Here are some highlights, (and lowlights) of Colonial Twin Follies, a video I made with co-workers more than twenty years ago, while working at a tiny, rundown movie theater in the small suburban town of Pompton Lakes, in New Jersey!
Unexpected trouble causes the crew’s rooftop party, as well as a Colonial Twin era, to come to an abrupt end in the final episode of Colonial Twin Follies. Thanks for watching, and be sure to check out the Colonial Twin Follies Channel on YouTube!
Mini-Episode #8 The Rooftop Party
The crew has a party on the roof of the Colonial Twin, in honor of Glenn, and to mark the end of an era in Episode #8 of Colonial Twin Follies.
Mini-Episode #7 End of an Era
An absent manager plus a disgruntled crew adds up to more mayhem and madness at the Colonial Twin, as the end of an era becomes more apparent in Episode 7 of Colonial Twin Follies.
Mini-Episode#6 Check Please!
Morale at the Colonial Twin sinks to an all time low when the crew’s paychecks start bouncing; Scott loses his beloved cup, along with his wits, resulting in a box office shortage.
Mini-Episode #4 Please Stand By…
Clint tries to manage the Colonial Twin and all of its problems, with no help from his crew, who are far too busy…goofing off!
This theater is still listed as having two screens and 800 seats. Not true. The fact is, this theater showed it’s last movie back in 1996…15 years ago! It has only one small stage upstairs that now showcases live theater, (The Smiling Rhino Theater). The downstairs theater was totally gutted back in the mid/late 90’s and has since been used as a teen community center. No screens…no movies…The Colonial, no more!
While the manager Clint is conducting interviews for employment at the Colonial Twin, the crew attempts to get a shot of Roger, the town’s crossdresser, in episode #3 of Colonial Twin Follies.
Welcome Back!
The crew of the Colonial Twin starts videotaping a birthday greeting to their friend and former colleague Glenn in the very first episode of Colonial Twin Follies!
An absent manager plus a disgruntled crew adds up to more mayhem and madness, as the end of an era becomes apparent in episode 7 of Colonial Twin Follies.
And only YOU can prevent forest fires. I guess we all have our crosses to bear. Look, you have to understand, we were just a bunch of high school and college kids working a part time job. We actually did do our jobs the best we could, and with business as slow as it usually was, well, you know what they say about idle minds. The manager never lost his job, he had to take a leave due to a serious back problem. As for the theater, it ran for four years after we were long gone, so we didn’t actually kill the Colonial Twin. We may have added to it’s injuries, but we certainlly didn’t kill it. I do appreciate your feedback, your point of view, and the passion that you bring to this topic. It’s that very passion, that makes Cinema Treasures so great!
Hey John J. Fink… We most certainly served you and your grandmother popcorn that summer. And who knows, you might have made it into one of our video clips. Wouldn’t that be a riot? That was the same summer Jurassic Park was released, and I remember the owner passed on showing it in his theaters. Bad call on his part. I remember when I asked him why he chose not to show the hottest movie of summer, he actually said, and I quote…“A dinosaur could walk down the street right now, and it wouldn’t impress me in the least.” I kid you not, that’s what he said. I guess he was more impressed with Last Action Hero, and Dennis the Menace! Oh, well. At least you came and saw them. Anyway, keep on the lookout for you and your grandmother on Colonial Twin Follies…Hey, you never know!
Believe it or not, the idea of just walking out never even crossed our minds. That would have meant leaving our manager in a bind, and we just wouldn’t do that to him, considering how much we actually did care for him. In fact, he was suffering from major back problems at the time, and one of the crew members had to step in as manager, (as you will see in next few episodes). The truth is, despite our frustrations, and what may have appeared as downright contempt in the video, we actually did feel an emotional attachment to the old Colonial Twin, which is why we decided to videotape our antics in the first place. We actually enjoyed our time spent working there, and we knew it wouldn’t last forever, so videotaping was our way of preserving this short, carefree, time in our lives. In doing so, we were able to preserve a tiny piece of the Colonial Theater’s century old history as well. A history we are proud to be a part of.
As for AlAlvarz, I totally understand your displeasure with the crew’s behavior, but you must understand their point of view at the time. There were times when the crew wouldn’t get paid for a whole week, and when the paychecks finally did arrive, they would bounce. The owner owned three other theaters at the time, and so with business so bad, and the place falling apart, the Colonial Twin sadly became the owner’s “forgotten child.” That was the crew’s take on it, anyway. It still doesn’t excuse the crew’s actions, and attitudes at the time, but we were all young once.
We were young and callous, that’s for sure.
Unfortunately, it gets a whole lot worse! So, if you think you can bear to watch, brace yourself, and stay tuned…
We always found the video to be hilarious when watching it after a few too many! Now, after all these years, it’s more about the nostalgic trip down memory lane. There is a lot more footage that I will be posting on YouTube whenever I find the time, and I assure you, comedy does ensue…so stay tuned…
Well done! It’s always sad to see a dying profession. When I worked at the Colonial Twin, we didn’t even have a projectionist. We threaded the projectors ourselves. A sign of things to come, I guess.
Here are some highlights, (and lowlights) of Colonial Twin Follies, a video I made with co-workers more than twenty years ago, while working at a tiny, rundown movie theater in the small suburban town of Pompton Lakes, in New Jersey!
Be sure to check out the Colonial Twin Follies channel on YouTube!!! http://www.youtube.com/user/ColonialTwinFollies
Check out the mini-episodes Colonial Twin Follies on YouTube!
