Orlando: I know this might sound dumb but why don’t you contact the Lindenhurst building department and report this if you know it’s illegal and all? That’s how these idiots get away with stuff like this. They know that no one will do anything about it.
The Century’s Baldwin was small but pretty much the same size as the Oceanside, just better maintained. The last movie I saw at the Century’s Baldwin was “Heaven Help Us”. I hadn’t been in there for awhile and was saddened to see that it wasn’t being maintained too well. The dark paint in the auditorium was peeling, especially on the ceiling and the place just looked tired. I was surprised that it lasted as long as it did. But it still seemed to get 1st run movies right up until it closed and it attracted a crowd. The Oceanside, on the other hand, was always second run and looked it.
The difference, I think, is that the shopping area in Baldwin where the theater was located started to decline in the late 70’s/early 80’s while the area where the Oceanside is stayed fairly active. Maybe not the most attractive but it was/is used as opposed to where the Century’s Baldwin was. And it’s gotten worse since then…
Thanks to lostmemory for directing me here. This sounds like a nice place. But does anyone think it will hold on? Maybe it will because of the upscale nature of the neighborhood.
When I lived on LI, this theater WAS a hellhole. When it was a single screener, it was gross. Never maintained. The kicker was that the town (Oceanside) was/is very nice so it was hard to understand why the owners managed it so poorly. But it seemed to bring people in because of the ample parking (in back) and the fact that the area had a lot of foot traffic.
When it was a single screener, one of the last movies I saw there was a lousy movie called “Rollercoaster” in Sensurround. Now, if you know this theater and it’s size, installing that system seemed foolish. They had it installed in the Green Acres but that was understandable as it was huge. But in the Oceanside?!! Anyway…the “technicians” at the theater either didn’t know how to use it or there was some kind of glitch because they couldn’t turn it off. Literally from the moment the movie began through the end, the Sensurround was on. Only intermittantly did they get it off. No one could hear the dialogue (such as it was). Twice they turned the movie off to see if they could fix it. At one point, some High School students in the audience started acting up. A girl near me went to sit in her seat and the whole back simply fell off. It was the single worst movie going experience in my life. I had always disliked that theater and favored my Century’s Baldwin much more, even as a kid.
The last movie I saw there was “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. It was horrible. The “theater” was a shoebox, the sound was terrible and the place was disgusting. But it was packed…
RobertR: thanks for the BIG laugh! I noticed either on the marquee or somewhere near it there was a sign advertising the place for birthday parties. There is a similar kind of theater in Northern NJ in Ramsey that does the same thing. BUT…they do it much more nicely.
As for Lawrence, I don’t get it either. I did have a lot of friends from the 5 Towns and they always went to the Sunrise Multiplex. I guess schlepping all that way to a less than desirable theater was OK. There was a nice, big luxurious theater in the heart of Cedarhurst and I was surprised years ago that it closed down. Guess it’s not that important to them.
RobertR: AH! Since I know nothing about movie rentals at theaters so the economics never occurred to me.
micohen: you’re kind of right about the location. It was a busy street and the marquee was not very prominent. I guess it was/is a combination of factors that killed it and a lot of other theaters on LI.
Drove by this “thing” last weekend. What’s up with the wacky marquee these days? It doesn’t tell you what’s playing, just says Oceanside Theater or something.
Is this hellhole still attracting a crowd? And how many theaters are in this place now? Smallish neighborhood theaters like this, I’ve noticed, don’t attract the attention on this board the way the big ones do. I’d just like to know if people these days like this place. Who knows? Maybe it’s really nice inside!
Just one more thing about this theater that is an elaboration on what I wrote in the post above. It’s strange to me that this theater could not hold up as a legitimate theater showing regular films. It was on a VERY busy street (Old Country Road) in a nice neighborhood and had little competition. The closest theater to it was the Westbury which was about (I’m estimating here…) a mile or so away. The parking lot was big. Why didn’t it get doubled or multiplexed or something. Strange. That’s the thing that gets me about why some theaters closed and others manage to stay open. Why, for instance, did my favorite theater of my childhood, the admiteddly low key but charming Century’s Baldwin close in 1985 and it’s hellspawned cousins, the Grand Avenue Cinema and the Oceanside remain open and are STILL open?
