Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 301 - 325 of 3,427 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Jul 29, 2018 at 5:21 pm

I just remembered that I have a souvenir programs for THE ROSE and TOMMY.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Palace Theatre on Jul 29, 2018 at 5:06 pm

bigjoe, it was not a roadshow. It actually opened at four locations in NYC.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Jul 28, 2018 at 6:04 pm

According to Variety, LA MANCHA made 3.8 million in studio rentals (double that for the total gross). MUSIC made only 3 million in the 1973 re-release.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rivoli Theatre on Jul 28, 2018 at 3:56 pm

Except MAN OF LA MANCHA did better than that SOUND OF MUSIC re-release and movie musicals were all failing.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Roxy Theatre on Jun 28, 2018 at 6:59 pm

As per the NY Times article, Thursday April 21, 1955. The Roxy screen was 64 ½ x 26 ½ and curved. The Paramount VistaVision was 64 x 35 and curved.

The Warner Cinerama was 67 and 24 ½ and seriously curved.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinema Village on Jun 27, 2018 at 1:50 pm

I don’t think I have ever been in their men’s room.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Cinema Village on Jun 27, 2018 at 6:51 am

In 1991-1992, this briefly became known as ‘Cinema 12th street’ as the ‘Cinema Village’ name moved to the Bijou. By 1993 they were know as the ‘Cinema Village’ and the ‘Cinema Village on 3rd Avenue’, respectively.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Lincoln Square 13 on May 31, 2018 at 9:00 pm

bigjoe, why aren’t you commenting about this on the Orpheum page?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Village East by Angelika on May 25, 2018 at 6:55 pm

That was pretty great NYer!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's State Theatre on May 21, 2018 at 6:11 am

The X was the only rating that could be self imposed without even submitting the film. Studios fought the rating in the late seventies and eighties, but they sought it in the early days when it was box office bait. Once you advertised the film as ‘X’ you could not change it for a year even if you had been awarded an R. Variety says “COWBOY” originally got an R and UA went with an X anyway. They eventually went back to the R when many malls started banning X films. “A CLOCKWORK ORANGE”, for example, was cut and re-submitted a year after the first release.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's State Theatre on May 20, 2018 at 7:31 pm

“MIDNIGHT COWBOY” never got an “X”. It received an “R” rating and decided to go with the “X” instead. It was allowed to revert to the “R” rating a year later, as per the rules.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's State Theatre on May 20, 2018 at 5:54 pm

“MIDNIGHT COWBOY” had a self imposed X rating and became a big hit. Jack Valenti did more for X-rated films by attacking this film than he could have possibly imagined. After this film became a hit, mainstream Hollywood studios (Universal & Fox), self imposed X-ratings on many of their movies and were greatly rewarded for it by the boxoffice.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's State Theatre on May 20, 2018 at 2:01 pm

“WITHOUT A STITCH” opened at the State and the Cine (Orpheum 2) in January 1970. It was rated X at the time.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Nite Owl Theater on May 19, 2018 at 5:17 pm

David, I seem to recall something called ‘Intermedia’ that ran Andy Warhol and other avant garde films back in the early seventies.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Nite Owl Theater on May 14, 2018 at 1:30 pm

David, there were groups that did that back then, but they mostly rented existing theatres. The old Grove Movie on Virginia Street and the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Coral Gables before it became the Cinematheque, often played film society shows.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Nite Owl Theater on May 12, 2018 at 7:50 pm

Miami’s longest-running 35mm film screening series. Really? How is that really possible?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Carver Theatre on May 11, 2018 at 8:00 pm

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2018/05/08/city-of-miami-may-buy-renovate-former-theater/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Tribeca Cinemas on May 10, 2018 at 6:12 pm

If you scroll all the way down on that site, it says it is closed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about O Cinema Miami Beach on May 9, 2018 at 8:05 am

Regal operated it when it was sold in 1999 and then closed in 2000. Wometco probably still owned the property.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Kings Theatre on May 4, 2018 at 5:30 am

Exactly when did you think that couldn’t be required in this country? You can also require the applicant to speak English AND Spanish.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Apr 11, 2018 at 7:41 pm

The Embassy was showing “GRAND ILLUSION”, the Alden (Regency) was not advertising and the Lincoln Square was long gone. The NYT Times Machine is your best, but that is what pretty much what I can see there.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Costello Theatre on Apr 11, 2018 at 7:25 pm

The Embassy 72nd street was open in 1959, as was the Alden (later Regency), Studio (later Cinema Studio), Beacon, Loews 83rd Street, Colon, and Colony right up to the Yorktown on 89th Street (later the New Yorker). The Loews 83rd Street played “ANATOMY” in late November.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Costello Theatre on Apr 11, 2018 at 6:55 pm

And, Guarina, the Loew’s 72nd street was on the East Side.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Lincoln Square 13 on Apr 11, 2018 at 6:52 pm

Guarina, scroll up to “nearby theatres” and you will find some. Start here

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Costello Theatre on Apr 11, 2018 at 5:02 pm

By the way, “ANATOMY OF A MURDER” was playing on Friday, November 27 with a featurette called THE WONDERS OF PUERTO RICO". The Loews 72nd street is listed here but the search feature does not appear to work.