Unexpected trouble causes the crew’s rooftop party, as well as a Colonial Twin era, to come to an abrupt end in the final episode of Colonial Twin Follies. Thanks for watching, and be sure to check out the Colonial Twin Follies Channel on YouTube!
Mini-Episode #8 The Rooftop Party The crew has a party on the roof of the Colonial Twin, in honor of Glenn, and to mark the end of an era in Episode #8 of Colonial Twin Follies.
Mini-Episode #7 End of an Era An absent manager plus a disgruntled crew adds up to more mayhem and madness at the Colonial Twin, as the end of an era becomes more apparent in Episode 7 of Colonial Twin Follies.
Mini-Episode#6 Check Please! Morale at the Colonial Twin sinks to an all time low when the crew’s paychecks start bouncing; Scott loses his beloved cup, along with his wits, resulting in a box office shortage.
Mini-Episode #5 Gone to the Dogs The Colonial Twin Theater proves to be a better animal shelter, when a stray dog wanders in.
Mini-Episode #4 Please Stand By… Clint tries to manage the Colonial Twin and all of its problems, with no help from his crew, who are far too busy…goofing off!
This theater is still listed as having two screens and 800 seats. Not true. The fact is, this theater showed it’s last movie back in 1996…15 years ago! It has only one small stage upstairs that now showcases live theater, (The Smiling Rhino Theater). The downstairs theater was totally gutted back in the mid/late 90’s and has since been used as a teen community center. No screens…no movies…The Colonial, no more!
While the manager Clint is conducting interviews for employment at the Colonial Twin, the crew attempts to get a shot of Roger, the town’s crossdresser, in episode #3 of Colonial Twin Follies.
A slow night prompts the usual follies at the Colonial Twin, resulting in Scott getting locked in the bathroom in episode #2 of Colonial Twin Follies.
Welcome Back! The crew of the Colonial Twin starts videotaping a birthday greeting to their friend and former colleague Glenn in the very first episode of Colonial Twin Follies!
An absent manager plus a disgruntled crew adds up to more mayhem and madness, as the end of an era becomes apparent in episode 7 of Colonial Twin Follies.
And only YOU can prevent forest fires. I guess we all have our crosses to bear. Look, you have to understand, we were just a bunch of high school and college kids working a part time job. We actually did do our jobs the best we could, and with business as slow as it usually was, well, you know what they say about idle minds. The manager never lost his job, he had to take a leave due to a serious back problem. As for the theater, it ran for four years after we were long gone, so we didn’t actually kill the Colonial Twin. We may have added to it’s injuries, but we certainlly didn’t kill it. I do appreciate your feedback, your point of view, and the passion that you bring to this topic. It’s that very passion, that makes Cinema Treasures so great!
Hey John J. Fink… We most certainly served you and your grandmother popcorn that summer. And who knows, you might have made it into one of our video clips. Wouldn’t that be a riot? That was the same summer Jurassic Park was released, and I remember the owner passed on showing it in his theaters. Bad call on his part. I remember when I asked him why he chose not to show the hottest movie of summer, he actually said, and I quote…“A dinosaur could walk down the street right now, and it wouldn’t impress me in the least.” I kid you not, that’s what he said. I guess he was more impressed with Last Action Hero, and Dennis the Menace! Oh, well. At least you came and saw them. Anyway, keep on the lookout for you and your grandmother on Colonial Twin Follies…Hey, you never know!
Believe it or not, the idea of just walking out never even crossed our minds. That would have meant leaving our manager in a bind, and we just wouldn’t do that to him, considering how much we actually did care for him. In fact, he was suffering from major back problems at the time, and one of the crew members had to step in as manager, (as you will see in next few episodes). The truth is, despite our frustrations, and what may have appeared as downright contempt in the video, we actually did feel an emotional attachment to the old Colonial Twin, which is why we decided to videotape our antics in the first place. We actually enjoyed our time spent working there, and we knew it wouldn’t last forever, so videotaping was our way of preserving this short, carefree, time in our lives. In doing so, we were able to preserve a tiny piece of the Colonial Theater’s century old history as well. A history we are proud to be a part of.
As for AlAlvarz, I totally understand your displeasure with the crew’s behavior, but you must understand their point of view at the time. There were times when the crew wouldn’t get paid for a whole week, and when the paychecks finally did arrive, they would bounce. The owner owned three other theaters at the time, and so with business so bad, and the place falling apart, the Colonial Twin sadly became the owner’s “forgotten child.” That was the crew’s take on it, anyway. It still doesn’t excuse the crew’s actions, and attitudes at the time, but we were all young once.
Hey ChasSmith, thanks for the spellcheck. I’m so mad at myself for missing that one.
We were young and callous, that’s for sure.
Unfortunately, it gets a whole lot worse! So, if you think you can bear to watch, brace yourself, and stay tuned…
The owner eventually did!
http://www.youtube.com/user/ColonialTwinFollies
Here’s a link to the Colonial Twin Follies youtube channel. Enjoy!http://www.youtube.com/user/ColonialTwinFollies
We always found the video to be hilarious when watching it after a few too many! Now, after all these years, it’s more about the nostalgic trip down memory lane. There is a lot more footage that I will be posting on YouTube whenever I find the time, and I assure you, comedy does ensue…so stay tuned…
Well done! It’s always sad to see a dying profession. When I worked at the Colonial Twin, we didn’t even have a projectionist. We threaded the projectors ourselves. A sign of things to come, I guess.