Yes, that was strange, the fact that it was in a nice, middle/working class neighborhood full of stores and stuff. It stuck out like a sore thumb and you’d think as a legit theater, it could’ve done well.
My one experience in the place seeing “Feels Like Silk” along with another fine porn film of which the name escapes me, was that the theater was not huge but was fairly good size with a balcony. You came into the lobby from the parking lot and there was a concession stand but I don’t remember if they were selling anything the night I was there. You entered the theater to the left of the stand (left side of the lobby.
It’s amazing to think that theaters on the East side would show porn. And yes, the advent of DVD has thankfully done away with the old style porn theater. Who’s going to go into a dark and disgusting theater when they can watch this krap in their own home or on their PC?
I would think someone would ask for a rezoning for a movie theater. Given the nature of the population on the East side (educated, wealthy, etc.) an art house (you’d think) would flourish over there.
Joe Vogel: Absolutely fascinating what you wrote. I’m a New Yorker and if Downtown LA were in NY, whoa boy!!! That sucker would’ve been way regentrified by now. NY-ers love space like that. But the most interesting thing you wrote is that Los Angeles lacks any real urban tradition. New York IS an urban tradition. That’s why I find the area we are speaking of so endlessley fascinating. It’s being used but not regentrified like it would be in New York. In so many ways, you have to be thankful for this. In New York, the land values were and are so high that the beautiful movie palaces like The Capitol, The Rivoli and others were demolished because developers would get more for the land. In downtown LA, they’ve survived, for better or worse, because of the lack of value and/or interest. I’m not trying to put the area down. I think it’s beautiful from what I’ve seen. I love the grittiness. NY-ers do. We hate it when a neighborhood that is alive (like some parts of Manhattan) become “trendy”. Then everything that made it real, vital and interesting slowly gets pushed out and the Pottery Barns, Bed Bath and Beyonds and Starbucks move in and sap the life out of it.
You never know what’s around the corner for certain area. NY is a prime example of this. There are areas and neighborhoods that were unseemly and outright dangerous 10 or 20 years ago that are now some of the most trendy, upscale neighborhoods in town. Let’s hope the LA Preservationists keep up their good work. You may find it will pay off handsomely in the future when the rest of the world rediscovers that area. I just want to see it someday before it goes trendy. And dies…
Just to add a comment out the Tenplex, the last movie I saw there was “Unbreakable” in 2000. Not sure which number theater it was but it wasn’t in the main complex. The theater sucked. Besides the floor being sticky (hell, a lot of theaters have that problem) the two end aisle seats were broken (backs were hanging off) and they had wrapped yellow tape (like crime scene tape) around the two of them to ward off potential sitters. But the seat that I lucked out in sitting in was right next to those two and it’s seat back felt like it was the next to go. The theater also smelled awful. It smelled like a locker room, damp and disgusting. That was the last time we went there. Soon after we discovered the comparatively new Loews Palisades Center Megaplex. But now that place is falling apart as well.
The problem is that these theaters take such a beating but the owners seem to do little to maintain them. Thats why when a bigger, better place opens up, these “older” places die and close. But if the chains kept them up better, audiences might be more loyal.
I’m not sure which chain is proposing to do this, but there’s a proposal being debated (hotly) in Paramus to open up a megaplex at the Garden State Plaza Mall. I believe it will be at least 16 screens. If this happens, the tenplex is toast…
Bill Huelbig: Regarding the Bergen Mall theater, where exactly was it in the mall? A few years ago, the Record ran a story about the Mall and how it really hadn’t changed since it opened in 1955 or so (though I found out fairly recently that they got rid of that nifty, and very retro yellow star fountain…why they did is beyond me…it is what gave the place it’s weird vibe). Anyway, in the article, they did mention the theater. I don’t go to that mall much (if ever) but I know it well enough. Let me know if you remember where it was…I’m just curious…..
