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The latest movie theater news and updates
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September 23, 2008
Independents find it tough going
FALMOUTH, MA — A recent article in the Cape Cod Times demonstrated how difficult it is to open and run a small, independent theater these days.
The Falmouth Cinema Pub, using a dinner/cocktails concept, closed in less than 10 months after its owner spent more than $1 million on renovations. The cinema pub was housed in the old Falmouth Mall Cinemas, converting six theaters to three. The place sat 400 and served pizza, burgers, appetizers, beer and wine during the movies. But if failed to attract enough people to make it profitable.
Another nearby cinema on Cape Cod suffered a similar fate. The Buzzards Bay Theater in Bourne took seven years to open and closed just four months later
Its owner spent $165,000 to renovate his theater but it attracted only 3,000 people a month, not the 10,000 he expected, and closed.
You can read more here.
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Movie Souvenir Books
Listed below are five movie souvenir books I have for sale. They are $5.00 each, plus priority shipping.
“Windjammer, a modern adventure in cinemiracle”
“The Story of the Making of Ben Hur”
“Thoroughly Modern Mille”
“Hawaii”
“Spartacus”
The books are in fairly good condition for their age. The “Hawaii” book’s binding is loose. If anyone has any interest or questions contact me at
Thanks, John
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September 22, 2008
Metropolitan Opera broadcasts to digital theaters
The New York Metropolitan Opera will be broadcasting 11 Live in HD video performances this season to more than 800 digital movie theaters in the US, South Amercan and Europe.
The Opening Night Gala broadcast is tonight, September 22 at 6 pm Eastern Pacific Time. (The Pacific Coast is on a tape delay, all other time periods are live.)
This is the third year of HD broadcasts to digital theaters, increasing from eight transmissions last year.
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Newark gets cash to save ailing movie theater
NEWARK, NJ — In an unusual move, the city of Newark, NJ is pledging $650,000 to keep its only downtown movie complex open. Apparently, the six-screen Newark Screens serves a mostly minority audience and is located near several housing projects.
The money will be used to offset losses until a new owner or a new use is found. The theatre closed earlier this month after failing to pay its 30 employees.
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Cinema Documentary help
I am a Student studying Video Production and I’m making a documentary.
My group and I have decided to base our project on the Movie and Cinema industry in the UK. It will be called “Inside Cinema” and it will include the following points;
- Development of Cinema from the 1980s onwards; it will show the cross over to Multiplex style cinemas
- The growth and popularity of Film viewing in the UK and show vox pops from Film watchers
- Interview with a past employee of Warner Brothers in the 1980s
- Montage of Clips from films and locations of cinemas around the country.
- Finally, with the term Credit Crunch being widely used, how is the Cinema/Movie Industry feeling the pinch.
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Old Martin Theater demolished
DOTHAN, AL — The beautiful Martin Theater on Main Street was torn down in late August of 2008 to make way for more downtown parking. How sad.
When I was a child I saw “The Sound of Music” there and also many, many Disney movies. Wonderful memories! Another cinema treasure lost forever!
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September 19, 2008
All About the Orpheum event tomorrow
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation in association with Steve Needleman & The Orpheum Theatre cordially invite you & your Friends To Attend “All About the Orpheum” on Saturday, September 20th, at 10:30 am & 1 pm.
THE EVENT
All About the Orpheum is the first in a series of monthly meetings to be set in historic theatres throughout Southern California. The “All About” meetings support the LAHTF mission to raise awareness and encourage public participation in protecting, preserving, restoring and sustaining Southern California’s historic theatres.SNEAK PREVIEW
The LAHTF will announce a major 2-day Halloween-Day of the Dead Celebration to be set in a historic Broadway theatre. Learn how you can become involved in producing a major celebration for families and those brave enough to attend.Further details at the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.
(Thanks to DClemm for providing the photo.)
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Remembering Cinerama Part III
REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part III: San FranciscoThe following is Part Three of a series of retrospective postings on the revolutionary and historic Cinerama process (and copycat formats such as Cinemiracle and Kinopanorama), which provides a dose of nostalgia for those who experienced it when it was new and highlights the great movie palaces in which these memorable events took place.
Previous entries in the series:
Part I: New York City
Part II: ChicagoAnd now…Part III: San Francisco!
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Orpheum
Premiere: December 25, 1953
Engagement Duration: 84 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: “Something Wonderful in motion picture entertainment! For the first time, a motion picture reaches out to bring you into the story to put you in the picture…with the intensely personal experience of all its excitement and thrills.” -
New development plan announced for Brisbane Regent
BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA — The Brisbane Regent Theatre, a cultural and heritage icon in Brisbane, Australia is in danger of being altered into a corporate enclave with little public access, after 80 yeas of continuous service as a picture palace and cinema complex.
The magnificent gothic foyer and grand entrance lobby from 1929 remain intact and are heritage protected. The later rebuilt cinemas behind are not, even though they contain heritage-style original plaster decorations and artifacts.
On September 10, 2008 the Queensland government announced that the Regent cinema complex will be redeveloped into one 300-seat multiuse cinema and two tiny 60 seat cinemas, a loss of around 1000 seats from what is currently there. These will open only on weekends and public holidays.
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Looking for 450 seats for damaged theatre
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — Our theater was damaged by the severe 2008 floods. The intense flooding submereged not only all of the seats in our house, but also covered our stage.
Our current space has been completely gutted and clean up work is in progress. We have had to move to a temporary location and are looking to acquire 450 seats. Please let me know if anyone out there would be able to help.
~Michael Holmes