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The latest movie theater news and updates
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April 2, 2009
Garden Theatre exterior rendering
WINTER GARDEN, FL — This is a computer generated “painting” of the Garden Theatre on gala opening night as rendered by Jim Lether of Salt Lake City, Utah. The 1935 movie house reopened in 2008 as a performing arts center after the theatre had been closed for more than 40 years. It was restored and is operated by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation.
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Admissions up, concessions down during recession
People may be going to the movies more but they’re buying fewer food items and drinks when there.
In response, theater chains are rolling out “value menus” to combat reluctance at the concession counter. None is doing it as drastically as Carmike Cinemas, which in March introduced Stimulus Tuesdays to its 250 locations, with refreshments at the rock bottom price of $1 each.
Andy DiOrio, AMC’s manager of corporate communications, agrees that value is the key concept this year. Theatergoers are “more value-conscious than ever,” DiOrio says. AMC is offering popcorn, sodas, Icees, bottled water and candy for $3 each or three items for $7.50, with the combo prices available at all times. The circuit also offers discounts on rotating items and loyalty-program discounts.
Read the full story at Variety.
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Chain delivers ‘two-hour vacation’
Despite the recession, Chicago-area chain Classic Cinemas is doing better business.
As the recession worsened late last year, something odd happened at Classic Cinemas: Business begin to pick up in what had been pretty much a flat year for the family-owned movie theater chain, based in Downers Grove.
And for the first three months of this year, attendance has kept climbing — up 11.5 percent compared with the same period last year for Classic, which owns seven movie theaters and leases space running theaters at six other locations from Oak Park to Kankakee.
Read the full story in the Chicago Sun Times.
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April 1, 2009
Remembering Cinerama (Part 25: El Paso)
REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part 25: El PasoThe following is Part Twenty-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, film-by-film, historical record of when and where Cinerama and its multi-panel clones were exhibited. The easy-to-reference articles also 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 events took place.
Part 1: New York
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, D.C.
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: AlbuquerqueAnd now… Part 25: Cinerama Presentations in El Paso, Texas!
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KB Studio 1-2-3, and KB Cinema Movie Theatre alumni (Washington, DC)
A small group of us are trying to assemble a KB theater alumni reunion this Mother’s Day weekend in Washington, DC/Maryland. We have about 6 or 8 former employees but are looking for many more. For us working at the KB theaters in the late 70’s to mid 80’s was the best first job we ever had. A lot of friendships were forged and continue to this day. But we have lost touch with many people and do not know where to find them.
If anyone reading this is a KB Studio or KB Cinema alumni from that period or knows of anyone or has any ideas on how to find them, please contact me at
Thank you!
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Sony to install digital projectors in all AMC theaters
The digital cinema arm of Sony Corporation said last weekend that it will install all existing AMC theater locations with digital projectors starting in Q2 2009.
Sony says it has signed a $315 million deal to install its digital projectors in all AMC Entertainment theaters.
The contract will close the gap between Sony and Texas Instruments in the digital projector market. Texas Instruments has equipped 5,476 screens in North American theaters with its digital light processing projectors. The deal with AMC will increase Sony’s presence to about 5,000 screens.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
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March 31, 2009
Academy Theater prized for price and selection
PASADENA, CA — Here’s some praise from local Pasadena City College for the Academy Cinemas, Regency Theatres' Pasadena discount theatre. Once a single screen gem, it was cut into six screens long ago. While not the most inviting inside these days, the selection and prices are unheard of in the Los Angeles market.
It’s 7 p.m. on a weeknight at Academy Cinemas, the dollar theater five blocks from PCC. Middle-aged hipsters huddle outside discussing the prospective merits of their film choice within earshot of a cardboard cutout of Charlie Chaplin. The Little Tramp purses his lips and stares quizzically, silently inviting patrons to step up and pay their three bucks (two for the matinee).
Walk farther into the theater and you’ll find PCC student Ali Rodriguez, 19, manning a concession stand where hot dogs go for a whopping $1. She’s been working at the Academy after school and on the weekends for four months. It’s a choice job, since it’s long been her favorite movie
Read the full story at the PCC Courier.
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AMC to upgrade several screens for RealD
According to BizJournals, AMC Entertainment plans to upgrade some of its theaters with RealD technology, starting with the release of “Monsters vs. Aliens”.
AMC Entertainment Inc. will add as many as 1,500 of RealD’s 3D-enabled screens to its theaters in the United States and Canada.
Kansas City-based AMC said in a Thursday release that the rollout of the screens already has started and that it is adding more monthly.
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Needles Historic Theatre on RT 66 for sale
NEEDLES, CA — The historic Needles Theatre is up for sale. The marquee has been restored and the restoration on the lobby has begun. We have an existing non profit group raising money for the restoration.
For more information please email me at .
Thank you
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March 30, 2009
National Amusements theater auction sparks interest
Despite the economy and the state of moviegoing, a sale of some National Amusements locations has generated quite a few queries.
Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements has received interest from strategic rivals and private equity firms for its U.S. and U.K. theater chains, two sources with knowledge of the auction said.
Sales books started going out in early March to nearly 60 parties for the U.S. theaters and to about 20 for the U.K. screens, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of the sale have not been made public.
Two separate auctions, likely to help National Amusements pay about half its looming debt obligations, include 54 theaters in the United States and 21 screens in the United Kingdom.
Read the full story at Reuters.