Bill Huebig: though this is off the topic, the huge mural that was on Alexanders was salvaged and is (I believe) on display at the Bergen Community College in Paramus. When it was announced that Alexanders was going to be demolished, there was a public outcry over the mural and it’s value. So someone (this was at least five years ago) got together with some art enthusiasts to get it moved.
Back to the Drive-In…it’s not listed here and I don’t know enough about it to post it. In the Garden State Plaza Mall management offices (near the Mexican restaurant) there’s an amazing over head picture from (I think) 1962 that clearly shows the drive in. It looks like the back row of the drive in was on Paramus Road with the screen roughly where the large parking lot is in front of Nordstroms. I don’t think the Garden State Parkway was built in that area yet. Do you know what year it closed?
PeterApruzzese: I understand that there was a movie theater in the Bergen Mall but no one in my neighborhood seems to recall much about it except that it closed in the early 80’s and it was crummy. But I know I saw a photograph in the Bergen record a few years ago of Route 4 West bound that showed a movie theater in what is now David’s Bridal across the street from the Bergen Mall. You can clearly see that it must’ve been a fairly large size theater because it has exit stairs coming from the upper sides and the roof line has that distinctive curved appearance of a movie theater.
The owner of the New Metro Twin (did I get the name right?) has his heart in the right place. I mean, at least he’s not going to close it and he’s trying to keep it a movie theater.
I think if an independent owner had their heart in the right place, the Embassy 2,3,4 in Times Square would be another good place to plant an “art” house. There’s more than enough foot traffic there and an audience is out there for that kind of offering.
But the land is way to valuable in a developers eyes…
Bob Furmanek: why the hell they couldn’t keep it there for a couple of weeks is beyond me. Yes, I think it could’ve/would’ve been sold out for that time. Again, the Music Hall’s handlers probably have no concept of creativity except for making a buck. Pathetic. I can imagine what that movie must’ve looked like in the Music Hall. Awesome.
HenryAldridge: you are 100% correct about Crowther’s review of “Bonnie and Clyde” and taking it in context. This was a man who lived during the time that the real Bonnie and Clyde “did their thing” so to speak so he may have been rightfully appalled that a film would actually celebrate their spree. He was “old” at the time but his review reads like the rantings of an angry grandfather. By the time of that review (1967) the old school of film making was dying and so were his views. I believe he retired not soon after.
The changes in film making that brought us “Bonnie and Clyde” were also effecting and would effect the great screen palaces in New York such as Radio City.
If the Music Hall could pick and choose what it ran, it would do fine. As an earlier post mentioned, “The Spongebob Movie” would’ve been great there as well as (even better!) “The Incredibles”. What I would’ve given to see that WHOPPER in the Music Hall!!!! The problem is, movies lately are just not that great. Ok..so let’s imagine they book the latest Harry Potter flick (for arguements sake…) or they had run “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy upon each of their sucessive openings (now THOSE suckers would’ve been sold out for WEEKS!!!). What about everything else? My opinion is that the Music Hall should be more of a mixed venue…concerts, shows, and movies. How often (if ever?) is the theater unbooked? I work within view of it’s marquee and I never see nothing showing there even if it’s Yanni in Concert (now there’s a sellout show!).
Imagine if they showed the original three Star Wars films there again? Every single geek within 300 miles would be there in addition to more laid back fans. There’s just no creative management running the place. What a terrific and totally underutilized place it is.
Well, I don’t know about Landmark and what theaters they own in the NY area. What I have found out is that independently owned theaters tend (overall) to be better. The owners can be film lovers and they do their best to book good fare that is in keeping with the population. A good example is the Teaneck theater in Teaneck NJ. Privately owned, the theater itself, condition wise, is not that great. But the owners know their patrons (middle class, educated Jews) and book the theater accordingly with art/independent and some commericial stuff in it’s second run usually.
I would love to run a small-ish art house with two or three screens like the New Community Cinema in Huntington, LI. Now those people know what they’re doing and to whom they are catering to and have done a splendid job.
