriter, James V. Hart (August Rush, Hook). There will be a focus on International Cinematographers, sponsored by the Romanian Cultural Institute, a “24-hour Cup O' Joe" Film Competition, where people of all ages and experience will stick to a city map and make their own 3-minute film in 24 hours, and then watch them all on the big screen.
Once again, the Palace Theater will be presenting films all week (opening and closing nights too!) as well as the Heirloom Arts Theater (nee Empress Ballroom) which is the stagehouse of the former theater and is still a music venue.
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National Amusements UK for sale
The three major cinema chains in the UK have submitted first round bids for National Amusement’s Showcase Cinemas.
The three leading cinema chains in the UK – Odeon, Cineworld and Vue – which control almost three-quarters of the market, have all submitted first round bids for some of the 21 UK cinemas put up for sale by Sumner Redstone, the US media magnate.
An outright purchase by any one of the cinema operators would face thorny UK competition issues but the chains are hoping they can parcel up the assets between them.
Read the full story in the Financial Times.(reg rqr’d)
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Photo Exhibit of Movie Theaters
BROOKLINE, MA — An exhibit titled “Celluloid Dreams – America’s Vanishing Movie Palaces and Drive-In Theaters” featuring the work of photographer Stefanie Klavens opened Monday at The Gallery on the Plaza in Brookline, MA (adjacent to Boston).
The exhibit will run through July 20 and is open Monday – Saturday. The Gallery is located at the intersection of Route 9 and Washington Street, across from the Brookline Village MBTA transit station, and is operated by the New England Institute of Art,
- Ron Salters
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June 1, 2009
Lights may dim at the Varsity Theatre
CHAPEL HILL, NC — With a possible sale around the corner, the future of the Varsity Theatre is in doubt.
Reports are swirling through Chapel Hill and the surrounding community that the iconic Varsity Theater located in Downtown Chapel Hill at 123 East Franklin Street is scheduled to close its doors forever on Thursday,June 4, 2009, leaving Downtown Chapel Hill without a movie house in years. The owner of the Varsity Bruce Stone said Tuesday that “we’re in the process of negotiating a sale” but offered few details about that announcement or whether a failure to sell the theater, which has been a movie going favorite and a historic Chapel Hill landmark for years,would result in its closure.
The Varsity Theatre opened as a single screen theatre during its heyday,but in the early 1980’s the theatre underwent some changes. Construction of the auditorium began in late-1982 when the original auditorium was split in two making a twin cinema. It reopened in 1983 as the Varsity 1 & 2 under new management. The main focus of the Varsity was its showing of a variety of films ranging for independent features,foreign films,documentaries, re-issued classic films, cult movies,not to mention first-run films and second-run features.
Read the full story in the Herald Sun.(reg rqr’d)
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Theater advertisers may consider deal
Consolidation in the theater advertising field could raise antitrust issues.
Two firms, National CineMedia (NCMI) and Screenvision, control the 20 minutes or so before showtime at the vast majority of theaters. But they soon may try to merge, which would raise the curtain on a debate about concentration of power in one of the few resilient media businesses in this miserable economy.
“I’m not sure that (a combination) is possible from an antitrust perspective,” says Lazard Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett. “It would affect some advertisers, studios and independent theater chains that like to play those two (companies) against each other.”
Read the full story in USA Today.
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Oakland’s Parkway Theater may reopen
OAKLAND, CA Accordng to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the currently closed Parkway Theater in Oakland may soon reopen if an offer to the theater’s landlord by a group of midwestern investors is accepted and renovations are made.
The investors are part of an umbrella group of Midwestern movie theater chains called Motion Picture Heritage, based in Indiana and dedicated to preserving independent community movie houses. The Parkway would be its first venue on the West Coast.
“The hopes and aspirations of Americana are not found in multiplexes,” said Motion Picture Heritage manager Bill Dever. “It’s found in places like the Parkway.”
Read the full story in the San Francisco Chronicle.
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May 29, 2009
Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation on Facebook
For everyone who is interested in the LAHTF and the “All About…” series of theatre tours, join us on Facebook.
Or search on “Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.” You’ll find photos from past events, videos, and news on future events.
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DVD downturn panics film industry
A drop in DVD sales is giving industry execs a scare as they contemplate whether they can keep selling the public bad movies.
If box office is booming, why are so many top studio executives brooding about the future of the movie business? Let’s just say that in today’s increasingly complex film world, the cinema gods giveth at almost exactly the same time as they taketh away.
The studio bosses who should be celebrating the unprecedented upswing in moviegoing at theaters — with theater box office up roughly 15% this year — have been getting a big dose of bad news from the other end of the food chain. DVD revenues have cratered in the past six or so months, dropping off (depending upon whose figures you trust) as much as 15% to 18% overall.
What’s really scary for studio executives is that DVD sales, which have traditionally represented the biggest chunk of pure profits in the business, were the real safety net when it came to greenlighting movies. In the past, if you had an action film that made $150 million in domestic theatrical box office, you could relatively accurately predict what that movie would make in DVD sales. But in recent months, studios have been alarmed to discover that there is often a dramatic fluctuation between box-office revenues and DVD performance, with the highest erosion often coming from the highest-grossing films.
Read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.