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The latest movie theater news and updates
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July 23, 2008
Work continues on Magic City
MURDO, SD — Following the initial report, a local youth group continues to work on restoring the Magic City Theater.
Walking into the gloomy, hollow shell of the Magic City Theater, it is hard to imagine a big screen and rows of theater seats filled with movie fans contentedly munching popcorn.
“It’s hard to visualize,” said Carson Moore, 16, admitting that the transformation won’t happen overnight.
Carson is a member of a group of local teens and adults for whom that vision is alive. Every time they roll up their shirt sleeves to tackle another project in the theater, they inch closer to their goal of restoring something the town lost when the theater closed decades ago.
Read the full story in the Rapid City Journal.
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July 22, 2008
Campus Theatre’s auditorium lost - exterior restored
MILLEDGEVILLE, GA — The Campus Theatre opened in 1935. It was designed in the popular Art Deco style of the day. The theatre closed 1983 and ownership of the theatre changed hands several times over the years. Talks of reopening the theatre never materialized. In 2006 plans to convert the theatre into a “mixed use” building were discussed. In February 2008 then current owner Randall Hattaway sold the theatre to the Georgia College & State University for approximately $800,000. [] Plans were approved]([url=/news/16868_0_1_0_C/) in May of 2008 for a “conversion” of the theater which began in June.
The finalized plans restore the exterior of the theatre, including the marquee and box office, to its original design. The lobby, a portion of the first floor and added basement space will be converted to a book store. The current auditorium will be replaced with a literal black box that will contain a theatre for mixed use presentations. The balcony will be converted into office space along with the current offices already located on the second floor.
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Art Theatre re-opening August 15th
LONG BEACH, CA — After being sold and closed in March of this year, the Art Theatre is scheduled to re-open on August 15th.
The facade will be restored, a replica of the 1934 marquee will be installed, and maybe best of all, a new proscenium arch and curtains will be installed in front of the screen!
Long Beach’s venerable Art Theatre is scheduled to re-open Aug. 15, pushed back by owners two weeks later than the date previously posted on the theater’s Web site.
The 84-year-old Fourth Street institution, which has been closed since March, will showcase some of its past glamour with more than
$1 million in restorations and renovations, courtesy of the theater’s new owners, V Squared.
See this link for the full article in the Press Telegram.
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AMC opening Northwest’s first all-digital cineplex
TUKWILA, WA — The new AMC Westfield Southcenter not only provides Seattle-area moviegoers with luxurious accommodations but also the Northwest’s first all digital cinema.
It’s not being billed as such, but the opening Friday of AMC’s luxurious 16-screen multiplex at Westfield Southcenter in Tukwila is a milestone event in local movie history. It’s the first large-scale cinema in the Northwest in which every projector is digital.
The 2,900-seat complex is one of 10 nonfilm theaters AMC is introducing into the hard-pressed movie market this year, and the prototype for a movie-theater future that industry experts predict could be all-digital in less than a decade.
Will this transition affect the average moviegoer?
Read the full story in the Seattle PI.
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July 21, 2008
The Dark Knight Beats Estimates
The Dark Knight beat its Sunday estimate and scored $158.3 million over the three-day weekend. The figure is the “best-ever 3-day non-holiday weekend,” according to Deadline Hollywood Daily. “The new industry record made mincemeat of conventional wisdom,” The Hollywood Reporter adds, “that a mid-July session could never pack such a punch.”
To get a sense of the excitement at theaters across the country, IMAX president Greg Forster notes: “We sold out every single ticket in the country at every show. We’re certainly sold out throughout (the weekend), and the majority of our theaters have sell-outs into next weekend and beyond. Our Web site has shut down multiple times.”"
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Port Theater’s rebirth in Corona del Mar
CORONA DEL MAR CA — The Port Theater was built in 1950 in a distinct 50’s style. It remained opened as a single screen theater until 1998 when a combination of newly built multiplexes nearby and a lack of public parking on a busy thoroughfare finally proved fatal.
The theater has remained closed for a decade and suffered both the threat of city approved demolition permits and a later proposed remodel for use as offices and shops. The present owner has surprisingly reversed his original plans for the remodel and has announced he will revive the theater.
An article about the Port Theater’s rebirth can be found at the OC Register.
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70mm in Missouri
I am trying to research 70mm engagements in my home state, but there is not many things out there. I am far from any microfilm for the St. Louis and Kansas City areas and cannot research the papers from those areas from Springfield. Any help is definitely appreciated.
I am researching the St. Louis and Kansas City areas (other areas are definitely acceptable). And here is what I have so far (special thanks to Michael Coate and Bill Kallay’s from www.in70mm.com and www.fromscripttodvd.com contributions and aparofan’s flickr page for the found items).
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80 theatre seats for sale
I have 80 blue theatre seats for sale. They are in good condition. I have some photos if you want to see them. I am selling them because my theatre needs funds. If you are interested please email me.
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July 20, 2008
The Dark Knight Breaks Weekend Box Office Record
The Dark Knight has reportedly broken the three-day box office record with $155.3 million, compared to Spider-Man 3’s $151.1 million, according to USA Today and the Associated Press. Scott Bowles writes in USA Today:
There were few records left standing in Batman’s wake by the end of the weekend. With the death of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, glowing early reviews and director Christopher Nolan’s standing with the comic-book community, it was clear that the second installment of the revitalized franchise was headed for the history books one minute into its opening weekend.
The IMAX screenings have already earned $6.2 million on 94 screens, easily beating Spider-Man 3’s record of $4.7 million.
Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting the same numbers, but she notes that some rival studios are questioning the projected weekend total … stay tuned.
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July 19, 2008
The Dark Knight Sets Single Day Box Office Record
The Dark Knight has set a new single day box office record with $66.4 million (a figure that includes the also record-breaking midnight to 3 am screenings across the country that earned $18.5 million). The film opened in a record-setting 4,366 theaters according to Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Nikki Finke.
Read more from the Associated Press.