There are a lot of complaints about UA and Cineplex/Loews and how badly they run their theaters. But are there any good chains out there that do maintain the theaters and are aware of booking patterns in the various markets they serve? Anyone know? Or do they all suck?
Face it: digital is the wave of the future. The only thing that’s keeping it from sweeping through all theaters is who will pay for the upgrades? The theater owners or the studios? There was an aritcle in the NYTimes a few months ago about this. From what I’ve heard, the image is pristine but lacks the “glow” that comes from the celluloid and the projectors lamp.
I have mixed feelings about it. As much as I love the celluloid, there have been a lot of theaters where the image is not what it should be. Yes, it could be the theater’s management trying to save a few bucks but it also might be because of the film’s poor quality after having been run through so many times.
From what I understand, the term “silver screen” came from the projector’s light source which produced a kind of shimmer to the image. With digital, we’ll get that pristine image but without that special shimmer.
Sorry to have to post this here but there’s no general info area on this website (if there is, someone please tell me!)…
Anyway…There is another theater on Broadway around (I’m guessing here…) 165th Street or so. It’s on the southbound side of Broadway in the 160’s or so. It looks like the auditorium ran parallel to Broadway. It’s no longer a theater.
Can anyone tell me what it might be so I can look it up on here?
Vincent: YES! Thank you for that great description. THAT’S the Nativity I remember so well. That friggin' thing would give me goose pimples when I was a kid. And THE BLUE LIGHT!!!! That was one of the most amazingly beautiful things I have EVER seen and I’m not religous. It was dramatic and awe inspiring.
The show today is lame. Yes, the shepherds descend from the side flanks but it’s near the end. Then at the end, they do this weird scrolling story thing about the glory of Jesus while a narrator recites what’s written on the screen. I thought I was in the midwest (sorry.). One of the reasons I took my daughter to see it was that I assumed (wrongly) that it would be the same.
Why the HELL could they not have kept the original Nativity? Do you know when the one you and I saw was last performed?
Vincent: hey, I was a kid and Mom paid admission so what did I care, right? In my mind, the Christmas show back then was excellent. It was a great thing to go see. We never got reservations and always got great seats OR we’d move to another section after the first show (or movie) to see it again even better. Best deal in the city by far. Yeah, I had to sit through some less than desirable movies (“Slipper and the Rose” stands out in my mind as one of the worst I had to endure) but the show and the Music Hall made it all worthwhile.
People today have asked me what I thought of the show and all I could think of was that it seemed like one of those shows you see at Disney World or such with much more exhorbitant admission price.
I’m not sure how events are booked at the Music Hall these days but whom ever is doing it probably doesn’t care about the quality as long as whatever the venue is, it brings in $$$. I know that it’s somehow tied into The Theater at Madison Square Garden now.
Warren: not to sound cynical but the cut rate deals are often for off peak dates and/or times (typically before Thanksgiving or if after, for unpopular times like 9:00 AM or so…). I believe that after a certain point, every show is Peak and the discounts mean you get the dregs of the seating like the rear of the orchestra to the far right or left. I paid premium for the tickets because I used a certain credit card and was assured that they were great seats. They were mediocre at best. I can only imagine what the cut rate folks got.
Like RobertR says, during the 70’s, you could see the show any number of times for around $7. (I’m not sure of the exact price but I’m sure it wasn’t anything near to what I paid…)
Judging from how mediocre the Christmas show was, I could not agree with you more.
How amazing it would’ve been to have seen the shortened one that I remember so well (and saw every year when I was a kid) along with “The Spongebob Movie”!!! My daughter would’ve had a REAL treat.
Though she enjoyed the show overall, I could tell after 45 minutes or so, she was getting “itchy” as was I. Since there’s no story or anything, it’s hard to keep interested in one “spectacular” production number after another. There were at least three parts of it that I remember from when I saw it as a kid. The rest was filler to make people feel like they were getting their money’s worth.
Orlando: I know this might sound dumb but why don’t you contact the Lindenhurst building department and report this if you know it’s illegal and all? That’s how these idiots get away with stuff like this. They know that no one will do anything about it.
The Century’s Baldwin was small but pretty much the same size as the Oceanside, just better maintained. The last movie I saw at the Century’s Baldwin was “Heaven Help Us”. I hadn’t been in there for awhile and was saddened to see that it wasn’t being maintained too well. The dark paint in the auditorium was peeling, especially on the ceiling and the place just looked tired. I was surprised that it lasted as long as it did. But it still seemed to get 1st run movies right up until it closed and it attracted a crowd. The Oceanside, on the other hand, was always second run and looked it.
The difference, I think, is that the shopping area in Baldwin where the theater was located started to decline in the late 70’s/early 80’s while the area where the Oceanside is stayed fairly active. Maybe not the most attractive but it was/is used as opposed to where the Century’s Baldwin was. And it’s gotten worse since then…
Thanks to lostmemory for directing me here. This sounds like a nice place. But does anyone think it will hold on? Maybe it will because of the upscale nature of the neighborhood.
When I lived on LI, this theater WAS a hellhole. When it was a single screener, it was gross. Never maintained. The kicker was that the town (Oceanside) was/is very nice so it was hard to understand why the owners managed it so poorly. But it seemed to bring people in because of the ample parking (in back) and the fact that the area had a lot of foot traffic.
When it was a single screener, one of the last movies I saw there was a lousy movie called “Rollercoaster” in Sensurround. Now, if you know this theater and it’s size, installing that system seemed foolish. They had it installed in the Green Acres but that was understandable as it was huge. But in the Oceanside?!! Anyway…the “technicians” at the theater either didn’t know how to use it or there was some kind of glitch because they couldn’t turn it off. Literally from the moment the movie began through the end, the Sensurround was on. Only intermittantly did they get it off. No one could hear the dialogue (such as it was). Twice they turned the movie off to see if they could fix it. At one point, some High School students in the audience started acting up. A girl near me went to sit in her seat and the whole back simply fell off. It was the single worst movie going experience in my life. I had always disliked that theater and favored my Century’s Baldwin much more, even as a kid.
The last movie I saw there was “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. It was horrible. The “theater” was a shoebox, the sound was terrible and the place was disgusting. But it was packed…
RobertR: thanks for the BIG laugh! I noticed either on the marquee or somewhere near it there was a sign advertising the place for birthday parties. There is a similar kind of theater in Northern NJ in Ramsey that does the same thing. BUT…they do it much more nicely.
As for Lawrence, I don’t get it either. I did have a lot of friends from the 5 Towns and they always went to the Sunrise Multiplex. I guess schlepping all that way to a less than desirable theater was OK. There was a nice, big luxurious theater in the heart of Cedarhurst and I was surprised years ago that it closed down. Guess it’s not that important to them.
RobertR: AH! Since I know nothing about movie rentals at theaters so the economics never occurred to me.
micohen: you’re kind of right about the location. It was a busy street and the marquee was not very prominent. I guess it was/is a combination of factors that killed it and a lot of other theaters on LI.
Drove by this “thing” last weekend. What’s up with the wacky marquee these days? It doesn’t tell you what’s playing, just says Oceanside Theater or something.
Is this hellhole still attracting a crowd? And how many theaters are in this place now? Smallish neighborhood theaters like this, I’ve noticed, don’t attract the attention on this board the way the big ones do. I’d just like to know if people these days like this place. Who knows? Maybe it’s really nice inside!
Just one more thing about this theater that is an elaboration on what I wrote in the post above. It’s strange to me that this theater could not hold up as a legitimate theater showing regular films. It was on a VERY busy street (Old Country Road) in a nice neighborhood and had little competition. The closest theater to it was the Westbury which was about (I’m estimating here…) a mile or so away. The parking lot was big. Why didn’t it get doubled or multiplexed or something. Strange. That’s the thing that gets me about why some theaters closed and others manage to stay open. Why, for instance, did my favorite theater of my childhood, the admiteddly low key but charming Century’s Baldwin close in 1985 and it’s hellspawned cousins, the Grand Avenue Cinema and the Oceanside remain open and are STILL open?
Yes, that was strange, the fact that it was in a nice, middle/working class neighborhood full of stores and stuff. It stuck out like a sore thumb and you’d think as a legit theater, it could’ve done well.
My one experience in the place seeing “Feels Like Silk” along with another fine porn film of which the name escapes me, was that the theater was not huge but was fairly good size with a balcony. You came into the lobby from the parking lot and there was a concession stand but I don’t remember if they were selling anything the night I was there. You entered the theater to the left of the stand (left side of the lobby.
It’s amazing to think that theaters on the East side would show porn. And yes, the advent of DVD has thankfully done away with the old style porn theater. Who’s going to go into a dark and disgusting theater when they can watch this krap in their own home or on their PC?
I would think someone would ask for a rezoning for a movie theater. Given the nature of the population on the East side (educated, wealthy, etc.) an art house (you’d think) would flourish over there.
Joe Vogel: Absolutely fascinating what you wrote. I’m a New Yorker and if Downtown LA were in NY, whoa boy!!! That sucker would’ve been way regentrified by now. NY-ers love space like that. But the most interesting thing you wrote is that Los Angeles lacks any real urban tradition. New York IS an urban tradition. That’s why I find the area we are speaking of so endlessley fascinating. It’s being used but not regentrified like it would be in New York. In so many ways, you have to be thankful for this. In New York, the land values were and are so high that the beautiful movie palaces like The Capitol, The Rivoli and others were demolished because developers would get more for the land. In downtown LA, they’ve survived, for better or worse, because of the lack of value and/or interest. I’m not trying to put the area down. I think it’s beautiful from what I’ve seen. I love the grittiness. NY-ers do. We hate it when a neighborhood that is alive (like some parts of Manhattan) become “trendy”. Then everything that made it real, vital and interesting slowly gets pushed out and the Pottery Barns, Bed Bath and Beyonds and Starbucks move in and sap the life out of it.
You never know what’s around the corner for certain area. NY is a prime example of this. There are areas and neighborhoods that were unseemly and outright dangerous 10 or 20 years ago that are now some of the most trendy, upscale neighborhoods in town. Let’s hope the LA Preservationists keep up their good work. You may find it will pay off handsomely in the future when the rest of the world rediscovers that area. I just want to see it someday before it goes trendy. And dies…
Just to add a comment out the Tenplex, the last movie I saw there was “Unbreakable” in 2000. Not sure which number theater it was but it wasn’t in the main complex. The theater sucked. Besides the floor being sticky (hell, a lot of theaters have that problem) the two end aisle seats were broken (backs were hanging off) and they had wrapped yellow tape (like crime scene tape) around the two of them to ward off potential sitters. But the seat that I lucked out in sitting in was right next to those two and it’s seat back felt like it was the next to go. The theater also smelled awful. It smelled like a locker room, damp and disgusting. That was the last time we went there. Soon after we discovered the comparatively new Loews Palisades Center Megaplex. But now that place is falling apart as well.
The problem is that these theaters take such a beating but the owners seem to do little to maintain them. Thats why when a bigger, better place opens up, these “older” places die and close. But if the chains kept them up better, audiences might be more loyal.
I’m not sure which chain is proposing to do this, but there’s a proposal being debated (hotly) in Paramus to open up a megaplex at the Garden State Plaza Mall. I believe it will be at least 16 screens. If this happens, the tenplex is toast…
Bill Huelbig: Regarding the Bergen Mall theater, where exactly was it in the mall? A few years ago, the Record ran a story about the Mall and how it really hadn’t changed since it opened in 1955 or so (though I found out fairly recently that they got rid of that nifty, and very retro yellow star fountain…why they did is beyond me…it is what gave the place it’s weird vibe). Anyway, in the article, they did mention the theater. I don’t go to that mall much (if ever) but I know it well enough. Let me know if you remember where it was…I’m just curious…..
Bill Huebig: though this is off the topic, the huge mural that was on Alexanders was salvaged and is (I believe) on display at the Bergen Community College in Paramus. When it was announced that Alexanders was going to be demolished, there was a public outcry over the mural and it’s value. So someone (this was at least five years ago) got together with some art enthusiasts to get it moved.
Back to the Drive-In…it’s not listed here and I don’t know enough about it to post it. In the Garden State Plaza Mall management offices (near the Mexican restaurant) there’s an amazing over head picture from (I think) 1962 that clearly shows the drive in. It looks like the back row of the drive in was on Paramus Road with the screen roughly where the large parking lot is in front of Nordstroms. I don’t think the Garden State Parkway was built in that area yet. Do you know what year it closed?
PeterApruzzese: I understand that there was a movie theater in the Bergen Mall but no one in my neighborhood seems to recall much about it except that it closed in the early 80’s and it was crummy. But I know I saw a photograph in the Bergen record a few years ago of Route 4 West bound that showed a movie theater in what is now David’s Bridal across the street from the Bergen Mall. You can clearly see that it must’ve been a fairly large size theater because it has exit stairs coming from the upper sides and the roof line has that distinctive curved appearance of a movie theater.
The owner of the New Metro Twin (did I get the name right?) has his heart in the right place. I mean, at least he’s not going to close it and he’s trying to keep it a movie theater.
I think if an independent owner had their heart in the right place, the Embassy 2,3,4 in Times Square would be another good place to plant an “art” house. There’s more than enough foot traffic there and an audience is out there for that kind of offering.
But the land is way to valuable in a developers eyes…
Bob Furmanek: why the hell they couldn’t keep it there for a couple of weeks is beyond me. Yes, I think it could’ve/would’ve been sold out for that time. Again, the Music Hall’s handlers probably have no concept of creativity except for making a buck. Pathetic. I can imagine what that movie must’ve looked like in the Music Hall. Awesome.
HenryAldridge: you are 100% correct about Crowther’s review of “Bonnie and Clyde” and taking it in context. This was a man who lived during the time that the real Bonnie and Clyde “did their thing” so to speak so he may have been rightfully appalled that a film would actually celebrate their spree. He was “old” at the time but his review reads like the rantings of an angry grandfather. By the time of that review (1967) the old school of film making was dying and so were his views. I believe he retired not soon after.
The changes in film making that brought us “Bonnie and Clyde” were also effecting and would effect the great screen palaces in New York such as Radio City.
If the Music Hall could pick and choose what it ran, it would do fine. As an earlier post mentioned, “The Spongebob Movie” would’ve been great there as well as (even better!) “The Incredibles”. What I would’ve given to see that WHOPPER in the Music Hall!!!! The problem is, movies lately are just not that great. Ok..so let’s imagine they book the latest Harry Potter flick (for arguements sake…) or they had run “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy upon each of their sucessive openings (now THOSE suckers would’ve been sold out for WEEKS!!!). What about everything else? My opinion is that the Music Hall should be more of a mixed venue…concerts, shows, and movies. How often (if ever?) is the theater unbooked? I work within view of it’s marquee and I never see nothing showing there even if it’s Yanni in Concert (now there’s a sellout show!).
Imagine if they showed the original three Star Wars films there again? Every single geek within 300 miles would be there in addition to more laid back fans. There’s just no creative management running the place. What a terrific and totally underutilized place it is.
Well, I don’t know about Landmark and what theaters they own in the NY area. What I have found out is that independently owned theaters tend (overall) to be better. The owners can be film lovers and they do their best to book good fare that is in keeping with the population. A good example is the Teaneck theater in Teaneck NJ. Privately owned, the theater itself, condition wise, is not that great. But the owners know their patrons (middle class, educated Jews) and book the theater accordingly with art/independent and some commericial stuff in it’s second run usually.
I would love to run a small-ish art house with two or three screens like the New Community Cinema in Huntington, LI. Now those people know what they’re doing and to whom they are catering to and have done a splendid job.
There are a lot of complaints about UA and Cineplex/Loews and how badly they run their theaters. But are there any good chains out there that do maintain the theaters and are aware of booking patterns in the various markets they serve? Anyone know? Or do they all suck?
Face it: digital is the wave of the future. The only thing that’s keeping it from sweeping through all theaters is who will pay for the upgrades? The theater owners or the studios? There was an aritcle in the NYTimes a few months ago about this. From what I’ve heard, the image is pristine but lacks the “glow” that comes from the celluloid and the projectors lamp.
I have mixed feelings about it. As much as I love the celluloid, there have been a lot of theaters where the image is not what it should be. Yes, it could be the theater’s management trying to save a few bucks but it also might be because of the film’s poor quality after having been run through so many times.
From what I understand, the term “silver screen” came from the projector’s light source which produced a kind of shimmer to the image. With digital, we’ll get that pristine image but without that special shimmer.
Sorry to have to post this here but there’s no general info area on this website (if there is, someone please tell me!)…
Anyway…There is another theater on Broadway around (I’m guessing here…) 165th Street or so. It’s on the southbound side of Broadway in the 160’s or so. It looks like the auditorium ran parallel to Broadway. It’s no longer a theater.
Can anyone tell me what it might be so I can look it up on here?
Thanks…
Vincent: YES! Thank you for that great description. THAT’S the Nativity I remember so well. That friggin' thing would give me goose pimples when I was a kid. And THE BLUE LIGHT!!!! That was one of the most amazingly beautiful things I have EVER seen and I’m not religous. It was dramatic and awe inspiring.
The show today is lame. Yes, the shepherds descend from the side flanks but it’s near the end. Then at the end, they do this weird scrolling story thing about the glory of Jesus while a narrator recites what’s written on the screen. I thought I was in the midwest (sorry.). One of the reasons I took my daughter to see it was that I assumed (wrongly) that it would be the same.
Why the HELL could they not have kept the original Nativity? Do you know when the one you and I saw was last performed?
Thanks again…
Vincent: hey, I was a kid and Mom paid admission so what did I care, right? In my mind, the Christmas show back then was excellent. It was a great thing to go see. We never got reservations and always got great seats OR we’d move to another section after the first show (or movie) to see it again even better. Best deal in the city by far. Yeah, I had to sit through some less than desirable movies (“Slipper and the Rose” stands out in my mind as one of the worst I had to endure) but the show and the Music Hall made it all worthwhile.
People today have asked me what I thought of the show and all I could think of was that it seemed like one of those shows you see at Disney World or such with much more exhorbitant admission price.
I’m not sure how events are booked at the Music Hall these days but whom ever is doing it probably doesn’t care about the quality as long as whatever the venue is, it brings in $$$. I know that it’s somehow tied into The Theater at Madison Square Garden now.
Warren: not to sound cynical but the cut rate deals are often for off peak dates and/or times (typically before Thanksgiving or if after, for unpopular times like 9:00 AM or so…). I believe that after a certain point, every show is Peak and the discounts mean you get the dregs of the seating like the rear of the orchestra to the far right or left. I paid premium for the tickets because I used a certain credit card and was assured that they were great seats. They were mediocre at best. I can only imagine what the cut rate folks got.
Like RobertR says, during the 70’s, you could see the show any number of times for around $7. (I’m not sure of the exact price but I’m sure it wasn’t anything near to what I paid…)
Judging from how mediocre the Christmas show was, I could not agree with you more.
How amazing it would’ve been to have seen the shortened one that I remember so well (and saw every year when I was a kid) along with “The Spongebob Movie”!!! My daughter would’ve had a REAL treat.
Though she enjoyed the show overall, I could tell after 45 minutes or so, she was getting “itchy” as was I. Since there’s no story or anything, it’s hard to keep interested in one “spectacular” production number after another. There were at least three parts of it that I remember from when I saw it as a kid. The rest was filler to make people feel like they were getting their money’s worth.